Sr. Financial Analyst
HIGHLIGHTS
Location: Hollister, CA (5 days onsite)
Position Type: Contract-to-Hire
Hourly / Salary: BOE
Residency Status: U.S. Citizenship required
OVERVIEW OF THE ROLE
Our client is seeking a senior-level Program Financial Analyst who will serve as an active, visible business partner to program and manufacturing teams. This is not a back-office accounting role. The ideal candidate is curious, analytically sharp, and willing to spend time on the manufacturing floor to understand how products are built, develop strong cross-functional relationships, and help drive business performance. Aerospace and Defense industry experience is strongly preferred.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Manage program financials from cradle to grave, including budget development, production execution, forecasting, and closeout.
Establish program budgets, understand and validate underlying assumptions, load budgets into the appropriate systems, and track performance against plan.
Analyze day-to-day program performance across labor, materials, revenue, costs, and gross margin;identify variances and explain the underlying drivers.
Partner directly with program managers, buyers, factory managers, and functional leaders to understand operational performance and support sound business decisions.
Manage a portfolio of approximately 30-50 programs and engage with each program at least annually, with more frequent support based on program needs.
Lead and support recurring program reviews, including reviews and documentation required for SOX compliance.
Identify financial or operational risks early and present actionable recommendations to address performance gaps.
Support the financial close process within a 4-4-5 accounting calendar, including working part of the final Saturday of each quarter for quarter-end close.
Use Power BI and other reporting tools to analyze and clearly communicate manufacturing and program performance to stakeholders.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or a related field.
Three to five years of FP&A, program finance, or financial analyst experience.
Prior experience supporting manufacturing operations or program-based environments preferred.
Aerospace and Defense industry experience strongly preferred.
U.S. Citizenship required.
KEY COMPETENCIES
Business Partnership: Proactively builds relationships with program teams, buyers, factory managers, and functional leaders.
Willingness to Dig In: Engages deeply with financial data, manufacturing operations, and cross-functional challenges.
FP&A Expertise: Demonstrates hands-on experience with budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, planning, and performance reporting.
Data Analysis: Uses Power BI to analyze, visualize, and communicate financial and operational data;SQL experience is preferred.
Tolerance for Ambiguity: Works effectively when information, priorities, or processes are not fully defined.
Critical Thinking and Curiosity: Asks thoughtful questions, investigates root causes, and translates findings into practical recommendations.
Attention to Detail and Accountability: Produces accurate work, meets deadlines, and follows through on commitments.
Influence and Communication: Communicates clearly with stakeholders and can influence decisions without direct authority.
Learning Agility: Quickly adapts to new systems, processes, products, and business requirements.
TOOLS AND SYSTEMS
Power BI proficiency required.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Excel.
SQL experience preferred.
Oracle experience preferred;the organization is currently migrating systems, so strong systems aptitude and adaptability are important.
INTERVIEW PROCESS
First-round interview;candidates are encouraged to ask thoughtful questions about the role and business.
Panel interview with the Senior Manager and Director;the panel may also include a Senior Program Analyst or the most senior P&A Analyst on the team.