Vice President of Finance

About The Team

Taara originated from a visionary project at X, Google's Moonshot Factory, with a mission to provide faster, more affordable, and reliable internet to billions of people through innovative wireless optical communication and photonics chip technologies. Join us to lead pioneering advancements that bridge the global digital divide and illuminate future possibilities.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Vice President of Finance to lead the end-to-end finance function, encompassing strategy, planning, capital management, and day-to-day financial operations. Serving as the senior finance leader in a venture-backed hardware startup approaching its next funding round, you will become the CEO's strategic partner for financial decisions and the primary source of financial truth. This role combines leadership responsibilities with hands-on execution.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the complete finance function, managing outsourced accounting and international partners, overseeing finance operations, monthly closes, and setting reporting calendars.
• Develop and maintain a dynamic company operating model and long-term financial plan; collaborate with leadership on annual budgets, perform re-forecasting, conduct scenario and sensitivity analyses, and reconcile actual results monthly.
• Direct capital planning and fundraising strategy by crafting the financial narrative and models, supporting investor meetings, managing financial diligence, and optimizing capital structures.
• Prepare insightful, strategic board and executive materials focused on key decisions and milestones rather than just financial data.
• Conduct strategic and commercial analyses including market sizing, pricing strategies, unit economics, partnership evaluations, and business case development for new initiatives.
• Manage cash flows by overseeing invoicing, accounts receivable and payable, procure-to-pay processes, banking relationships, and approving significant expenditures to maintain liquidity and cash runway.
• Ensure accuracy by partnering with engineering and operations to review high-value spending, verify financial data with accounting partners, and aggressively monitor collections.
• Handle compliance, tax obligations, risk management, audit preparedness, and equity administration in coordination with legal and external advisors, ensuring US GAAP adherence.
• Design scalable finance organizational structures, controls, and processes to support business growth, including planning for finance team expansion.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 10 years progressive experience in finance or strategy, ideally with backgrounds in investment banking, private equity, or leadership roles in growth-stage technology startups.
• Strategically focused with strong financial modeling expertise, capable of aligning long-term capital planning with operational rigor and stakeholder management.
• Entrepreneurially driven with a growth mindset and strong intellectual curiosity aimed at building and scaling businesses.
• Comprehensive knowledge of financial statements, US GAAP, and experience managing monthly financial closes.
• Proven proficiency in building and defending complex, investor-grade financial models, including scenario and unit economics analyses.
• Direct experience participating in equity raises, debt financings, M&A transactions, or similar institutional processes.
• Strong commercial judgment and ability to translate financial data into actionable business strategies across pricing, deal structuring, and unit economics.
• Experience handling international and multi-entity financial operations, including cross-border compliance and transfer pricing complexities.
• Skilled in managing external financial service providers such as accounting firms, bankers, auditors, and fractional executives.
• Executive presence that balances high-level strategic thinking with detailed operational execution, communicating effectively at all organizational levels.
• Capability to transform detailed financial analyses into clear, actionable insights for executive leadership and boards.
• Hands-on operational finance experience including budgeting, financial closing, and departmental leadership.
• Willingness and ability to work onsite in the Sunnyvale, CA office at least three days per week.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading company-side fundraising rounds, including Series A through D or growth equity.
• Background in hardware, advanced manufacturing, photonics, telecom, or physical infrastructure finance, especially with complex global supply chains.
• Knowledge of hybrid business models combining hardware sales with recurring revenue or software-as-a-service offerings.
• Expertise in market opportunity assessment and go-to-market strategy analysis for new products or services.
• Advanced certifications such as MBA, CFA, or CPA.

Compensation and Additional Information

This is a full-time, onsite position based in Sunnyvale, California. Taara offers a US base salary ranging from $225,000 to $265,000 annually, supplemented by bonus, equity, and benefits. Salary determination considers location, skills, experience, and education. Relocation assistance is available. Our recruitment team provides specific salary information during hiring discussions.