Program Financial Controller

Title: Program Financial Controller

Location:  Houston, TX

Job Type: Full Time  - Onsite

Relocation Eligible:  Yes

Company Description: Starlab Space LLC is a US-led transatlantic joint venture between Voyager Space, Airbus, Mitsubishi Corporation, MDA, and Plantir that is designing, building, and will operate the Starlab commercial space station. Starlab will serve a global customer base of space agencies, researchers, and companies, ensuring a continued human presence in low-Earth orbit and a seamless transition of microgravity science and research from the International Space Station into the new commercial space station era.

Position Description:

The successful candidate will join the team in Houston and work in a transnational environment with activities done in several sites across US and Europe. This job requires a commitment to act with integrity, as the foundation for the Company’s success, reputation and sustainable growth (and aware if any potential compliance risks).

The Program Financial Controller – Starlab Space Station Program is responsible for leading all financial aspects of the program, ensuring robust financial management, and supporting strategic decision-making. This role collaborates across departments to optimize financial performance and maintain compliance with regulatory and organizational requirements.

Job holder will functionally be reporting to CFO organization and operationally part of the Program organization as a business partner.

Responsibilities: 

• Collaborate with work package managers / IPT Mangers to optimize financial and operational
• performance, ensuring alignment with project goals.
• Lead the development of Estimate at Completion (EAC) calculations, encompassing forecast adjustments, budget creation, and variance analysis
• Drive financial reporting for management reviews, focusing on KPIs, cost control, and compliance with program targets.
• Partner with procurement to ensure accurate cost estimates for contracts and proposals.
• Establish a comprehensive framework for risks and opportunities management, linking financial impacts to mitigation strategies.
• Support monthly financial reporting processes, including variance analysis for budget vs. actuals and ETC tracking. 
• Manage all relevant data for the project controlling (EAC database and actuals reporting) and provide profound analysis and data to enable decision making on management level and give visibility about performance vs targets – special analyses, presentations
• Ensure timely and accurate reconciliation of program expenses to the CBS and WBS structures.
• Be a financial partner in key program decisions, providing insights on cost implications and resource allocation.
• Financial business partner to the Program Manager / Chief Operating Officer.
• Monitor purchasing process and propose corrective actions when necessary (e.g. Costing of contract, costing sheets, performance of contracts etc.)
• Fulfill all program control requirements (e.g. cost control, reporting, geographical distribution, monthly review of project data ...)
• Analyze the correlation/deviation between technical progress, actuals, and the forecast consolidation of project data
• Support key change decisions in the project (business cases, proposal preparation, major modifications etc.). Moreover, you will support key change decisions in the project (business cases, proposal preparation, major modifications etc.). You will play a key role in improvement Controlling and in the preparation of Business

Requirements:

• Degree in Finance, Business Administration, Industrial engineer with a major in Business Administration or equivalent
• A least 10+ years of experience in activities which have allowed you to acquire sound skills and strong knowledge of Finance, SAP
• Financial data analytics, Strong financial knowledge, Reconciliation of Financial data
• Knowledge of Multi-Program Management (WBS)
• A feeling for numbers and excellent financial skills and the ability to persuade, influence and convince
• Desirable experience of working in a start-up and fast paced environment with proven record of successful stakeholder management in a government set up or to an institutional customer
• Able to anticipate, assess and mitigate program risks
• Experience in ERP migration would be a plus profound knowledge in MS Excel, MS Office etc. Helpful: VBA programming

Travel Required: 

•     5-10% Domestic and International

Clearance:

•     None. Active DoD security clearance preferred. 

Decision Making, Complexity:

•     Empowered to make decisions and be in charge of approvals within the determined scopes

•     Strategic and critical thinking, understanding the organization’s strengths and weaknesses

•     Demonstration of sound and accurate judgment 

To meet obligations and signed agreements with NASA which allow access to necessary and critical data to perform these duties, you must be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from NASA, which authorization would not be granted for persons born in, or who have current or dual citizenship in, Russia, China (PRC) or any country from the designated countries list (https://www.state.gov/state-sponsors-of-terrorism/) that is on the State Sponsors of Terrorism list.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Starlab Space, LLC. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law. 

Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran

The statements contained in this job description are intended to describe the general content and requirements for performance of this job. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all job duties, responsibilities, and requirements. This job description is not an employment agreement or contract. Management has the exclusive right to alter the scope of work within the framework of this job description at any time without prior notice.