Finance Specialist

Job Description: Financial and Risk Support Specialist

Position Title:
Risk and Financial Management Support Specialist

Reports To:
Project Manager / PMO Director

Location:
Richmond, VA (Hybrid – On-Site & Remote)

FLSA Status:
Contract/Full-Time Equivalent

Position Summary

The Risk and Financial Management Support Specialist will provide dedicated support to large-scale tier 1 VSP IT modernization projects. This role bridges two critical functions: (1) managing risk and issue tracking and (2) supporting financial oversight, including budget tracking, spend plan updates, and reporting. The specialist will work closely with Project Managers and the PMO to ensure risks, issues, and financials are documented, reported, and communicated accurately and on time.

Key Responsibilities

Subject Matter Expertise

• Develop subject matter expertise through formal and informal training and partnering with key project team members for knowledge transfer thereby providing additional value add to the team through the lens of risk management
• Utilize the aforementioned subject matter expertise and a natural curiosity to better identify risks and issues and the corresponding mitigation plan on a project

Risk Management

• Partner with Project Managers to identify, track, and mitigate risks throughout the lifecycle of the project; raise awareness to Project Managers before thresholds are exceeded
• Solicit for, gather, document and actively manage risks and issues with a regular cadence during the lifecycle of the project with project team members and stakeholders. Propose mitigation strategies and seek buy-in where appropriate. Review cadence via status meetings, calendar, milestone, project phase or stage-gate-based
• Attend project status meetings, scrum readouts, and key bureau sessions to capture risks and issues in real time
• Maintain the project's risk and issue register, including probability, impact, mitigation strategies, and cost implications (as applicable)
• Distinguish between internal risks (managed within the project) and external risks (reportable to VITA)
• Deliver a concise and complete monthly risk readout as agreed up with the project manager
• Coordinate with PMO to ensure risk reporting is aligned, consistent, and audit-ready
• Act as an advisor — providing insights to PMs without overriding their authority

Financial Management

• Support project financial tracking, including spend plan updates, variance analysis, and budget forecasting
• Assist with preliminary budget data entry and validation for Planview and other
• Assist in gathering and organizing staff time allocation data for projects
• Collaborate with Project Managers to create insightful analytics and compelling presentations for executive review and reporting
• Support VITA-VSP liaison with external agency and state reporting.

Reporting & Compliance

• Coordinate with project managers to ensure mandated reporting requirements are met (risk, issue, and budget submissions)
• Support compliance with State audit, procurement, and risk management standards
• Prepare consolidated risk and financial dashboards for PMO leadership and executive stakeholders; review internally in advance of VITA reporting to ensure alignment and accuracy

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, Finance, Information Systems, or related field (preferred).
• 3–5 years of experience in project management support, risk management, financial analysis, or IT project delivery.
• PMP certification required; Familiarity with ITIL, or similar project management frameworks.
• Strong skills in MS Project, Excel, SharePoint and Planview (or comparable portfolio management tools).
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
• Ability to balance attention to detail with the need to provide high-level summaries for leadership.

Key Competencies

• Analytical Thinking
  – Able to synthesize risk and financial data into actionable insights
• Collaboration
  – Works seamlessly with PMs, SMEs, and executive leadership
• Proactive Risk Awareness
  – Anticipates potential issues and escalates appropriately
• Financial Insight
  – Understands budget structures, variance analysis, and project financials
• Discretion & Judgment
  – Controls messaging to external stakeholders with accuracy and discipline
• Situational Awareness
  – Understands an audience and situation and when it is appropriate to raise concerns, asks questions, discuss topics
• Organized
  – Understand the sequence and cadence needed to support risk and financial maintenance; ensures meetings are scheduled in advance; work products are complete before meetings
• Trusted Advisor
  – Supports the project manager (with particular focus on risk and finances) and helps ensure the project remains on track, is in scope and delivered with high quality

Success Measures

• Reduction of "last-minute" escalations by surfacing risks early with mitigation plans
• Accurate, clear, concise, and well-documented financial and risk data available for executive decision-making
• Strong alignment with PMs and PMO office, acting as a trusted "right hand" in both risk and budget support
• No audit exceptions or findings needed based on data collected and portrayed

Brooksource provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, citizenship, disability, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, amnesty or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.