Government and Public Sector Markets Finance Director

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Government and Public Sector Markets Finance Director

Overview

The Government and Public Sector (“GPS”) Markets Finance Director will report to the GPS Finance & Accounting Leader.

The opportunity

In this role you’ll be responsible to create and lead a high performing Markets Finance team in support of the GPS business. You will serve as the single point of contact for client server questions and financial support needs for GPS engagements, accounts and sectors. You will build a team that can address financial issues from very simple in nature to very complex, with reasonable turnaround times and high quality information. As well as leading a large team within finance, the lead also collaborates with other Finance departments to build support which is seamless for client servers. In many cases, Markets Finance is the representative of the back office to the client servers team, and serve as ‘quarterback’ for financial matters. They team with others to accomplish a spectrum of financial needs for engagement teams, and they roll up financial insights at a more strategic level for Accounts and Sectors. They continuously improve client service, to enhance services to meet emerging needs, and to maximise benefits realization, and efficiency. This role will coach Markets Finance leads at more junior levels and foster development of staff and work to build a pipeline of high performing individuals, and constantly focus on developing the next generation of leads.

Your key responsibilities

• Work with GPS Finance & Accounting leader to structure Markets Finance organization in support of EY’s growing GPS practice, with properly supportive alignment to market-oriented leaders (Sector leads, GCSPs, EPs, etc.)
• Lead in shaping and evolving the Markets Finance role within the model of the larger GPS finance organization and in context of the broader GPS operating model.
• Assess level of staff needs and ensure workloads are balanced, enabling all team members to experience well-being while also meeting the needs of the business.
• Lead development of and career planning for EY GPS Markets Finance team members, including visioning learning, development and training needs.
• Accountable for hiring, onboarding and developing a training program for all GPS Markets Finance professionals. Serve as day to day management for Markets Finance Sector leads (Associate Directors) and establish connections with all levels, ensuring a fully connected Markets Finance community within GPS.
• Responsible to maintain and execute controls, policies and procedures from an engagement perspective that ensure engagement financials comply with US government regulatory (FAR, DFARS, CAS) requirements and EY GPS policies and procedures.
• Champion the development of tools, processes, and procedures to monitor and manage engagement financials and optimize financial management at an account and sector level.
• Lead the preparation of annual budgets at engagement, account and sector levels. Throughout the year, regularly update monthly, annual and multi-year business forecasts, inclusive of existing engagement portfolio, new business pipeline, and stretch goals.
• Responsible for the team that issues all invoices to EY clients and prime contractors.
• Responsible for the team sets up of engagements in Deltek Costpoint, inclusive of all project indicative data, attributes, revenue and billing formulas.
• Support external project audits with outside independent auditors and regulatory agencies (e.g., DCAA, DCMA)
• Work across the GPS Finance team to ensure all financial needs are met at an engagement, account and sector level.
• Deliver financial insights to the GPS Finance Leader, always in pursuit of world-class financial management.
• Implement tools and processes to drive efficiency and excellence in the GPS Finance organization.
• Play a key role in socializing (internally to EY) the impact of indirect rate application, and changes to rates, in project economics.
• Partner with the commercial Markets Finance team to ensure seamless support to GPS for borrowed and loaned practitioners
• Support integration of acquisition financials into GPS/Costpoint.
• Focus on recruitment, performance management and coaching across the whole team, to maintain a high performing team and to refresh constantly the pipeline of talented individuals to deliver exceptional client service and become future leaders
• Support other ad hoc financial reporting and projects as assigned

Skills and attributes for success

• Strong leadership skills – able to develop a vision and build excitement around it, for a new financial department within the GPS business.
• Strong relationship builder, with ability to gain trust quickly.
• Experienced leader with expertise in project control in a government contracting environment, combined with business acumen for running engagements profitably.
• Ability to see the big picture from a financial lens. Demonstrated ability to advise the business on levers that optimize revenue and profit.
• Demonstrated ability to deescalate, see the bigger picture and preserve relationships, when faced with adversity.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills that can be applied in a variety of situations as the GPS business model evolves.
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate confidently and effectively with all levels of management and external auditors. Willingness to have difficult conversations and the ability to engage calmly to reach solutions.
• Self-starter and self-motivated. Strong discretion regarding areas to address individually vs. those requiring escalation. Comfort level with making decisions and judgment calls.
• Able to successfully manage competing priorities and mentor direct reports to do the same
• Ability to influence others without relying on direct authority.

To qualify you must have

• A Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field; advanced degree in business, information systems or data analytics preferred
• A minimum of 15 years of relevant (e.g., accounting, finance, program management) experience in a government contracting environment
• A minimum of 5 years working in a project control / markets finance lead reporting capacity reporting to either a Director, Controller, CFO, or other C-level (or equivalent) executive.
• Experience as a direct user of Deltek Costpoint in an accounting/ finance capacity
• Experience with system integration and launch is beneficial, or experience with data conversions, business combinations or acquisitions
• Extensive experience managing programs and driving financial success at a program and portfolio level
• Experience in a highly dynamic environment requiring partnership with numerous stakeholders including change management
• Experience in project financial metrics, preferably in a project-based organization, utilizing Costpoint
• Demonstrated success in leading exploratory discussions and accurately interpreting stakeholder needs that may at times be only partially articulated
• Experience working in a Big 4 accounting firm, or other highly matrixed environment requiring a high degree of adeptness at balancing the needs of numerous equivalent stakeholders
• Experience building a team and ideally, with constructing a vision for a support department that is new within a firm.
• In-depth knowledge of Deltek Costpoint – in particular, all reporting available for project/engagement financials
• Working knowledge of planning and forecasting tools and methods
• High degree of proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Excel, Word, Power Point
• Ability to obtain a security clearance, if needed