Financial Analyst - PPBE & Budget Execution

ARA; Falls Church (VA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

ESOP

Job summary

Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) seeks two full-time Financial Analysts to support the Office of the Undersecretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, Office of the Director of Business Operations, on-site in the Arlington/Falls Church, VA area. The role focuses on PPBE activities, budget execution, and reporting to leadership.

Ideal candidates hold a finance-related degree, are U.S. citizens, possess at least a SECRET clearance, and have 2–4 years of relevant experience in federal

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Applicant must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must have a minimum of a SECRET government clearance.
• 2–4 years of relevant experience in the financial field.
• Foundational understanding of federal and DoW financial management, including PPBE, budget formulation, budget execution, spend plan management, funds distribution, and execution-year monitoring.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to write clear official staff updates (BLUF format).

Responsibilities

• Assist the Office of the Undersecretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment oversee budget formulation and execution to meet Comptroller benchmarks.
• Budget Execution: Maintain and update the Spend Plan and ensure accurate tracking.
• Performance Tracking: Monitor execution metrics against fiscal goals and alert leadership to shortfalls.
• Reporting & Justifications: Draft variance reports and justifications for adjustments or unmet targets.
• Data Reconciliation: Reconcile financial records and verify commitments, obligations, and expenditures with official accounting systems.

Skills

Attention to detail

Organizational skills

BLUF writing

PPBE process understanding

Budget formulation knowledge

Spending plan management

Financial tracking

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration, or related field

Tools

Advanced Excel (PivotTables, VLOOKUP)

DoW financial systems (DAI, GFEBS, DEAMS)

Job description

Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) seeks two full-time Financial Analysts to support the Office of the Undersecretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, Office of the Director of Business Operations, on-site in the Arlington/Falls Church, VA area. The role focuses on PPBE activities, budget execution, and reporting to leadership.

Ideal candidates hold a finance-related degree, are U.S. citizens, possess at least a SECRET clearance, and have 2–4 years of relevant experience in federal