PRINCIPAL ANALYST JOB DESCRIPTION

When forecasts go unvalidated and variance analyses sit undelivered, executive teams make capital allocation decisions without the data they need. The Principal Analyst fills that gap, owning the analytical output that informs budgeting, strategic planning, and performance monitoring across business units. Seven or more years in multi-functional analytical environments is a common threshold for this seat. The role reports into a corporate finance or strategy function and regularly presents findings to C-suite stakeholders including CFOs and CAOs.

As the Principal Analyst, you translate complex operational and financial data into structured insights that guide organizational strategy and resource decisions across business units and leadership levels. You operate within a cross-functional analytics or FP&A team, partnering with accounting, investor relations, risk, and business development to deliver the reporting and analysis that senior leaders act on.

Career Impact: Sustained work at the Principal Analyst level builds recognized subject-matter authority in multi-jurisdictional financial analysis and corporate performance reporting, two competencies that travel well across industries.

Business Impact: The variance analyses, budget reviews, and forecast validations this role produces directly shape how capital is allocated across business segments, meaning errors of omission here have measurable downstream cost.

Growth Opportunity: Consistent delivery in this role creates a credible path toward Analysis Manager or Director of FP&A, particularly for candidates who deepen their experience in long-range strategic planning and investor relations support.

• Analyze operational and financial data across business units to identify variances against budgets, forecasts, and comparable periods.
• Develop capital and operating budget templates in collaboration with segment leadership and key finance stakeholders.
• Monitor monthly performance reporting including prices, volumes, capital spending projections, and cash flows.
• Interpret analytical findings and present structured outcomes to the CFO, CAO, Treasurer, and other senior executives.
• Support corporate development and new initiative projects including due diligence, market analysis, and integration planning.
• Identify gaps in reporting methodologies and lead improvements in analytical processes and data structures.
• Coordinate cross-functional data requests and draft summaries of external research to support investor relations output.
• Review and validate data quality, resolving discrepancies in collaboration with IT and business operations teams.

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related business discipline, or equivalent work experience.
• Five or more years of analytical experience in a corporate finance, FP&A, or business strategy environment, with demonstrated exposure to executive-level reporting.
• Proven ability to conduct financial analysis including variance analysis, cost accounting, and long-range forecasting.
• Strong command of relational database concepts and data structuring practices relevant to financial and operational reporting.
• Demonstrated ability to present complex analytical findings clearly to audiences at varying levels of seniority.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent projects under tight deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Advanced proficiency in spreadsheet-based modeling including pivot tables, lookups, and complex nested formulas.

• CPA, CFA, or MBA credential, or active progress toward one of these designations.
• Seven or more years of analytical experience including exposure to investor relations, corporate development, or multi-segment business structures.
• Familiarity with business intelligence reporting platforms and dimensional database models in a corporate analytics context.
• Prior experience in a consulting or multi-industry environment that required rapid domain adaptation.

• Forecast accuracy rate, measured against actual results at monthly and quarterly close.
• Budget variance percentage per segment, tracked against approved annual operating plan.
• Turnaround time on ad hoc executive data requests, measured in business days.
• Number of reporting methodology improvements implemented per annual cycle.
• Data issue resolution rate, reflecting the share of identified discrepancies closed within the agreed service window.
• Typical tools: spreadsheet and modeling platforms (commonly Excel); business intelligence and reporting platforms (commonly Tableau or Power BI).

• Base Salary Range: $90,000 to $130,000 annually, depending on seniority and industry segment.
• Bonus: annual performance bonus typically ranging from 8 to 15 percent of base salary.
• Equity: stock options or RSUs offered at select companies, particularly in publicly traded or pre-IPO organizations.
• Health Benefits: medical, dental, and vision coverage, with employer contribution standard across most US corporate employers.
• PTO: 15 to 20 days annually, plus standard federal holidays.
• Common Perks: Professional development reimbursement, CPA or CFA exam support, and hybrid work arrangements.

Figures are estimates based on general US market benchmarks and may be outdated. Adjust based on location, company size, and seniority level.

Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or interview process are encouraged to make that request at any time. Financial services and corporate environments may require a background check and verification of work history as a condition of employment. All candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

The Principal Analyst owns the interpretation of complex tax and case law across multi-jurisdictional environments, structuring tax content within organizational products in alignment with system architecture. Reporting to senior leadership and collaborating with both tax and nontax personnel, the Principal Analyst enables product quality and compliance by contributing to new tax functionality requirements and resolving complex customer issues.

Key Responsibilities

Research, define, and interpret complex tax and case law and provide recommendations to tax and nontax personnel.

Determine how tax rules impact organizational products regarding the addition of new content or the maintenance of existing content.

Structure complex tax content within the organization's products in a logical manner consistent with system architecture and platforms.

Perform quality assurance tasks following documented processes.

Test complex tax content and functionality within the organization's products and internal databases.

Provide expertise and support for testing and implementing systems and process changes to support increased efficiencies or conformance with tax rules.

Contribute to the development of requirements for new tax functionality.

Understand and resolve complex customer issues and systems architecture to develop solutions.

