Finance Manager – Aviation Leasing

Software Placement Group, SPG; Fort Lauderdale (FL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Software Placement Group, SPG, seeks a Finance Manager, Aviation Investment & Leasing, to lead investment underwriting, aircraft leasing strategy, and capital structuring. The role requires aviation market expertise, advanced financial modeling, accounting knowledge, and treasury awareness.

You will analyze market conditions, lease performance, and financing scenarios, partnering with accounting, tax, and treasury to optimize portfolio value.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of aviation finance, aircraft leasing, or related field.
• Deep understanding of leasing economics, investment cycles, asset valuation, and secondary market dynamics.
• Advanced financial modeling skills with Excel or similar tools.
• Experience evaluating, underwriting, and executing complex investment and financing transactions.
• Knowledge of ASC 842 and IFRS 16.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Partner with accounting to classify leases and revenue recognition.
• Oversee depreciation, impairment, and other aircraft portfolio accounting.
• Coordinate monthly close and ensure timely financial reporting.
• Lead investment analysis including IRR, NPV, cash yield, MOIC.
• Evaluate investment returns across lease structures and financing options.
• Assess credit risk and counterparty exposure in underwriting.
• Prepare executive-level financial and investment reporting.

Skills

Advanced financial modeling

Executive presence

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance or Accounting

MBA

CPA (preferred)

Tools

Excel

Job description

Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL | Schedule: Full-time, on-site

Overview

Our client is a billionaire integrated solutions company in the aviation space, serving thousands of customers including airlines, aerospace manufacturers, and MRO providers. They are seeking a strategic and analytically driven Finance Manager, Aviation Investment & Leasing, to support investment underwriting, aircraft leasing strategy, capital structuring, trading economics, debt financing, and portfolio performance optimization. This individual contributor role requires strong aviation market expertise, advanced financial modeling capabilities, accounting knowledge, and an understanding of treasury, capital markets, and investment processes.

What you'll do

• Partner with the accounting team to ensure accurate lease classification (operating and finance leases) and proper revenue recognition for basic and supplemental rent
• Oversee depreciation, impairment analysis, and other accounting considerations related to the aircraft portfolio
• Coordinate the monthly close process and ensure timely, accurate, and complete financial reporting
• Provide guidance on technical accounting matters related to aircraft acquisitions, dispositions, and trading transactions
• Partner with the tax function to evaluate tax implications and optimize tax planning strategies
• Enhance internal controls, reporting processes, and financial governance surrounding aircraft leasing and trading activities
• Ensure compliance with applicable accounting standards and regulatory requirements, including ASC 842 and IFRS 16
• Lead asset-level and portfolio-level investment analysis, including unlevered and levered IRR, NPV, cash yield, lease rate factors, and MOIC
• Analyze market conditions, fleet demand, aircraft lifecycle trends, and leasing cycles to inform investment strategy
• Evaluate investment returns across lease structures, financing alternatives, capital scenarios, and after-tax return profiles
• Assess credit risk, counterparty exposure, and transaction risk as part of investment underwriting
• Monitor lease performance, portfolio cash flow stability, asset utilization, and aircraft residual value trends
• Build, maintain, and audit sophisticated financial models incorporating debt structures, tax considerations, maintenance cash flows, and scenario/stress testing
• Evaluate and structure financing alternatives, including senior and subordinated secured debt, warehouse facilities, ABS structures, term debt, and equity partnerships
• Partner with corporate treasury to develop funding strategies and support refinancing initiatives
• Analyze capital structure efficiency and recommend strategies to optimize financing costs and cash flow
• Prepare executive-level financial and investment reporting, including presentations for senior leadership and investment committees
• Present investment recommendations, portfolio performance, and financial analysis to executive leadership and key stakeholders
• Mentor and develop finance and investment professionals
• Support cross-functional strategic initiatives and other special projects as required

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field
• 6+ years of progressive experience in aviation finance, aircraft leasing, structured finance, investment management, or a closely related field
• Deep understanding of aircraft leasing economics, investment cycles, asset valuation, and secondary market dynamics
• Advanced financial modeling skills, with exceptional proficiency in Excel and/or specialized financial modeling platforms
• Strong knowledge of lease accounting standards, including ASC 842 and IFRS 16
• Demonstrated experience evaluating, underwriting, and executing complex investment and financing transactions
• Strong understanding of debt structures, capital markets, and alternative financing solutions
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills
• Strong executive presence, communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to work effectively across accounting, tax, treasury, investment, and senior leadership functions

Preferred qualifications

• MBA and/or CPA preferred

Why this role

This is an opportunity to serve as an individual contributor with significant influence over investment strategy and portfolio decisions for a large integrated aviation solutions company, working closely with accounting, treasury, tax, and executive leadership on high-impact aircraft leasing and investment transactions.