Director of Government Finance & Compliance

Description

This is a hybrid role that will require the individual to work from both our Richmond Headquarters and Petersburg site when necessary.

The Director of Government Finance & Compliance serves as the organization's senior leader responsible for the oversight, integrity, and optimization of all financial systems, reporting, and internal controls related to government contracts. This role provides strategic direction for budgeting, indirect rate management, Incurred Cost Submissions (ICS), contract cost control, and regulatory compliance, including full adherence to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), and agency-specific requirements.

This position acts as a key business partner to the CFO, COO, Program Managers, and Compliance Officers, ensuring robust financial execution and audit readiness across all government programs.

Requirements

Strategic Oversight & Financial Operations

• Lead and manage the government contracts financial portfolio including full lifecycle management of budgets, cost tracking, and CLIN-level reporting.
• Direct the preparation and submission of Incurred Cost Submissions (ICS) and related DCAA/agency audit deliverables.
• Develop and maintain indirect cost rate models, ensure proper application of provisional rates, and lead rate negotiations with cognizant agencies.
• Build and implement long-range planning models aligned with cost accounting structures.
• Provide leadership in maintaining compliant DFARS Business Systems, including Accounting, Estimating, and potentially Earned Value Management Systems (EVMS), ensuring audit readiness and timely corrective actions.

Regulatory Compliance & Systems

• Ensure compliance with FAR, DFARS, CAS, and agency-specific requirements (HHS, DoD, etc.).
• Monitor policy and regulatory changes, assess financial system impacts, and recommend process or control adjustments.
• Maintain and update the CAS Disclosure Statement (CASB DS-1) to ensure alignment between accounting practices and regulatory reporting
• Maintain and improve documentation and processes required for business system audits, and indirect rate reviews.
• Serve as the financial process owner for ERP system setup related to project structures, cost allocations, and cost pools, ensuring accurate mapping for reporting and billing.

Internal Controls & Reporting

• Lead design and enforcement of government finance policies, procedures, and workflows.
• Direct monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting specific to government requirements, including pipeline forecasting, funding limitations, and notification thresholds (e.g., 75/85%).
• Own responsibility for tracking and formally reporting against FAR 52.232-20/22 thresholds and proactively coordinating funding modification requests with Contracts and Program Management.
• Oversee project-level variance analysis, EACs, and root cause assessments for budget and rate variances.

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Supervise and mentor a team of finance professionals responsible for billing, compliance reporting, and financial planning for government contracts.
• Partner with contracts, procurement, quality, operations, and legal teams to ensure full financial compliance and business alignment.
• Represent finance in all external audits and internal system reviews related to government contracting.
• Develop and deliver internal training on government cost principles, timekeeping, unallowable costs, and indirect cost structure to ensure broad organizational compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Accounting, or Business Administration; CPA, MBA, or CGFM preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive government contract accounting and compliance experience, including experience as a lead for ICS or indirect rate management.
• Deep expertise in FAR, CAS, DFARS, and government cost accounting.
• Demonstrated experience leading ICS preparation, cost pool development, and CLIN-based cost tracking.
• Strong command of ERP systems (SAP, Deltek Costpoint, Unanet, etc.).
• Excellent communication, leadership, and cross-functional coordination skills.

Preferred Attributes

• Experience with HHS, or DoD cost-reimbursable and hybrid contracts
• Prior engagement in business system audits
• Experience building rate structures and cost accounting models in a growth-stage or audit-prone environment