Represent the organization as a subject matter expert at product demonstrations, presentations, seminars, panels, and webcasts.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in accounting or other business discipline.

Advanced degree, law degree, or professional certification a plus.

Fifteen or more years of experience in a multi-jurisdictional environment.

Diverse industry or consulting experience required.

Superior communication skills including oral, written, presentation, and facilitation.

Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects with individuals from various areas of the company.

Embedded within the data and technology team, the Principal Analyst delivers optimal ETL solutions and reporting systems that maintain data warehouses and support business intelligence needs. Working closely with business customers and management, this Principal Analyst advances data integrity, source availability, and SOX compliance while mentoring junior colleagues on technical standard methodologies.

Core Functions

• Work with business customers to gather requirements for ETL and reporting requests.
• Design, develop, and implement optimal ETL solutions to maintain data warehouses and data marts.
• Monitor and administer automated ETL processes to verify execution and measure performance.
• Ensure source availability, data integrity, restorability, and handle errors appropriately in a timely manner.
• Provide guidance in the ongoing development of technical standard methodologies for ETL-related activities including data movement, quality, and cleansing.
• Design, develop, and implement reporting universes and reports.
• Perform support and upgrades for vendor applications used to support ETL, reporting, and data science.
• Develop and maintain development standards and documentation around ETL processes and team-supported applications.
• Assess and document the structure, quality, and compliance of source data.
• Maintain IT and SOX compliant status and work with appropriate teams to document and review on a timely basis.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in information technology or related specialty, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum five years of experience in enterprise application support and ETL or Reporting.
• Experience with Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing, Extract, Transform and Load processes, and relational database concepts.
• Basic knowledge of SQL languages, predominantly TSQL and PL/SQL, and relational and dimensional database models.
• Basic knowledge of server-based computing environments including hardware, operating systems, networking, middleware, and database management systems.
• Knowledge of information engineering concepts including business area analysis, data modeling, data security, and application construction.
• Experience with SAP BusinessObjects, SAP Data Services, Web Intelligence, Crystal Reports, SSRS, and RStudio.
• Knowledge of Automic, Microsoft Teams, Cherwell, and cloud infrastructure including MS Azure.
• Excellent customer service and communication skills in written and verbal presentation.
• Ability to lead meetings with technical peers and handle multiple projects and deadlines with minimal supervision.

Reporting to the FP&A team leadership, the Principal Analyst supports planning and analysis functions for the Performance and Essential Materials Segment by delivering financial forecasts, capital budgets, and variance analyses to the CEO, CFO, and other senior executives. Partnering with the Controller's Group, Treasury, Investor Relations, Risk, and Tax teams, this Principal Analyst enables informed strategic decisions and interdisciplinary financial projects across the organization.

Primary Duties

• Assist in all aspects of planning and analysis for the Materials Segment including short- and long-range strategic planning and the annual operating and capital budgeting process.
• Develop templates and presentation materials and assist key stakeholders with Materials Segment annual operating and capital budgets.
• Review and conduct diligence on the monthly forecasts of the various businesses comprising the Materials Segment.
• Review and confirm monthly reporting of prices and volumes, capital spending projections, cash flows, and other required reports.
• Monitor business performance by conducting financial analyses identifying and quantifying key variances against comparable periods, forecasts, and budgets.
• Assist in the development of the investor update Q and A data book by coordinating information requests and drafting summaries of external research reports.
• Provide analysis and support to Corporate Development and New Initiative projects including due diligence, cash flow forecasting, market analyses, and integration projects.
• Support the accounting function with respect to special projects and provide ad hoc reports and analysis to senior management as requested.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Finance or Accounting.
• CPA, CFA, or MBA preferred.
• Three or more years of relevant experience in accounting or finance related fields.
• Strong financial analysis and cost accounting experience preferred.
• Dedicated to consolidating, analyzing, and interpreting financial and operational data.
• Proficiency with spreadsheet programs including Excel.
• Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work in an extremely fast-paced environment with rapidly changing priorities.

Sitting at the intersection of training operations and nuclear weapons education, the Principal Analyst manages and maintains all training sites, equipment, and scheduling for the Defense Nuclear Weapons School on Kirtland Air Force Base. Operating across DNWS academic branches, government facility management, and external visitor coordination, this Principal Analyst enables safe, compliant, and effective delivery of nuclear weapons core curriculum and field training exercises.

Duties

• Coordinate scheduling of training areas for training events and services and oversee scheduling of NWIM tours for outside visitors and in-resident courses.
• Manage and maintain readiness of all training sites, storage areas, and related training equipment used in training events.
• Prepare training sites and equipment including training aids for practical exercises and field training exercises in radiological training sites.
• Support the government Facility Manager with work orders and minor repairs at DNWS training sites and related equipment.
• Conduct tours and provide briefings to students, staff, and leadership including the NWIM and nuclear enterprise related topics.
• Assist DNWS academic branches with teaching nuclear weapons core curriculum, Incident and Accident Response, and delivery of material including facilitation of practical and field training exercises.
• Transport students and move equipment in preparation for training courses, Field Training Exercises, and Practical Exercises.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills and Qualifications

• Experience in training management including multiple projects in a collaborative, team-based environment.
• Exercise planning or coordination experience.
• Previous instructional experience and knowledge of presentation best practices with the ability to convey complex technical concepts to audiences of varying backgrounds.
• Ability to obtain and maintain qualifications to handle, transport, and move radiological sources in support of training events.
• Must possess a valid state driver's license and be trained on non-passenger and passenger vehicles including vans, pick-up trucks, stake trucks, and forklifts up to 25K.
• Proficiency in MS Office tools including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, with SharePoint experience a plus.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with ability to brief students, staff, and senior leaders.
• Ability to work effectively with students, staff, and outside agencies and use initiative in problem-solving.

