About the RoleCulmen International is seeking a Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to work at our HQ office in Alexandria, VA. The position is hybrid.
The CFO will serve as the Company’s senior financial executive with responsibility for accounting, financial reporting, government contract accounting and compliance, FP&A, treasury and cash management, project financial reporting, and financial operations.
This is a hands-on, operational CFO role requiring an executive who combines CFO-level leadership with the technical accounting depth and operating discipline of an accomplished Controller. The successful candidate must be comfortable moving seamlessly between executive-level discussions and detailed reviews of financial statements, project financials, indirect rates, cash forecasts, reconciliations, and Deltek Costpoint reporting. This role is particularly well suited for an experienced CFO, VP of Finance, or senior Controller from a substantial federal government contractor who has managed complex project accounting and is prepared to operate at the executive level while remaining deeply engaged in financial execution.
The CFO will lead an established accounting organization, including an experienced Controller and Assistant Controller, and provide financial oversight across a complex portfolio of 150+ domestic and international government contracts.
The successful CFO will build a finance organization that consistently delivers accurate information, on time, with fewer surprises. The CFO will establish disciplined financial processes, anticipate issues before they become emergencies, and provide the CEO and ELT with reliable insight into Company and contract performance.
Success will be measured by timely and accurate closes and PSRs; reliable Costpoint-based budget-to-actual reporting with insightful analysis to inform decision making; disciplined indirect rate management and DCAA compliance; improved cash and liquidity forecasting; strong lender relationships; effective acquisition integration; and a scalable finance organization capable of supporting the Company’s continued growth and complexity.
The CFO will report directly to the Chief Executive Officer and serve as a member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT).
What You’ll Do in Your New Role
Financial Reporting & Accounting
- Lead all accounting and financial reporting activities, including the monthly, quarterly, and annual close.
- Ensure accurate and timely financial statements, balance sheet reconciliations, revenue recognition, cost accounting, and management reporting to include detailed analysis and recommendations for minimizing indirect costs and maximizing profitability.
- Lead and develop the Controller, Assistant Controller, and broader accounting organization.
- Maintain strong financial controls, policies, procedures, and audit readiness.
- Coordinate annual financial statement audits and relationships with external auditors and advisors.
Government Contract Accounting & Compliance
- Provide leadership over all aspects of government contract accounting and financial compliance, including FAR, CAS, and DCAA requirements.
- Oversee development, calculation, forecasting, and monitoring of fringe, overhead, G&A, and other indirect rates, including actual versus provisional rate performance.
- Lead annual Incurred Cost Submissions (ICS/ICE) and manage DCAA audits, accounting system reviews, and other government financial compliance matters.
- Collaborate with Corporate Operations to prepare the company to achieve a certified estimating system, purchasing system, and inventory management system.
- Ensure appropriate cost allocation, allowability, documentation, and accounting across CPFF, Cost Plus, T&M, FFP, and other government contract structures.
Project Financial Management
- Ensure accurate and timely Project Status Reports (PSRs) and other contract-level financial reporting across 150+ projects and contracts.
- Partner with Program Managers to monitor revenue, margins, funding, burn rates, ETC/EAC assumptions, staffing, billing, and financial risks.
- Establish disciplined processes to identify contract performance issues before they materially affect Company results.
- Improve coordination between Finance and Operations to anticipate project financial requirements and reduce recurring last-minute or emergency requests.
Budgeting, Forecasting & FP&A
- Lead annual budgeting, forecasting, and budget-to-actual analysis.
- Establish a robust budget-to-actual reporting and forecasting process within Deltek Costpoint, reducing dependence on external Excel-based reporting.
- Maintain rolling forecasts of revenue, EBITDA/profitability, indirect rates, cash flow, working capital, and other key financial metrics.
- Provide the CEO and ELT with timely financial analysis, KPIs, variance explanations, and forward-looking insight.
Treasury, Cash Management & Banking
- Lead treasury, liquidity, cash forecasting, working capital, and banking activities.
- Maintain detailed visibility into collections, accounts payable, procurement requirements, contract funding, and domestic and international cash requirements.
- Ensure timely execution and appropriate controls over significant payments and domestic/international wires.
- Maintain a strong working relationship with the Company’s private equity sponsor, banking partners and lenders, including management of credit facilities, borrowing availability, lender reporting, covenant calculations, and compliance requirements.
- Proactively identify liquidity, working capital, or covenant risks and recommend appropriate management actions.
Acquisition Integration
- Lead the financial integration of acquired businesses, including accounting processes, reporting, internal controls, treasury, budgeting, and financial systems.
- Integrate acquired entities into Deltek Costpoint, including project structures, chart of accounts, indirect cost pools, billing, and management reporting.
- Support purchase accounting, opening balance sheets, post-closing financial requirements, and performance measurement.
- Develop repeatable financial integration processes to support future acquisitions.
Business Development & Pricing Oversight
- Provide executive financial oversight of significant government contract proposals.
- Partner with the Company’s senior proposal pricing professionals, who are responsible for developing detailed proposal pricing models.
- Review key assumptions including labor rates, indirect rates, escalation, fee/profit, subcontractor costs, contract type, cash requirements, and financial risk.
- Participate in Executive Pricing Reviews and proposal approval decisions to ensure proposals are competitive, compliant, and financially sound.
International Financial Operations
- Provide financial oversight of international contracts and operations, including US expatriate and local national/third country national labor, international payments, banking, foreign currencies, local vendors, taxes, and related financial controls.
- Experience supporting U.S. government programs performed internationally is strongly preferred.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Economics, or related discipline.
- Significant senior finance/accounting leadership experience within the federal government contracting industry.
- Strong working knowledge of Deltek Costpoint.
- Deep knowledge of government contract accounting, including FAR, DCAA, indirect rates, incurred cost submissions, and contract cost accounting.
- Experience with international operations - deployed US expatriates, local nationals and third country nationals, as well as international registered office operations and compliance.
- Experience managing diverse business lines, including services, procurements, and software products.
- Demonstrated responsibility for monthly close, financial statements, project accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and FP&A.
- Experience leading and developing professional accounting and finance teams.
- Demonstrated ability and willingness to operate at a detailed, hands-on level.
- Eligible to obtain a US government clearance
Desired Qualifications
- CPA and/or MBA.
- Prior CFO, VP Finance, Controller, or comparable senior financial leadership experience within a mid-sized or large GovCon.
- Treasury, liquidity, commercial banking, credit facility, and covenant-management experience.
- Acquisition and post-closing financial integration experience.
- Experience overseeing complex portfolios of government contracts and project-level financial reporting.
- Federal proposal pricing review and executive approval experience.
- International accounting, treasury, or financial operations experience.
About the Company
Pay Transparency: The anticipated base salary range for this position is $275,000–$325,000, commensurate with experience, qualifications, and demonstrated government contracting expertise. The position is also eligible for an annual performance-based incentive bonus, along with a comprehensive fringe benefits package.
To learn more about Culmen International, please visit www.culmen.com
