Senior/Principal Financial Operations Specialist - Retirement Plan Compliance & Data Analytics, Onsite

Sandia National Laboratories; New Mexico; On-site; USD 87,000 - 169,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Affordable housing

Minimal traffic congestion

Job summary

Sandia National Laboratories is seeking a Senior/Principal Financial Operations Specialist to advance the Finance & Accounting Data Analytics function. The role focuses on executive decision support, risk mitigation, and data-driven insights across the organization.

You will work on a diverse portfolio of analytics projects impacting leadership decisions and efficiency. The position emphasizes data transformation, AI-enabled analytics, and collaboration with IT and business partners to deliver

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, accounting, MIS, data analytics or related field with 5+ years of relevant experience.
• Experience with financial data warehouses or enterprise financial systems for reporting.
• Proficiency with analytical or programming tools (Python, R, JMP, Power BI, Tableau, Power Query).
• Ability to transform data into dashboards and decision-support insights.
• Experience writing SQL queries for data extraction and analysis.
• Ability to brief executive leadership clearly and concisely.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and interpret financial and operational data to support executive decisions and risk assessment.
• Forecast, model, and perform scenario analyses to inform strategy.
• Improve processes by standardizing and reducing inefficiencies and risk.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives across Finance, IT, and portfolio offices.
• Develop dashboards, reports, and data products for management insights.
• Transform data from multiple systems using SQL and analytics tools.
• Automate processes with analytics platforms and AI/ML where applicable.
• Identify opportunities to enhance efficiency and reduce risk.
• Support audit and risk-management activities and data requests.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Requirements translation

Executive briefing

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, finance, accounting, MIS, data analytics, data science or equivalent

Tools

Python

R

JMP

Power BI

Tableau

Power Query

SQL

Job description

Senior/Principal Financial Operations Specialist - Retirement Plan Compliance & Data Analytics, Onsite

Sandia National Laboratories is the nation’s premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation, with teams of specialists focused on cutting-edge work in a broad array of areas. Some of the main reasons we love our jobs:

Challenging work with amazing impact that contributes to security, peace, and freedom worldwide

Extraordinary co-workers

Some of the best tools, equipment, and research facilities in the world

Career advancement and enrichment opportunities

Flexible work arrangements for many positions include 9/80 (work 80 hours every two weeks, with every other Friday off) and 4/10 (work 4 ten-hour days each week) compressed workweeks, part-time work, and telecommuting (a mix of onsite work and working from home)

Generous vacation, strong medical and other benefits, competitive 401k, learning opportunities, relocation assistance and amenities aimed at creating a solid work/life balance*

World-changing technologies. Life-changing careers. Learn more about Sandia at: http://www.sandia.gov

*These benefits vary by job classification.

What Your Job Will Be Like:

Organization 10577, Retirement Plan Compliance and Data Analytics is currently seeking a Financial Operations Specialist to expand the Finance & Accounting Data Analytics Function and strengthen the Laboratory's financial and business processes through executive decision support, proactive risk mitigation, and business optimization. The role will leverage data transformation and analytics techniques, artificial intelligence, comprehensive data mining tools, and other emerging technologies to deliver financial and business insights and solutions for Executive Leadership. This role will position the Finance & Accounting Center to have a greater impact on how the organization identifies opportunities, manages risk, makes decisions, and delivers solutions. The selected candidate will work on a diverse portfolio of data analytics projects for the Center, Division, and Laboratories.

On any given day, you may be called on to:

• Prepare and interpret financial and operational data to support Executive Leadership and management decision-making, including recommending process improvements, advising on policy interpretation, and assessing operational risk,
• Anticipate and communicate financial and business issues through financial analysis, forecasting, modeling, and scenario analysis,
• Analyze and improve financial and business processes by simplifying, standardizing, and reducing inefficiencies and risk,
• Lead and support cross-functional teams and strategic initiatives across Finance & Accounting, Business Portfolio Offices, IT, and other organizations,
• Develop and maintain financial/business reporting, analytics, dashboards, applications, or other data products that provide actionable insights for management,
• Integrate, transform, and analyze data from multiple enterprise systems using SQL and other analytical tools,
• Partner with business and IT stakeholders to translate requirements into practical reporting, data, automation, and technology solutions,
• Automate manual, repetitive, or error-prone processes using analytics platforms, programming, artificial intelligence/machine learning, and other emerging technologies,
• Evaluate emerging technologies to identify opportunities to improve processes, reduce risk, and increase organizational efficiency,
• Support audit and risk-management activities, including Inspector General (IG) data requests and data-driven audit risk mitigation,
• Build organizational capability by expanding analytics resources, promoting data quality and documentation, and developing maintainable solutions.

