What are the responsibilities and job description for the Senior Financial Manager position at ARA Brand?
The Mission Concepts and Capabilities (MCC) Division of Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) is seeking an experienced Senior Financial Manager to support Mission Concepts and Capabilities Division leadership in management of Division financial activities. The successful candidate will also lead Division forecasting processes and development of overhead budgets and supervise the Division finance staff. The position also supports proposal pricing and review and ongoing contract execution for performance and profitability..
Specifically, the successful candidate will possess:
- Extensive financial management experience including budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, revenue tracking, P&L management, and development of financial reporting for executive leadership
- Deep experience with federal contract types such as CPFF, CPAF, T&M, FFP, and IDIQ, including contract setup, execution, and closeout activities
- Expert-level proposal pricing and cost volume development, coordinating across technical teams and subcontractors and ensuring compliance with RFP and federal acquisition requirements
- Strong working knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR, DFARS), SOX, and DCAA standards supporting audits, compliance, and financial integrity across government programs
- Proven ability to analyze contract performance and profitability, including earned value management, funded backlog, WIP analysis, and indirect rate assessment (fringe, overhead, G&A)
- Demonstrated success supporting DoD, Intelligence Community, and federal civilian customers
- Expertise in developing pipeline dashboards, forecasting tools, operational visibility mechanisms, and strategic insights to inform investment, resource allocation, and market strategy decisions
- Experience coordinating across multiple internal and external organizations, including program managers, technical teams, business operations, contracts, HR, legal, and federal agency stakeholders
- Supervisory and leadership experience managing geographically distributed financial analysts
- Skilled in market segmentation, competitive analysis, and support for price‑to‑win assessments, enabling strong competitive positioning for proposals and captures
- Advanced proficiency with financial, analytics, and ERP systems, e.g., Deltek Costpoint, Deltek Cobra, JAMIS Prime, Tableau, SAP BI, AWS Cost tools, Salesforce, and advanced Excel
Required Qualifications:
- BS/BA degree from an accredited institution in a relevant field
- 10-12 years of relevant experience
- Willingness to apply for, obtain, and maintain a SECRET security clearance
- Experience in financial tracking, budget development, program analysis, and proposal pricing and review
- Proven ability to operate as part of a multi-disciplinary team
Desired Qualifications:
- Fifteen years of progressive experience
- TS/SCI security clearance
- Experience developing or managing emerging military technologies
- MS/MA in a relevant discipline
COMPANY INFORMATION:
Applied Research Associates, Inc. is an employee-owned international research and engineering company recognized for providing technically superior solutions to complex and challenging problems in the physical sciences. The company, founded in Albuquerque, NM, in 1979, currently employs over 1200 professionals. ARA offices throughout the United States and Canada provide a broad range of technical expertise in defense technologies, civil technologies, computer software and simulation, systems analysis, environmental technologies, and testing and measurement. The corporation also provides sophisticated technical products for environmental site characterization, pavement analysis, and robotics.
At ARA, employees are our greatest assets. The corporation realizes that employee ownership fosters greater creativity and initiative along with higher performance and customer satisfaction levels. ARA gives its employees the tools, training, and opportunities to take more active roles as owners. The culture is challenging; innovation and experimentation are the norm. Employees are eligible for contributions which not only add to the company’s success, but also their own through the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The motto, “Engineering and Science for Fun and Profit” sums up the ARA experience. For additional information and an opportunity to join this unique workplace, please visit our website at www.ara.com.
Please apply at www.careers.ara.com for the Senior Financial Manager position.