Head of Finance

Head of Finance at TurbineOne

The Company:

TurbineOne is a fast-moving and high-performance Defense Tech startup with a mission to strengthen situational awareness for Americans and our allies serving at the frontlines. We’re backed by some of Silicon Valley’s leading venture capital firms—investors who believe national security deserves the best of modern technology. Our flagship product—the Frontline Perception System—is a first-of-its-kind software platform that allows users to build and deploy artificial intelligence models without any technical expertise. Designed to work even in the most rugged, low-connectivity field conditions, it brings cutting-edge machine learning directly to the battlefield. We recently closed a $36+ million Series B, bringing our total funding to $58 million. Today, our software is deployed across all branches of the U.S. military—supporting missions like stopping drones, powering autonomous vehicles, and giving troops faster, clearer insight into what’s happening around them.

The Role:

TurbineOne is entering a phase of rapid scale—expanding our government contracts, growing our engineering and go-to-market teams, and exploring strategic partnerships and acquisitions. To help us navigate this next stage of growth, we are hiring a Head of Finance. This is a strategic role that goes well beyond traditional financial operations. We need someone who can serve as a thought partner to the CEO, help shape the company’s long-range trajectory, and support critical decision-making at the highest level. The ideal candidate has experience with venture-backed startups, understands dual-use and defense markets, and is comfortable with the complexity that comes from operating at the intersection of commercial tech and national security. 

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Primary Responsibilities:

• Develop and lead TurbineOne’s overall financial strategy, including annual planning, capital allocation, and scenario modeling.
• Act as a strategic partner to the CEO and leadership team on corporate development, pricing, product strategy, and organizational growth.
• Oversee day-to-day financial operations—including budgeting, forecasting, reporting, compliance, and cash management—with a focus on discipline and scalability.
• Communicate with investors and board-level stakeholders on T1’s financials.
• Create financial models that drive future business operations (e.g. Based on the probable revenue, how many people do we need to hire and by when?)
• Support and lead diligence, negotiation, and integration for potential acquisitions or strategic partnerships.
• Design pricing and monetization models tailored to both government contracts and future commercial opportunities.
• Ensure financial systems, tools, and reporting processes are robust, auditable, and ready to support Department of Defense (DoD) and federal compliance standards.
• Evaluate and create capital funding options—including equity, venture debt, and non-dilutive sources—and support execution of future capital raises.
• Build and manage a lean but high-performing finance and operations function, including selection and oversight of accounting and audit partners.

In a Typical Week You Will:

• Join the CEO for a board prep session to align on updated burn forecasts, capital efficiency metrics, and key financial storylines.
• Model various pricing structures for a new DoD contract—balancing revenue growth, margin, and compliance considerations.
• Review M&A opportunities, evaluate strategic fit, and lead initial financial diligence on a potential acquisition target.
• Work with our sales and ops teams to ensure government billing aligns with contractual terms and proper cost recovery.
• Update scenario plans that compare timelines for a future VC raise, secondary offering, or a strategic partnership.
• Pressure-test hiring plans and operating budgets against evolving customer pipelines, federal budget timelines, and macroeconomic conditions.
• Meet with accounting and audit partners to ensure our financial systems are compliant, auditable, and built to scale.
• Analyze ARR and cash runway projections to ensure we’re tracking toward long-term strategic goals—and advise where to pivot if not.

Desired Experience:

• Finance experience with a venture-backed tech company—ideally with exposure to defense, dual-use, or enterprise software.
• Expertise in financial strategy, capital planning, and fundraising (equity, venture debt, and non-dilutive sources).
• Experience leading or supporting M&A, including diligence and integration.
• Strong skills in FP&A, budgeting, and data-driven decision-making.
• Familiarity with federal government contract types, indirect rate modeling, and DoD compliance is a plus.
• Confident communicator with investors and boards—able to clearly explain financial strategy and risk.
• Comfortable in a fast-moving startup environment with shifting priorities.

Startup Culture Expectations:

• You lead by doing. Whether it’s a board deck, a financial model, or a contracts review—you’re hands-on and unafraid to get in the weeds.
• You thrive in ambiguity and bring structure where others see complexity.
• You move fast but think long-term—balancing near-term execution with big-picture strategy.
• You value transparency, ownership, and radical accountability.
• You’re mission-driven. 
• You understand that every dollar spent reflects our values, strategy, and commitment to the mission.