Due to the nature of work, successful candidate must be able to work onsite.

Salary Range:

$87,400 - $168,800

*Salary range is estimated, and actual salary will be determined after consideration of the selected candidate's experience and qualifications, and application of any approved geographic salary differential.

Qualifications We Require:

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, accounting, management information systems, data analytics, data science, or another relevant discipline plus five or more years of directly related experience, or an equivalent combination of relevant education and experience,
• Experience working with a financial data warehouse or enterprise financial systems to develop and support corporate financial reporting,
• Experience with at least one analytical or programming technology (e.g., Python, R, JMP, Power BI, Tableau, Power Query),
• Experience using analytical tools and techniques to support decision-making (e.g., dashboards, trend analysis, statistical analysis, predictive analysis),
• Experience writing or working with SQL queries to extract, transform, and analyze data,
• Experience interacting with, advising, and briefing executive leadership and management teams,
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with demonstrated ability to apply these skills to resolve complex business and financial matters,
• Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to present complex information clearly and concisely,
• Experience analyzing business processes and identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce risk, or enhance decision-making,
• Demonstrated ability to translate business needs into practical data, reporting, analytical, or technology-enabled solutions,
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple projects, prioritize competing demands, and deliver results in a complex business environment,
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE L level security clearance

Qualifications We Desire:

• Experience querying and analyzing data from Oracle databases, Oracle-based business systems, Denodo, or similar enterprise business systems,
• Experience working in or with Portfolio Business Offices and a sophisticated understanding of the Sandia's organizational structure, the NTESS programmatic structure, and the NNSA programmatic structure,
• Understanding of NNSA/DOE financial oversight requirements, including federal budget processes and Inspector General (IG) requirements,
• High-level understanding of Sandia policies and procedures related to financial management, including budget formulation, capital equipment, general plant projects, Strategic Partnership Projects, work authorizations, cost allowability, corporate indirect rate recoveries/management processes, and Cost Accounting Standards,
• Knowledge and experience in accounting and financial concepts and principles, project administration, and quality control,
• Experience applying statistical, predictive, or machine learning models to complex financial and operational datasets to support forecasting, scenario analysis, risk assessment, anomaly detection, optimization, or other business decisions,
• Experience developing automated workflows, leveraging artificial intelligence, and creating analytical solutions that improve the efficiency, accuracy, scalability, or usability of financial information,
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement new processes, lead continuous improvement initiatives, and develop innovative solutions to complex business problems,
• Demonstrated ability to establish strong relationships and lead diverse, organization-wide teams in fast-paced, time-sensitive, and ambiguous environments,
• Demonstrated ability to learn, adopt, and teach new tools and technologies to others

About Our Team:

Retirement Plan Compliance and Data Analytics (Org. 10577) provides Sandia executives, programmatic, and line leaders with actionable information and recommendations using financial data analytics. The team uncovers valuable financial insights that can inform strategy, identify process improvements, increase efficiency, proactively manage risk, and guide transformational business decisions. This team is relied on heavily by Executive Leadership to provide analysis, recommendations, and expertise throughout the year to respond to various challenging and complex issues that impact the laboratories.

Posting Duration:

This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of three (3) calendar days, including the 'posting date'. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.

Security Clearance:

Sandia is required by DOE to conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Applicants for employment need to be able to obtain and maintain a DOE L-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain a security clearance may be impacted.

Applicants offered employment with Sandia are subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by the DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.

EEO:

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and any other protected class under state or federal law.

NNSA Requirements for MedPEDs:

If you have a Medical Portable Electronic Device (MedPED), such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, drug-releasing pump, hearing aids, or diagnostic equipment and other equipment for measuring, monitoring, and recording body functions such as heartbeat and brain waves, if employed by Sandia National Laboratories you may be required to comply with NNSA security requirements for MedPEDs.

If you have a MedPED and you are selected for an on-site interview at Sandia National Laboratories, there may be additional steps necessary to ensure compliance with NNSA security requirements prior to the interview date.

• Affordable housing, reasonable cost of living
• Minimal traffic congestion compared to larger cities