Senior Manager, Strategic Finance (R5566

Senior Strategic Finance Lead

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI's technology actively supports operations worldwide.

We build advanced autonomous systems for defense markets—complex hardware and software products that demand world-class financial modeling, rigorous strategic analysis, and the ability to turn complexity into clarity.

We seek a Senior Strategic Finance Lead with deep Aerospace & Defense (A&D) experience, a strong strategic or corporate finance background in a publicly traded company, and a proven track record architecting and owning long-range financial models. You will serve as the analytical engine of Corporate Finance: designing the company's fully integrated long-range three-statement and unit economics model, driving enterprise-level financial strategy, and producing investor-grade outputs that shape decisions at the C-suite, Board, and ultimately public investors.

Candidates must bring elite modeling expertise (IB/PE/HF/Equity Research), mastery of complex HW/SW unit economics, and comfort operating in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

What you'll do:

Own and Build the Strategic Financial Model

• Architect and maintain a fully integrated, scalable, three-statement model grounded in unit economics, operational drivers, and industry benchmarks.
• Lead the Long Range Plan (LRP), including scenario modeling, sensitivities, and valuation frameworks.
• Translate production ramps, R&D investments, contract timing, government milestones, and GTM strategy directly into financial outcomes.
• Deliver investor-grade outputs including valuations, strategic insights, and Board-ready narratives.
• Maintain a forward-looking view of risks, opportunities, capital needs, and strategic inflection points.

Digitize & Scale Modeling Infrastructure

• Partner with data engineering/systems teams to evolve modeling from Excel into modern cloud-based planning tools.
• Design modular, scalable model architectures; use Excel only where it provides meaningful analytical leverage.
• Integrate automation and analytics to improve clarity, reduce manual work, and increase decision velocity.

Analyze the Business Like an Investor

• Benchmark peers across defense, autonomy, robotics, aerospace, and industrial tech.
• Build competitor profiles, KPI benchmarks, and market analyses that inform strategy.
• Develop a point of view on unit economics, efficiency, scale, profitability, and capital allocation.
• Support M&A modeling, valuation, synergy analysis, and diligence.
• Provide strategic insights that go beyond the numbers.

Lead Cash Flow & Liquidity Modeling

• Build rolling cash flow forecasts across working capital, inventory, milestone payments, production cycles, and Cap Ex.
• Model government contract payment timing, production curves, and program cash profiles.
• Identify liquidity risks early and support capital allocation and financing strategies.

Partner Across the Company

• Work closely with the VP FP&A, CFO, CEO, and senior leaders on forward-looking financial strategy.
• Translate engineering, program, and operations plans into financial impacts.
• Connect short-term forecasting with the long-range plan.
• Present insights that accelerate execution and elevate decision quality.
• Take full accountability for forecast accuracy, improving results with each actualized quarter.

Required qualifications:

• 8–10 years of experience, including significant time in investment banking, PE, hedge funds, or equity research.
• Direct strategic finance leadership experience in a publicly traded company.
• Deep A&D industry exposure (defense, aerospace, autonomy, robotics, industrial tech, or complex HW/SW).
• Proven ownership of scalable three-statement models, LRP development, valuations, sensitivities, and unit economics.
• Exceptional Excel modeling capability; fluent in multi-scenario three-statement modeling, beat-and-raise frameworks, and driver-based…