A key member of the Assessment Department and Software Solutions Student Information System team, the Principal Analyst pulls and validates large assessment data sets using T-SQL and SQL code to support district outreach efforts and internal compliance. Collaborating across the SIS team and reporting to the Supervisor, this Principal Analyst ensures assessment score records are accurately matched and that data quality standards are consistently upheld.

Accountabilities

• Pull assessment data sets using Assessment Department business rules to provide data for district outreach efforts.
• Fulfill ad hoc data requests and reports including assessments data.
• Write SQL code and perform computer statistical analysis of large complex data sets and databases using the data warehouse.
• Independently match assessment score records to student SIS records to validate matching performed by the SIS team.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Technical Qualifications

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Mathematics, Statistics, or related quantitative field, or Bachelor's degree plus two years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience or training in relational database management systems such as SQL Server.
• Coursework in statistics, quantitative research, or research methodology.
• Experience in educational or public service context including educational data warehouses and report writers such as Crystal Reports.
• Proficiency in Transact SQL, SAS Enterprise, query tools, and report writers.
• Knowledge of Azure, DevOps, and Agile, with ability to use R or SAS software.
• Statistical packages including SAS Enterprise, Microsoft Power BI, and Tableau.
• Strong problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills with the ability to address both technical and nontechnical audiences.

Accurate business intelligence depends on the Principal Analyst, who delivers complex data analysis and actionable insights aligned to the operational and financial objectives of the organization. Based within a cross-functional analytics team and serving as subject matter expert on analytics data structures and applications, this Principal Analyst supports senior leadership with interpreted findings, improved reporting methodologies, and resolved data issues.

Job Functions

• Support overall business strategy and corporate objectives by performing analysis to identify business needs and determine solutions to business problems.
• Perform complex analysis of data and its relationship to operational and financial objectives of the organization.
• Collaborate with other business areas to investigate issues, make recommendations, and develop action plans to contribute to company objectives and achieve goals.
• Develop metrics and reports using research and tools provided by the company.
• Identify gaps in tools and data and work collaboratively to resolve them.
• Participate as subject matter expert in projects related to analytics data structures and applications.
• Interpret results of analysis and prepare and present outcomes to senior leadership.
• Review reporting and analytic methodologies and make recommendations for improvement.
• Proactively analyze data and deliver insights to business customers to deepen their understanding of key issues.
• Identify, troubleshoot, and resolve data issues working with IT and other areas as needed.

Experience and Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related area, advanced degree preferred.
• Seven or more years of analytical experience in related industry.
• Advanced research, analytical, data processing, and mathematical skills.
• Strong knowledge of AAA business concepts and database structures including relational database concepts.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills including charts, graphs, pivot tables, lookups, and complex nested formulas.
• Proficiency in MS PowerPoint and structured analysis and design techniques.
• Working knowledge of Oracle or BI tools, with strong Tableau experience preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to make effective formal presentations and communicate findings to various levels of management.
• Project management experience and advanced business writing skills.
• Mentoring and leadership experience preferred.

As the Principal Analyst, this role serves as Subject Matter Expert for GFEBS financial data and Business Intelligence reporting, covering multi-year appropriations including OMA, RDTE, and APA across the Army's financial system of record. The PM UAS program relies on this work to maintain Government Risk and Compliance access controls, reconcile labor and payroll, and facilitate Foreign Military Sales support for unmanned aircraft systems.

What You'll Do

• Help facilitate all Purchase Requisitions, Purchase Orders, and Sales Orders as required for contracts.
• Reconcile all IDOCS for PM UAS.
• Create reports as requested or required within GFEBS and Business Intelligence.
• Develop and conduct training sessions and job aids for end user support.
• Support FMS (Foreign Military Sales) for UAS.
• Handle all Government Risk and Compliance for PM UAS to provide key personnel roles for access to GFEBS.
• Reconcile Labor and Payroll for UAS including ATTAPS for Labor and DCPS for Payroll.

Background and Experience

• Bachelor's degree with ten or more years of experience, or fourteen or more years of experience in lieu of degree.
• Must have General Fund Enterprise Business Systems (GFEBS) experience.
• Experience with Government Risk and Compliance (GRC) for PM UAS.
• Experience conducting Labor and Payroll reconciliation.
• Experience supporting Foreign Military Sales (FMS) for UAS.
• Experience with GCSS-Army for contact with DFAS and input of financial data into GFEBS.