Chief Financial Officer
· Location: Perth, on-site (Uluu HQ, Waterman’s Bay)
· Reports to: Co-CEOs
· Start Date: April 2026
· Type: Full-time, permanent
· Starting salary: AUD $180,000 plus 12% superannuation
· Starting equity: 0.3% options (subject to plan terms and approvals).
About Uluu
Uluu is an Australian startup creating a new class of natural materials to replace conventional plastics. We produce polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) that perform like plastic but are made from seaweed rather than fossil fuels. Our materials are biodegradable, non-toxic, and climate-positive at scale.
Backed by leading global investors and brand partners, we are moving from pilot production into commercial scale, with applications across multiple industries.
We are now hiring a Chief Financial Officer to play a central role in shaping Uluu’s capital strategy as we prepare to build our first commercial plant, and beyond.
About the role
As Uluu’s Chief Financial Officer, you will shape and execute the financial strategy that underpins our transition from test plant operations to commercial production. This is a pivotal leadership role, combining capital strategy, fundraising, and hands-on financial management during a critical scale-up phase.
You will lead fundraising, develop financial models that inform strategic decision-making, and oversee financial operations to ensure capital is deployed rigorously and responsibly.
Working closely with Uluu’s Co-CEOs, executive leadership, and external partners, you will secure and structure the capital required to build Uluu’s first commercial plant and position the company for its next phase of growth. This is a hands-on CFO role suited to someone who thrives in complexity and is motivated by building a category-defining industrial business from the ground up.
Key responsibilities
Capital strategy & fundraising
- Design and execute Uluu’s capital strategy, balancing cost of capital, risk, and flexibility to develop a capital stack suitable to finance Uluu across different stages of growth.
- Lead fundraising and due diligence across equity (typically venture capital), debt (including project finance and asset finance), and government funding and grants to support Uluu’s scale-up from test plant to commercial production.
- Work closely with the commercial team to leverage customer contracts and offtake agreements to underwrite and structure debt financing.
Financial modelling & strategy
- Build and maintain financial models to support strategic decision-making, scenario analysis and cashflow planning.
- Translate technical, operational, and commercial plans into clear financial implications for the executive team and board.
Investor relations & governance
- Lead ongoing engagement and communications with existing and prospective investors.
- Prepare high-quality investor materials and contribute to board papers and financial reporting for governance purposes.
Financial operations
- Oversee accounting, payroll, tax, and financial reporting, with support from our accountant and external contractors as required.
- Develop and manage budgets, runway forecasts, cashflow tracking, and strengthen financial discipline and reporting as the organisation deploys capital toward commercial manufacturing.
Equity, governance & compliance
- Manage and maintain accurate records of shareholdings and options.
- Coordinate with legal counsel and external advisors on transactions, compliance, and governance matters.
Finance team & capability
- Build and scale Uluu’s finance capability over time, including systems, processes, and external partners, in line with the company’s growth and increasing operational complexity.
- Ensure the finance function evolves to support a commercial manufacturing business, while remaining lean, pragmatic, and fit-for-purpose.
Experience and skills
- Experience: Senior finance leadership experience with direct ownership of financial outcomes within a high-growth, scale-up, or capital-intensive business. Additional experience in investment banking or capital advisory is preferred, with experience in first-of-a-kind, manufacturing, energy, or other infrastructure-heavy projects strongly preferred.
- Capital raising & partnerships: Demonstrated success leading and closing complex financing transactions across equity, debt, and government funding. Proven ability to build credibility with investors, lenders, government and strategic partners and able to translate commercial momentum (such as customer contracts and offtake) into financeable structures.
- Analytical & technical: Strong financial modelling and forecasting capability, with the ability to translate complex information into clear, decision-ready insights.
- Strategic & hands-on: Comfortable operating at both board level and in the details, including at spreadsheet level.
- Excellent communicator: Clear and confident in writing and presentations, with the ability to simplify complexity and create compelling, high-quality investor and board materials.
- Mission-motivated: Motivated by building solutions with meaningful climate and environmental impact, and by contributing to a company addressing the global plastic pollution challenge.
- Resilient & grounded: Comfortable working in ambiguity and under pressure, bringing sound judgement, persistence, and a pragmatic approach to problem-solving.
What we offer
- The opportunity to build the financial engine behind a mission-driven company redefining how materials are made.
- A competitive salary and equity package, with meaningful ownership in the value you help create.
- The chance to work closely with a highly capable team of engineers, scientists, and operators tackling a complex, real-world challenge.
- Relocation support to Perth, if required.
We’re looking for people who combine rigour, integrity, and the resilience required to build something first-of-a-kind. Our team has different strengths, experiences and backgrounds, but all care deeply about improving people's lives and restoring our planet. You're encouraged to apply even if your experience doesn't precisely match the job description. Your skills and curiosity will stand out—especially if your career has taken some extraordinary twists and turns. We actively seek diverse perspectives and particularly welcome applications from First Nations people, those identifying as LGBTQIA+, people of all ages and genders, with disabilities, and culturally and linguistically diverse people.
