Company Overview
Allen Control Systems (ACS) is a cutting-edge defense startup founded by two former Navy electrical engineers with a proven track record in robotics and software. We are developing an autonomous gun turret using advanced computer vision and control systems to precisely detect, track, and neutralize enemy drones.
With an engineering-first culture, ACS values technical excellence and innovation. Backed by our founders’ successful exits from two previous ventures acquired for a combined $180M in 2022, we are committed to ensuring that the groundbreaking technologies we develop will have a real-world impact.
About The Role
We are looking for a Senior Financial Analyst to be the day-to-day finance partner to our Engineering and Enablement functions at a company shipping autonomous counter-drone systems to SOCOM, the U.S. Army, and customers across multiple countries, on a clear trajectory to $1B in annual revenue. This is an execution-focused, high-visibility individual contributor role. You will own the budgets, forecasts, and financial reporting for Engineering and enabling functions including IT, Facilities, and People, and work directly with functional leaders to ensure spend, headcount, and program plans are grounded in financial reality. You will also help stand up the tools, templates, and reporting cadence FP&A runs on as the company scales. This role is on-site in Austin, TX.
What You’ll Do
Build and maintain the annual budget and quarterly re-forecast for Engineering and Enablement cost centers, including headcount, R&D spend, and program-related costs; partner with Engineering leadership to forecast hiring plans, contractor and tooling spend, and program-driven cost changes.
Own monthly budget-versus-actual variance analysis for supported functions and deliver clear, actionable commentary to functional leaders and FP&A leadership; prepare recurring reporting packages and ad hoc analyses, and contribute inputs to the broader monthly and quarterly finance reporting package.
Serve as the primary FP&A point of contact for Engineering and Enablement leaders; build financial models and tools that non-finance leaders can use to manage their own budgets; help functional leaders understand the drivers behind variances and translate operational decisions into financial impact.
Help build and refine the systems, templates, and processes FP&A uses to plan and report; contribute to the evaluation and rollout of a modern FP&A planning platform; take on increasing scope across additional functions as the team and business grow.
What You’ll Need
3 to 5 years of progressive FP&A experience, ideally supporting an engineering, R&D, or technical function; strong Excel and financial modeling skills with the ability to build clear, usable models and reports for non-finance stakeholders.
Comfort working with headcount-heavy, engineering-driven cost structures and translating hiring and program plans into financial forecasts; detail-oriented and able to own a full budget cycle from planning through variance analysis.
Strong business partnering and communication skills, with the confidence to build trust and influence decision-making across technical (R&D) and non-technical (HR, Finance, Legal) stakeholders. Ability to partner directly with engineering and functional leaders and leverage AI and automation tools to build financial models, improve forecasting accuracy, and accelerate analysis.
You’ll Stand Out
Experience supporting R&D or engineering cost centers, including capitalized R&D or program-based cost tracking.
SQL or data tooling experience, including Power BI or similar platforms, to support headcount and spend reporting.
What We Offer
Competitive salary
ACS Equity Package
Health, Dental, Vision Insurance
Paid Time Off
Allen Control Systems is an Equal Opportunity Employer, providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. Allen Control Systems prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. #LI-AS1
Skills Required
- 3 to 5 years of progressive FP&A experience, ideally supporting an engineering, R&D, or technical function.
- Strong Excel and financial modeling skills with ability to build clear, usable models and reports for non-finance stakeholders.
- Comfort working with headcount-heavy, engineering-driven cost structures and translating hiring and program plans into financial forecasts.
- Detail-oriented and able to own a full budget cycle from planning through variance analysis.
- Strong business partnering and communication skills; ability to build trust and influence decision-making across technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Ability to partner directly with engineering and functional leaders and leverage AI and automation tools to build financial models and improve forecasting.
- On-site in Austin, TX.
- Experience supporting R&D or engineering cost centers, including capitalized R&D or program-based cost tracking.
- SQL or data tooling experience, including Power BI or similar platforms, to support headcount and spend reporting.
Allen Control Systems Compensation & Benefits Highlights
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Healthcare Strength — Health, dental, and vision coverage are consistently listed as employer‑provided across current role descriptions, indicating a solid core healthcare offering. This aligns with the startup‑standard package the company advertises.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off is explicitly advertised alongside core health benefits in multiple postings. While accrual details aren’t shown publicly, its consistent inclusion signals baseline time‑off coverage.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — An “ACS Equity Package” is repeatedly called out in job descriptions, suggesting equity grants are a standard component of total compensation. Visibility of equity across roles points to broad access to ownership upside, with specifics to be confirmed.
Allen Control Systems Insights
What We Do
Allen Control Systems is a defense technology company for a new era of drone warfare and to completely change battlefield economics. ACS is developing counter-drone robotic gun systems targeted at neutralizing attacking drone swarms, drones that are pre-programmed with AI, and drones that are non-jammable. ACS was created to lower the cost per kill of a drone to a few dollars. We do this by combining cutting-edge hardware and software that allows us to point an inexpensive gun that already exists in the field more accurately than anyone ever has before. ACS is a remote organization, with our HQ in Austin, Texas, and an office in Alexandria, Va. If you're passionate about our mission, we’d love to hear from you.
Allen Control Systems Offices
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