General Summary
The Senior Program Controller leads the strategic direction and day-to-day operations of Program Finance functions. The position serves as a key leader in financial planning and analysis. Their primary responsibility is to oversee the financial operations of the company, ensuring that financial strategies align with the overall business objectives. By analyzing financial data and trends, the Senior Program Controller helps guide decision-making processes that drive the company's growth and profitability. This role blends Program Finance leadership, FP&A, accounting oversight, and decision support to ensure strong financial governance, profitability, and operational alignment across labor-intensive service contracts.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Financial Leadership & Strategic Support
- This role will need to effectively interact with multiple levels of leadership within the organization including SBU (Strategic Business Unit) and Corporate Leadership. Act as a trusted financial advisor to operational leadership, providing insight on profitability, margin drivers, and cost structure.
- Lead annual operating plan (AOP), budget development, forecasts, outlooks (EAC/ETC), and variance analysis.
- Translate financial results into actionable operational and strategic recommendations.
Program Finance / Contract Financial Management
- Oversee financial performance of government contracts, ensuring compliance with contract terms, FAR/CAS/GAAP, and internal controls.
- Manage or review labor accruals, subcontractor accruals, vendor costs, and SOX-compliant revenue recognition.
- Support contract setup, WBS structures, charging practices, and ERP configuration (e.g., JAMIS, SAP, Deltek, Peoplesoft).
- Monitor funding, billed/unbilled AR, subcontractor costs, and margin performance.
- Knowledge of Indirect Pool Structures, including, but not limited to PMO rates, fringe rates, overhead rates, and G&A rates.
People Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Lead, mentor, and develop finance team members (Analysts as applicable).
- Partner cross-functionally with Operations, Contracts, HR, Procurement, and Accounting.
- Present financial results, risks, and recommendations to senior leadership.
Education, Experience and Skill Requirements:
- Education
- Bachelor’s degree in finance or accounting preferred but not required
- Experience
- 7+ years of program finance/related experience,
- 2+ years in a leadership or supervisory role.
- Construction, BOS and O&M knowledge.
- Experience supporting government contracting and/or outsourced facilities management, IFM, O&M, or BOS environments strongly preferred
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Strong understanding of FP&A, budgeting, forecasting, and margin analysis
- Experience with labor-intensive, service contracts (janitorial, maintenance, grounds, BOS, O&M)
- Understanding of government and/or complex commercial contract types (FFP, CPAF, CPFF, T&M, IDIQ, LOE)
- Advanced Excel skills (financial modeling, pivot tables, scenario analysis)
- Power BI and/or equivalent experience in developing & maintaining aggregated financial dashboards.
- Excellent communication skills with ability to explain complex financial concepts to non-financial leaders
Travel Requirements
- Minimal to occasional (≤10%), as required for site reviews, audits, or leadership meetings
CBRE Government Services is thrilled at the opportunity for you to apply to one of our roles. The base salary range for this position is $135,000–$165,000. This position may also be eligible for a wide range of competitive benefits that can include but not limited to: medical, well-being, financial planning and short-term incentives benefits.
This description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the accountabilities of the job described. Rather, it describes the general nature of the job. In addition, some aspects of this job may change over time according to business needs, and these changes may not be recorded immediately. The requirements stated represent the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required to qualify and satisfactorily perform this job.
This document should not be construed as creating a contract of employment between CBRE Government & Defense Services and any of its employees or otherwise altering an employee’s at-will employment relationship with CBRE Government & Defense Services.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with DisabilitiesThis employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in finance or accounting
- 7+ years of program finance or related experience
- 2+ years in a leadership or supervisory role
- Construction, BOS, and O&M knowledge
- Experience supporting government contracting or outsourced facilities management, IFM, O&M, or BOS environments
- Strong understanding of FP&A, budgeting, forecasting, and margin analysis
- Experience with labor-intensive service contracts
- Understanding of government or complex commercial contract types, including FFP, CPAF, CPFF, T&M, IDIQ, and LOE
- Advanced Excel skills, including financial modeling, pivot tables, and scenario analysis
- Power BI or equivalent experience developing and maintaining aggregated financial dashboards
- Excellent communication skills and ability to explain complex financial concepts to non-financial leaders
What We Do
CBRE Government & Defense Services provides facilities management, advisory, project management and self-performed capabilities for complex, secure environments. It supports federal, state and provincial agencies across the United States and Canada, as well as government and defense missions worldwide. Its work includes integrated facilities management, healthcare and medical services, operations and maintenance, environmental services, base operations support, engineering and construction, asset management, leasing, consulting, and cleared-facility operations.
