FP&A Manager, Autonomous Airpower

ABOUT THE TEAM 

Anduril Air Dominance & Strike Finance group is seeking a Financial Manager to join our team and play a key role in managing financial planning and analysis (FP&A) and IRAD programs for the Autonomous Airpower business line. Autonomous Airpower builds the aircraft that will define the next era of air dominance. Our flagship program is the Fury FQ-44, a combat-capable autonomous jet. Our Finance team is a small, high-output group embedded directly with our engineering, program management, and growth teams.

ABOUT THE JOB 

This FP&A Lead will play a key role in establishing new financial reporting to support the Autonomous Airpower business line. Partnering closely with Finance, Engineering, and Program Management, you will leverage your expertise to build the financial infrastructure, including the models, cadences, and dashboards that leadership relies on to make resource allocation and investment decisions.

This isn’t a reporting job. This is a building job. You’re not inheriting a mature process. You’re creating it alongside a small team that moves at startup speed. FP&A reporting will include a long-range business plan, along with the development of short-term reporting published on a standard cadence. You will develop metrics and a monitoring plan to ensure effective implementation while identifying ways to continually improve the overall financial performance of the business line.

The challenges you will encounter are unpredictable, but you will be expected to take ownership of delivering results in overseeing the strategic planning, development, and execution of FP&A initiatives at both business line and program level. Success in this position comes from a dynamic mindset, strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and a collaborative approach to partnering with cross-functional teams to drive impactful financial decisions. You’ll have direct access to the leaders of the business line and division leadership, with no layers of middle management between you and the decision-makers.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Business Line Long Range Financial Planning & Analysis

• Own the long-range financial plan and rolling forecasts for a portfolio spanning 7+ programs across development, production, and sustainment
• Drive cash flow forecasting and management efforts
• Develop complex financial models to assess various financial scenarios and support strategic initiatives
• Identify and implement process improvements to streamline FP&A activities and enhance reporting accuracy
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to prepare annual budgets, quarterly forecasts, and long-term financial plans
• Lead the development of executive-level reporting and present financial insights to senior management
• Drive continuous improvement in financial reporting tools, systems, and procedures
• Collaborate with department leaders to provide financial insights, support decision-making, and drive accountability for spend
• Analyze trends for opportunities and risks, offering recommendations to optimize cost structures and improve financial efficiency

IRAD Programs Business Manager

• Build and manage the IRAD portfolio financial management, partnering directly with program managers
• Create comprehensive budgeting plans for individual IRAD programs
• Manage the overall business line IRAD budgets
• Lead the headcount forecasting and reporting process, ensuring alignment with financial, operational, and technical goals
• Partner with People function, Talent Acquisition, and department leaders to analyze staffing needs, hiring plans, and workforce costs
• Track actuals vs. forecast for projects including headcount, cost, and deliverables

Monthly Close & Operational Reporting

• Lead the monthly close process for the business line, reconciling actuals to forecast, explaining the variances, and fixing the root causes
• We recently transitioned to Oracle and need someone who can build reporting from the ground up in a new ERP environment
• Partner with Growth, Engineering, and Operations to translate pipeline and contract awards into financial plans
• Brief senior leadership on financial performance, risks, and opportunities. Your analysis will shape resource allocation decisions

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field; MBA or relevant professional certification (CPA, CFA) is a plus
• 4–6 years of experience in financial analysis, modeling, and forecasting within a corporate FP&A, investment banking, or consulting environment
• Strong financial modeling skills, with the ability to think in Excel and build a forecast from a blank sheet
• Strong expertise in cash flow management and working capital optimization
• Demonstrated ability to lead process improvement initiatives in a finance function
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to convey complex financial information in an understandable manner
• Proven track record of managing multiple projects in a deadline-driven environment
• Experience with financial reporting tools and ERP systems (e.g., Oracle, Foundry)
• Aerospace & defense industry experience is a plus
• A bias toward ownership. When something is broken, you fix it
• Must be authorized to work in the United States