Department: Accounting & Finance
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Hawthorne, California
Reporting To: Jaret Matthews
Compensation: $250,000 - $375,000 / year
Description
Venturi Astrolab, Inc. (Astrolab) is pioneering new ways to explore and operate on distant planetary bodies. We are singularly focused on designing, building, and operating a fleet of multi-purpose commercial planetary rovers to extend and enhance humanity’s presence in the solar system. We are seeking motivated, creative, and exceptional people to join our world-class team.
The CFO will be responsible for Astrolab’s financial leadership, ensuring fiscal health, operational discipline, and strategic growth as we transition from development to production and revenue-generating operations. This role requires both strategic vision and hands-on execution — from leading capital raises to building robust financial infrastructure that supports a hardware-centric, rapidly scaling space technology company.
What You'll Do:
Strategic Financial Leadership
- Partner with the CEO and executive team to define and execute Astrolab’s long-term financial strategy, aligning with the company’s mission and growth roadmap
- Lead capital-raising efforts (equity, debt) ensuring efficient capital stack formation to fund product development, manufacturing scale-up, and mission execution, while collaborating with the executive team on strategic partnerships to enhance financial and operational objectives
- Build and maintain strong relationships with investors, financial institutions, and key stakeholders to support fundraising and strategic initiatives
Financial Planning & Operations
- Oversee all aspects of accounting, FP&A, treasury, and financial reporting
- Build financial models, forecasts, and business cases that inform company decisions and investor communications
- Establish scalable financial systems and controls to support growth in manufacturing, inventory management, and mission operations
- Lead budgeting and cost management processes across engineering, production, and operations, optimizing resource allocation in a capital-intensive environment
Capital Strategy & Risk Management
- Design and manage capital allocation frameworks that balance growth investment with financial discipline and long-term sustainability
- Identify, assess, and mitigate financial risks, including those related to market volatility, supply chain disruptions, and regulatory changes
- Support contract structuring, pricing strategies, and margin analysis for commercial and government programs, ensuring competitive and profitable outcomes
Team Leadership
- Build and mentor a high-performing finance and accounting team, fostering a culture of excellence and accountability
- Foster collaboration across departments to ensure financial strategies support engineering, production, and mission execution
Compliance
- Ensure compliance with financial regulations, including statutory financial reporting, tax filings, and audits, particularly as the company scales and engages with debt and equity investors
- Oversee equity management, including stock option plans and cap table administration, ensuring compliance and transparency
- Manage corporate insurance programs to mitigate operational and financial risks
Other
- Oversee payroll operations to ensure accuracy and compliance with applicable regulations
- Implement tax strategies to optimize the company’s financial position, including R&D tax credits and other incentives relevant to the space industry
- Collaborate on international financial operations, including banking, treasury, and compliance with global regulations, to support potential expansion or partnerships
What’s Prepared You
- Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, economics, or a related field (MBA, CPA, or equivalent advanced degree/certification preferred)
- 10+ years of progressive experience in financial leadership roles, with at least 5 years in a senior executive capacity, preferably in a hardware, manufacturing, or technology-driven industry
- Proven track record of raising significant capital (e.g., $50M+ in equity or debt) and managing investor relations for high-growth companies
- Demonstrated expertise in financial modeling, forecasting, budgeting, and implementing scalable financial systems in fast-paced environments
- Comprehensive knowledge of financial regulations, compliance, and reporting requirements, including GAAP and tax compliance
- Experience with international finance, including managing cross-border banking, treasury operations, or compliance with global financial regulations, to support potential international partnerships or operations
- Strong leadership and team-building skills, with a history of mentoring high-performing teams and fostering cross-functional collaboration
- Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to distill complex financial concepts for diverse audiences, including investors, board members, and non-financial stakeholders
- Passion for space exploration and a commitment to Astrolab’s mission of advancing humanity’s presence in the solar system
What We Offer
- Join a team of best-in-class engineers building the foundation of planetary surface exploration
- Equity ownership in the company
- Comprehensive health benefits, including medical, dental, vision, and mental health support
- 401(k) plan with company match
- Flexible PTO and parental leave
- Home office set-up reimbursement
- Fully flexible and remote-friendly work environment
- Weekly lunch stipend, plus complimentary snacks and beverages on-site
- Twice a month, social hour on-site with food and drinks
