Program Analyst

SPECTRAFORCE; Lake Forest (IL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Spectraforce is seeking a mid-level PMO Analyst to provide integrated PMO and financial analysis support for a major enterprise transformation program. This 6-month engagement blends governance with budget tracking across multiple workstreams, with emphasis on accurate forecasting and analytics.

You will partner with the PMO Head and Program Manager to deliver data-driven dashboards and executive summaries for decision making, and ensure audit-ready PMO artifacts while coordinating

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of PMO/finance blended experience.
• Advanced Excel for consolidating complex project/financial data.
• SAP experience to process journal entries and capture actuals.
• Budget tracking including CapEx/OpEx management.
• Strong analytical communication for executive leadership.

Responsibilities

• Budget & Forecast Management across Capital and Expense budgets.
• Process monthly journal entries in SAP and track actuals.
• Variance & burn rate analysis across multiple workstreams.
• Analyze resource capacity, demand, utilization, and cost trends.
• Produce portfolio dashboards and executive summaries.
• Coordinate stage-gate and governance meetings.
• Monitor program scope, schedule, risks, issues, and changes.
• Partner with finance teams and stakeholders to validate estimates.

Skills

PMO governance

Financial analysis

Advanced MS Excel

Budgeting & forecasting

Resource planning

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

SAP

Power BI

Clarity PPM

Smartsheet

Jira

Job description

Duration: 6 Months (with potential for extension based on performance and business needs)

Role Overview:

We are seeking a mid-level PMO Analyst (3-5 years of experience) to provide integrated project management office and financial analysis support for a major, ongoing enterprise transformation program. This is a highly blended role that requires a candidate equally comfortable with numbers and project governance.

The ideal candidate will act as the right hand to the PMO Head and Program Manager, supporting across at least seven active workstreams. The core focus of this position is heavily weighted toward financial tracking (50%) and PMO governance/portfolio reporting (40%), with the remaining focus on general project coordination (10%). You will be critical in ensuring that program financials remain on track, resources are accurately forecasted, and executive leadership has actionable, data-driven dashboards for decision-making.

Required Qualifications (Must-Haves):

• Experience Blending Finance & PMO: 3-5 years of mid-level experience explicitly combining PMO/governance operations with heavy financial analysis. (Previous titles might include PMO Analyst, Financial Analyst, or Business Analyst within a PMO).
• Advanced MS Excel: Highly proficient in Excel for consolidating complex project/financial data, variance analysis, and management reporting.
• ERP/Financial Systems Experience: Hands-on experience utilizing SAP to process journal entries and capture financial actuals.
• Budget Tracking: Proven ability to manage resource capacity planning, tracking actual spend vs. budget, and managing CapEx/OpEx financials.
• Analytical Communication: Strong ability to translate complex financial findings and delivery trends into clear, concise insights for executive leadership.

Preferred Qualifications (Nice-to-Haves):

• Bachelor's degree in Program Management, Finance, Accounting, Business, or a related field (relevant dual-experience in PMO/Finance can substitute).
• Experience with project portfolio management (PPM) and BI tools such as Clarity PPM, Smartsheet, Power BI, Jira, or similar applications.
• Understanding of Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid delivery frameworks.
• Previous experience supporting large-scale enterprise or technology transformation programs. (Note: Pharmaceutical industry experience is a plus, but candidates from Financial Services, Retail, or other enterprise backgrounds are highly encouraged to apply).

Key Responsibilities:

Financial Management & Analysis (50% Focus)

• Budget & Forecast Management: Prepare, consolidate, and maintain annual budgets, rolling forecasts, cost-to-complete estimates, and long-range financial plans across both Capital and Expense budgets.
• SAP Financial Operations: Process monthly journal entries in SAP, capture actual financials, track commitments/accruals, and reconcile purchase orders.
• Variance & Burn Rate Analysis: Investigate delivery and financial variances, identify root causes, recommend forecast adjustments, and track burn rates across 7+ program workstreams.
• Resource Financials: Analyze resource capacity, demand, utilization, and cost trends to identify risks and financial opportunities.
• Executive Reporting: Produce portfolio dashboards, executive summaries, and decision materials for PMO governance forums.
• Governance Operations: Coordinate stage-gate and governance meetings, prepare agendas, capture decisions, and enforce PMO standards, controls, and audit-ready document repositories.
• Program Tracking: Monitor program scope, schedule, risks, issues, and change requests.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Partner with finance teams, workstream leads, procurement, and business stakeholders to validate estimates, resource plans, and funding needs.

Project Coordination (10% Focus)

• Track action items through closure and follow up with cross-functional teams to ensure deliverables meet tight deadlines.
• Support ad-hoc coordination, lessons learned, and continuous improvement initiatives for PMO financial and governance processes.

At SPECTRAFORCE, we are committed to maintaining a workplace that ensures fair compensation and wage transparency in adherence with all applicable state and local laws.