Project Finance Lead

Cushman & Wakefield; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 111,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Competitive pay

Job summary

Cushman & Wakefield is seeking a Project Finance Lead within the Programs and Projects team to act as a strategic financial partner, supporting planning, forecasting, and performance management for commercial real estate and construction projects.

This embedded finance role emphasizes data-driven decisions, cross-functional collaboration, and governance to improve forecasting accuracy and project profitability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or related field.
• 7–10 years FP&A experience, preferably in construction, real estate, or project-based environments.
• Advanced Excel, financial modeling, and reporting tools experience required.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain financial models for budgeting, forecasting, and scenario planning.
• Partner with project teams to align financial targets with delivery milestones and client expectations.
• Monitor project financial performance, identify variances, and recommend corrective actions.
• Create dashboards and reports to track CPI/KPI metrics and portfolio performance.
• Present insights to leadership and client stakeholders in a clear, actionable format.
• Support quarterly business reviews and client reporting packages.

Skills

Strategic Thinking

Analytical Skills

Communication

Collaboration

Problem Solving

Detail Orientation

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or related field

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Tableau

Procore

PMWeb

Oracle

SAP

Job description

Job Title

Project Finance Lead

Job Description Summary

As a Project Finance Lead within the Programs and Projects (P&P) team, you will serve as a strategic financial partner, supporting the financial planning, analysis, and performance management of commercial real estate and construction projects. This role is embedded in the delivery organization and is focused on enabling data-driven decisions, optimizing capital deployment, and aligning financial strategy with project execution. You will lead financial modeling, forecasting, and reporting across a dynamic portfolio of projects, while collaborating closely with project managers, estimators, and client stakeholders. Your insights will directly influence investment decisions, risk mitigation strategies, and operational efficiency.

Job Description

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Project Financial Strategy & Forecasting
  • Develop and maintain financial models to support project budgeting, forecasting, and scenario planning.
  • Partner with project teams to align financial targets with delivery milestones and client expectations.
  • Monitor project financial performance, identify variances, and recommend corrective actions..
• Capital Planning & Portfolio Analysis
  • Support long-range capital planning efforts by analyzing cost trends, funding strategies, and ROI metrics.
  • Consolidate financial data across multiple projects to inform client investment decisions.
  • Provide insights into regional market dynamics, cost escalations, and schedule impacts.
• Performance Reporting & Decision Support
  • Create dashboards and reports to track project financial health, CPI/KPI metrics, and portfolio performance.
  • Present financial insights to internal leadership and client stakeholders in a clear, actionable format.
  • Support quarterly business reviews and client reporting packages.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Work closely with Project Estimators, Project Managers, and Procurement teams to validate cost assumptions and vendor pricing.
  • Coordinate with internal finance and operations teams to ensure alignment on billing, accruals, and revenue recognition.
  • Act as a liaison between delivery teams and client finance groups to ensure transparency and alignment.
• Process Optimization & Governance
  • Improve internal financial processes, tools, and controls to enhance forecasting accuracy and reporting efficiency.
  • Ensure compliance with client financial policies, contractual obligations, and audit requirements.
  • Support system enhancements and data integrity efforts across financial platforms.

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Strategic Financial Thinking – Ability to connect financial data to business outcomes and project strategy.
• Analytical Rigor – Strong modeling, forecasting, and variance analysis skills.
• Communication – Clear and confident communicator with the ability to present financial insights to non-financial stakeholders.
• Collaboration – Works effectively across delivery, finance, and client teams.
• Problem Solving – Proactive in identifying financial risks and proposing mitigation strategies.
• Detail Orientation – High accuracy in reporting, documentation, and compliance

REQUIRED EDUCATION

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or a related field.

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

• 7–10 years of experience in financial planning & analysis (FP&A), preferably within construction, real estate, or project-based environments.
• Experience supporting capital projects, client-facing reporting, and portfolio-level financial strategy

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Advanced proficiency in Excel, financial modeling, and reporting tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).
• Familiarity with project management systems (e.g., Procore, PMWeb) and ERP platforms (e.g., Oracle, SAP).
• Strong understanding of project delivery models, cost structures, and capital planning frameworks.
• Highly organized, results-driven, and comfortable working in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
• CPA, CFA, or MBA preferred but not required.

Other Duties

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Conditions of Employment

All offers of employment are contingent upon: Legal documentation establishing identity and eligibility to work in the U.S., U.S. citizenship, drug testing, criminal background check, clean DMV record (for driving roles), education verification, and reference checks.

AAP/EEO STATEMENT

Cushman & Wakefield provides equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Discrimination of any type will not be tolerated.

Cushman & Wakefield also provides eligible employees with an opportunity to enroll in a variety of benefit programs, generally including health, vision, and dental insurance, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, retirement savings plans, life, and disability insurance programs, and paid and unpaid time away from work. In addition to a comprehensive benefits package, Cushman and Wakefield provide eligible employees with competitive pay, which may vary depending on eligibility factors such as geographic location, date of hire, total hours worked, job type, business line, and applicability of collective bargaining agreements.

The compensation that will be offered to the successful candidate will depend on factors such as whether the position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement, the geographic area in which the work will be performed, market pay rates in that area, and the candidate’s experience and qualifications.

The company will not pay less than minimum wage for this role.

The compensation for the position is: $ 110,500.00 - $130,000.00

Cushman & Wakefield is an Equal Opportunity employer to all protected groups, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. Discrimination of any type will not be tolerated.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position at Cushman & Wakefield, please call the ADA line at 1-888-365-5406 or email [e-mail]. Please refer to the job title and job location when you contact us.

INCO: “Cushman & Wakefield”