Senior Program Finance Analyst (R4731)

Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed deep-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include the V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, Hivemind Enterprise, and the Hivemind Vision product lines. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and the Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube. 

Job Description:

We’re looking for a Senior Program Finance Analyst with strong analytical instincts and a passion for driving business performance to join our high-performing finance team. Supporting our fast-growing Hivemind business unit, this is a high-visibility role where your insights will help inform decisions and support strategic execution.   In this fast-paced, constantly evolving environment, you’ll go beyond standard reporting—you’ll analyze data, surface insights, and proactively engage with cross-functional teams across engineering, operations, and program management to deliver meaningful financial intelligence. Your work will support program performance and contribute to the continued growth of a critical business area.   The ideal candidate brings experience in financial modeling, operational finance, and data analysis, along with a foundational understanding of US GAAP, government contracting, and hardware-oriented environments. Strong technical skills are table stakes – success in this role depends on your ability to apply them to influence decisions and drive results. If you're detail-oriented, intellectually curious, and motivated to make an impact, we want to hear from you.

What you'll do:

• Own financial visibility and performance for assigned programs, including forecasting, budgeting, and long-term planning
• Build and maintain financial models that support forecasting, budgeting, and program decision-making
• Analyze financial and operational data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities, and communicate insights to stakeholders
• Build strong relationships with Program Management and Engineering teams to ensure financial considerations are embedded in program decisions
• Proactively identify financial and operational issues, surface risks early and drive them to resolution
• Partner with Program Management and Engineering teams to  drive program financials, including spend tracking, headcount planning, and performance monitoring
• Collaborate with program managers to monitor actuals vs. plan, highlight variances, and contribute to EAC (Estimate at Completion) updates
• Assist in month-end and quarter-end close processes, including variance analysis and reporting
• Support financial planning cycles, business reviews, and investment analyses
• Contribute to data and reporting improvements, including working with analytics teams on data transformation and modeling initiatives
• Identify opportunities to improve financial processes, reporting accuracy, and efficiency
• Perform ad hoc analysis to support decision-making in a dynamic, evolving environment

What success looks like:

• Become a trusted partner to program and engineering leads – not just a reporting resource
• Identify and surface financial risks early, and help drive resolution early before they escalate
• Improve visibility into program performance where data and processes are incomplete or evolving
• Be sought out for input on decisions due to your judgement and understanding of the business

Who thrives in this role:

• Takes initiative without waiting for direction
• Is comfortable operating with some ambiguity and building structure where it doesn’t exist
• Can influence without authority and is willing to challenge assumptions when needed

Required qualificatinos:

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, Economics, or a related field
• 4–5 years of experience in financial analysis, corporate finance, or FP&A
• Proficiency in Excel and experience with financial modeling and data analysis
• Foundational understanding of US GAAP and its application in a corporate or government contracting environment
• Familiarity with cost accounting principles and government contract types (e.g., T&M, CPFF, FFP)
• Familiarity with program performance management frameworks (e.g., Earned Value Management or similar methodologies)
• Foundation