Manager, Defense Business Operations

Position Overview

AST SpaceMobile is seeking a Manager of Finance & Business Operations to own the backbone of our Defense group. This role is designed for a proactive professional who can pivot seamlessly between high-level strategic project execution and essential business and staff support functions. This role will lead the stand-up and day-to-day operation of Deltek Costpoint, drive program financial tracking and forecasting, and partner with Accounting, BD, Corporate Development, PMO, and Engineering to give leadership a clear, real-time view of program health. The ideal candidate has hands-on DoD program finance experience, has stood up or significantly extended a Costpoint environment, and is comfortable owning forecasts, developing rates, and audit-ready cost data without hand-holding.

Key Responsibilities:

• Stand up, configure, and administer Deltek Costpoint for the Defense group including Project Setup, Labor, Billing, and Reporting
• Partner with Accounting and Finance to ensure data integrity across our ERP and CRM tools; lead reconciliations between systems
• Drive cross-functional process design across BD, PMO, Engineering, and Operations to ensure financial data flows cleanly from proposal through execution.
• Lead the development and refinement of strategic reporting and planning processes to ensure the organization meets aggressive growth targets.
• Provide administrative and staff support to the leadership team, including coordinating schedules and managing group-level taskers.
• Design and document standardized business processes to support efficient engineering, operations, and program execution. 

Qualifications 

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Management, Engineering, or a related field 

Experience:

• 5+ years of experience in DoD program finance, FP&A, or defense business operations within a high-growth technology, space, or defense company.
• Hands-on Deltek Costpoint experience, including implementation, configuration, or significant module stand-up (not solely end-user experience).
• Direct experience or strong familiarity with DoD accounting, finance, or procurement processes (e.g., FAR/DFARS, DCAA, or DCMA).
• Proven track record of "owning" projects from inception to delivery with minimal supervision.
• Advanced Excel; proficiency with PowerPoint and Word
• Exceptional organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple competing priorities for a leadership team.

Preferred Qualifications:

• MBA in Strategic Management, Finance, Accounting  or a related field.
• Experience working within a FOCI-mitigated or ITAR-controlled environment
• Experience in the Space Industry or working with complex hardware/software products. 
• Experience with NetSuite, Salesforce, JIRA, or MS Project

Soft Skills:

• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively within cross-functional teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Meticulous attention to detail to ensure the accuracy of all documentation and project deliverables.
• Eagerness to help others and solve problems proactively.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, startup-like environment. 

Technology Stack:

• AI Tools and agentic frameworks
• Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)
• Project Management Tools (JIRA, MS Project, or MS Visio)
• ERP Systems (NetSuite, Deltek CostPoint)
• Sales Pipeline (SalesForce, HubSpot) 

Physical Requirements 

• Ability to work in a standard office environment and use a computer for extended periods.

This job description may not be inclusive to the duties and responsibilities listed. Additional tasks may be assigned to the employee from time to time or the scope of the job may change as needed by business demands.