Shield AI is seeking a Lead Financial Analyst to support financial planning, forecasting, and business partnership across key programs and operational areas. This role will partner closely with Program Management, Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain, Business Development, and Finance leadership.
The ideal candidate has strong experience in financial analysis, program finance, or FP&A; thrives in a fast-paced and evolving environment; and can translate complex financial data into clear, actionable insights. This individual will improve visibility into financial performance, strengthen forecasting discipline, support EAC and risk/opportunity processes, and help cross-functional teams make informed business decisions.
This is a hands-on individual contributor role. The Lead Financial Analyst will be expected to build and maintain financial models, analyze performance against plan, improve reporting and financial cadences, and develop scalable processes that support Shield AI’s continued growth.
What you'll do:
- Build, maintain, and scale financial models used for forecasting, budgeting, and long-term planning
- Analyze data trends to develop business insights and deliver actionable recommendations to leadership
- Partner closely with Program Management and Aircraft Ops teams to provide financial support on program health, spend trends, and headcount planning
- Develop reporting cadences and dashboards to track KPIs and business performance using tools like Power BI and Excel
- Participate in the month-end and quarter-end close process, including variance analysis and executive reporting
- Assist with financial operational planning cycles, business reviews, and investment decision-making processes
- Support data transformation initiatives and basic modeling efforts in collaboration with analytics or data engineering teams
- Drive continuous process improvement by identifying automation and efficiency opportunities within financial reporting and analysis
- Partner with inventory and supply chain teams to monitor material movement, usage, and cost trends
- Collaborate with program managers to monitor actuals vs. plan, flag risks/opportunities, and support EAC (Estimate at Completion) updates
- Ensure financial alignment of day-to-day operations with long-term strategic goals through regular operational reviews and ad hoc analysis
Required qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, Economics, or a related field
- 5+ years of progressive experience in financial analysis, corporate finance, or FP&A
- Advanced proficiency in Excel, financial modeling, and data analysis
- Strong understanding of US GAAP, with practical experience applying accounting principles in a government contracting or manufacturing environment
- Familiarity with cost accounting concepts and government contract structures (e.g., T&M, CPFF, FFP)
- Strong working knowledge of Power BI and comfort with data visualization tools
- Solid understanding of financial statements and business metrics
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaborate cross-functionally in a fast-moving environment
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to present complex financial data to non-financial stakeholders
Preferred qualifications:
- MBA or Master’s degree in a related discipline
- Experience supporting operations or customer-facing teams in a manufacturing, aerospace, or tech environment
- Exposure to Microsoft Fabric, Power Query, DAX, or other data transformation and modeling tools
- Familiarity with ERP systems (e.g., Costpoint/Oracle) and planning tools (e.g., Vena/Anaplan)
- Track record of being a high performer with a bias for action, intellectual curiosity, and attention to detail
- Passion for using data to tell a story and drive strategic decisions
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, Economics, or a related field
- 5+ years of progressive experience in financial analysis, corporate finance, or FP&A
- Advanced proficiency in Excel, financial modeling, and data analysis
- Strong understanding of US GAAP with practical experience applying accounting principles in a government contracting or manufacturing environment
- Familiarity with cost accounting concepts and government contract structures, including T&M, CPFF, and FFP
- Strong working knowledge of Power BI and data visualization tools
- Understanding of financial statements and business metrics
- Ability to work independently and collaborate cross-functionally in a fast-moving environment
- Excellent communication skills and ability to present complex financial data to non-financial stakeholders
- MBA or Master's degree in a related discipline
- Experience supporting operations or customer-facing teams in a manufacturing, aerospace, or technology environment
- Experience with Microsoft Fabric, Power Query, DAX, or other data transformation and modeling tools
- Familiarity with ERP systems such as Costpoint or Oracle and planning tools such as Vena or Anaplan
- Track record of high performance, bias for action, intellectual curiosity, and attention to detail
- Passion for using data to tell stories and drive strategic decisions
What the Team is Saying
Shield AI Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Healthcare coverage is described as excellent, with dental/vision and mental‑health support, and ancillary protections like life and disability appearing in benefit summaries. The breadth and perceived affordability of coverage are highlighted as a standout component of the package.
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Parental & Family Support — Paid parental leave is featured alongside enhanced maternity benefits, fertility and childcare support, and onsite resources such as a Mother’s Room. These elements are positioned as competitive and above the minimal baseline for the company’s stage.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity is granted to all full‑time hires, with RSUs, double‑trigger tax timing, and tools to model scenarios (e.g., through Carta Tax). Communications also reference a transition from options to RSUs, reinforcing access and maturity of ownership programs.
Shield AI Insights
What We Do
At Shield AI, you won't wait years to see your work reach the field. You'll build hardware and software that operates in the real world right now, in the hands of the people who depend on it. Hivemind, our AI pilot, has been flying since 2018. It has flown more than 30 platforms, including an F-16, and it now sits under a U.S. Air Force production contract for Collaborative Combat Aircraft. When you write code or shape a system here, you contribute to technology with a proven flight record and a clear production future. V-BAT flies intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions with an operational record that stretches from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific. It delivers eyes where they matter most, in the most demanding conditions on earth. The teams behind it watch their work get tested where the stakes are real. X-BAT takes its first flight this year. It's an AI-piloted fighter that needs no runway, built to operate where traditional aircraft can't. Join now and you help shape a program at its earliest, most formative stage. That's the kind of ground-floor work that defines a career. Do the most impactful work of your life, on problems that matter. Autonomy at this level asks a lot of you. You'll take on problems in perception, planning, and control that few teams anywhere are equipped to solve. You'll work across disciplines, from aerospace and robotics to machine learning and systems engineering, alongside people who hold themselves to an exacting standard and expect the same from you. Our mission is clear: protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. That purpose runs through every decision, every design review, and every deployment. It's why the work here carries a weight you can feel. Ready to join our mission? Explore our open roles and find where you fit.
Why Work With Us
Founded in 2015 by a former Navy SEAL, Shield AI builds AI pilots and uncrewed aircraft. Veterans aren't an afterthought here, they're at every level. It's why the work carries weight: AI pilots and uncrewed aircraft flying real missions, from Ukraine to the Indo-Pacific, protecting service members and civilians.
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Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
