By ExpediUSA, June 17, 2025

Your Career as a Financial Analyst!

Ever wondered who makes sure every dollar the federal government spends is tracked, justified, and accurately reported? It’s the Financial Analysts who work diligently behind the scenes.

If you're someone who enjoys solving puzzles, organizing information, and making numbers tell a story, then you may have a calling as a Financial Analyst!

Imagine you’re working on a contract that supports the Financial Operations division of a federal agency. Your team is responsible for funds control, Intra Governmental Payment and Collection (IPAC) processing, travel program data reconciliation, and ensuring that reimbursable accounts are handled correctly. You might start your day reviewing a batch of commercial invoices, identifying discrepancies with trading partners, and entering adjustments in the financial system. In the afternoon, you’re helping develop an internal report that shows how much funding remains on active reimbursable agreements. Later, you're editing SOPs for the agency's travel and bankcard programs.

Sounds technical? It is! But it's also extremely rewarding. You’re helping public dollars get where they’re needed most, on time and with accountability!

Duties of a Financial Analyst

Depending on staffing levels and their mission, every agency may require its contractor personnel to support different financial functions. Here are a few examples of some real-world duties that contractors are often hired to perform in Financial Operations Services roles:

🧾 Reimbursable Accounts:

Establish and track reimbursable agreements
Conduct ongoing reviews of reimbursable accounts
Reconcile financial discrepancies with trading partners
Close out completed agreements
Develop reimbursable budget authority estimates
Maintain accounting SOPs for reimbursable work

📋 Invoice & Payment Processing:

Process IPACs and commercial invoices
Support accounting of capital assets and obligations
Remediate data and reporting issues in financial systems
Resolve payment discrepancies across systems

✈️ Travel Program Financial Management:

Enter and reconcile accurate travel data
Prepare reports, correspondence, and internal guidance
Update financial procedures and online travel portals
Convey financial policy to ensure stakeholder compliance

💳 Bankcard Program Support:

Assist with bankcard financial management and reporting
Review and edit SOPs for purchase, travel, and fleet cards
Support staff training and outreach during process changes
Execute corrective actions to ensure data quality

💬 “I started as an entry-level support contractor reviewing travel reimbursements. Over time, I learned the ropes and moved into budget forecasting and system improvements. There's room to grow if you're willing to learn.” — Andre C., Financial Management Analyst, ExpediUSA candidate

How This Fits into a Federal Agency’s Mission

At first glance, the job of a Financial Analyst or support professional might seem like it lives quietly behind the scenes. But in reality, their work sits at the very core of what makes government agencies successful. Without accurate numbers, tight financial controls, and timely reports, missions can stall, programs lose momentum, and taxpayer trust erodes.

Think of it this way: every federal initiative—whether it's delivering disaster relief, modernizing public infrastructure, providing healthcare for veterans, or launching international development projects—depends on funding. And that funding doesn’t just appear and disappear. It has to be tracked, certified, justified, and reconciled. That’s where financial operations professionals come in.

Let’s say you’re supporting an agency’s reimbursable program. Your job might involve reviewing interagency agreements, estimating future budget needs, and closing out completed accounts. By doing that, you're ensuring that federal partnerships stay financially sound and mission-ready. Or maybe you're managing the agency’s travel program—tracking spending, validating transactions, and updating the policies that guide thousands of employees nationwide. That work keeps the workforce moving efficiently and within budget.

Even something as seemingly routine as reconciling a batch of bankcard purchases or updating a financial SOP plays a part in the bigger picture. These actions prevent fraud, improve transparency, and keep federal programs aligned with policy and law. When a financial discrepancy is resolved or a clean audit is achieved, it’s not just a win for your team...it’s a win for every taxpayer!

What You Need to Get Started

Starting a career in financial operations within government contracting doesn’t require a magic formula, but it does require the right mix of education, exposure, and enthusiasm.

Most Financial Analysts or support professionals begin with a degree in fields like Finance, Accounting, Economics, or Business Administration. Don’t worry if your academic background isn’t a perfect match; equivalent experience can carry a lot of weight. In fact, many successful professionals transition into analyst roles after working in administrative or technical support capacities within agencies or contractors. A strong attention to detail, comfort with data, and willingness to learn can open more doors than you might think.

For those looking to boost their credentials, earning certifications like the Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) or Certified Defense Financial Manager (CDFM) is a powerful way to stand out—especially if you’re targeting work with defense or law enforcement agencies. If you're eyeing senior roles down the line or hoping to transition into strategic financial planning, an MBA or MPA can add a lot of credibility to your resume.

Your first step into the field might be through a role like Program Support Specialist, Junior Financial Analyst, or even an internship with a federal agency or prime contractor. These roles often place you right in the action by performing tasks like processing invoices, reconciling accounts, assisting with audits, or supporting travel and bankcard programs, which are perfect for helping you learn the inner workings of federal financial systems.

"Technical" Tools of the Trade

Stepping into the world of federal financial management means getting familiar with the digital tools that keep everything running smoothly. At the heart of it all is Excel...and we’re not just talking basic spreadsheets. If you're comfortable using PivotTables, writing formulas, or building financial models, you’re already ahead of the game. Many agencies also rely on enterprise resource planning systems like Oracle Financials or SAP for general ledger and budget tracking.

For those in reporting-heavy roles, tools like Power BI or Tableau are essential for transforming rows of numbers into compelling, easy-to-understand visual dashboards. These platforms are increasingly used to communicate financial performance and support data-driven decision-making within agencies.

Now, if you are interested in working on Department of Defense (DoD) contracts, there are a few more tools you will get to master! You’ll likely become familiar with Deltek Costpoint, a government-focused accounting software that helps track costs, obligations, and performance metrics. You may also encounter systems like Wide Area Workflow (WAWF) or DCMA tools to manage invoice submission and review.

And let’s not forget the importance of accuracy. Whether you're reconciling travel data, validating bankcard charges, or supporting a reimbursable program, your ability to work across multiple platforms—while maintaining data integrity—is what makes you truly valuable.

In short, financial analysts in federal contracting aren’t just spreadsheet warriors. They’re system navigators, data storytellers, and digital problem-solvers, ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent wisely and transparently.

Your Mission Starts at ExpediUSA

If you’ve been thinking, “This is what I already do!”, then we've got good news...your skills are in demand.

References

Association of Government Accountants. (n.d.). Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM). https://www.agacgfm.org Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024). Financial Analysts: Occupational Outlook Handbook. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/financial-analysts.htm Defense Acquisition University. (n.d.). DoD Financial Management Certification Program. https://www.dau.edu U.S. Office of Personnel Management. (2024). Financial Management Series, 0505. https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications