Cost & Program Controls Manager

Publicly Traded Aerospace & Defense Technology Company

Cost & Project Controls Manager

$145k-$165k + Bonus

Location – Arlington, VA – Hybrid (2-3x)

The Role

Our client is hiring a Cost & Project Controls Manager to own the full financial picture of a portfolio of active government programs — both the accounting record of what's happened and the forward-looking forecast of where each project is heading. This role sits at the intersection of cost accounting and project controls: you'll close the books on project costs, and you'll also build and defend the EAC/ETC forecasts that tell Program Managers and Finance leadership whether a project is on track. You'll report to the Director of Finance and Accounting, and be trusted to run your portfolio independently after ramp-up.

What You'll Do

Cost Accounting & Close

• Maintain project cost-accounting structures and financial master data across multiple concurrent government programs
• Reconcile project ledgers to the general ledger; investigate and resolve labor, AP, procurement, and billing discrepancies
• Prepare journal entries, accruals, and cost transfers as part of month-end close
• Support milestone-based billing and revenue recognition (ASC 606) by validating that billing support ties to documented project progress

Project Controls & Forecasting

• Build and maintain Estimate at Completion (EAC) / Estimate to Complete (ETC) forecasts, integrating actual costs, open commitments, staffing plans, procurement timing, and schedule assumptions
• Partner directly with Program Managers to test forecast assumptions against real execution and reconcile the financial forecast to operational reality
• Analyze cost trends against budget; flag margin risk and cost-to-complete pressure early, with clear recommendations, not just variance reporting

Reporting

• Present financial results, forecasts, and risks to Finance leadership, Program Managers, and Program Controls stakeholders

What You'll Need

• Bachelor's in Accounting, Finance, Business, Engineering, or a related field
• 4+ years combining cost accounting/close work with EAC/ETC forecasting or project controls, ideally supporting government contracts
• Hands-on month-end close experience: journal entries, accruals, reconciliations
• Demonstrated experience building and defending EAC/ETC forecasts and identifying project margin risk
• Working knowledge of FFP, CPFF, T&M, or hybrid contract types
• Familiarity with milestone/deliverable-based billing and ASC 606 revenue recognition
• Advanced Excel (PivotTables, XLOOKUP, SUMIFS); ERP experience a plus (Unanet, Deltek Costpoint/Vantagepoint, SAP, Oracle, or NetSuite)
• Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance
• CPA, CMA, PMP, or EVM certification a plus