Chief Financial Officer

Xona Space Systems; Burlingame (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

A cutting-edge technology firm in California seeks a CFO to lead financial strategy and operations. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years in finance leadership roles, preferably in a startup environment. Responsibilities include partnering with the CEO on financial decisions, overseeing budgeting and compliance, and building a high-performing finance team. The role requires strong interpersonal skills and analytical ability. U.S. citizenship or Green Card is required. Competitive salary and opportunities for growth are available.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive finance leadership experience, such as CFO, VP Finance, or equivalent.
• Proven experience in fast-paced startup environments.
• Strong financial operations expertise including FP&A and accounting.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute financial strategy with the CEO and Board.
• Provide financial insights for business decisions and growth initiatives.
• Oversee company-wide budgeting and forecasting processes.

Skills

Leadership in finance

Financial planning

Analytical ability

Communication with stakeholders

Education

10+ years in finance leadership roles

CPA, CFA, and/or MBA (preferred)

Job description

Xona is the navigational intelligence company bringing real-time, centimeter-level certainty to any device, anywhere on Earth.

With Pulsar – the world’s most advanced PNT satellite infrastructure in Low Earth Orbit – Xona will offer a future-proof, backwards-compatible global positioning system optimized for absolute precision, superior power, and robust protection.

The CFO will be a strategic and operational partner to the CEO and executive team, responsible for leading Xona’s financial strategy, execution, and infrastructure. This role blends high-level financial leadership with hands-on ownership across accounting, FP&A, fundraising support, compliance, and systems.

You’ll play a critical role in capital strategy, operational planning, and ensuring financial rigor as Xona scales its satellite constellation, manufacturing, and commercial operations.

What You’ll Do

• Partner closely with the CEO and Board to define and execute Xona’s financial strategy
• Provide clear financial insights to support business decisions, growth initiatives, and long-term planning
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the executive team on budgeting, forecasting, and trade-off decisions
• Own company-wide budgeting, forecasting, and long-range financial planning
• Build and maintain operating models supporting R&D, manufacturing, and deployment programs
• Track KPIs and financial performance, highlighting risks, opportunities, and corrective actions
• Oversee accounting operations including monthly close, financial statements, and audits
• Ensure strong internal controls and compliance with GAAP and regulatory requirements
• Manage relationships with external auditors, tax advisors, and banking partners
• Support equity and debt fundraising, including investor materials, data rooms, and diligence
• Partner with the CEO on capital planning, runway management, and scenario modeling
• Build and scale financial systems, tools, and processes to support company growth
• Oversee ERP, accounting software, and reporting infrastructure
• Drive process improvements that balance financial rigor with startup agility
• Build and lead a high-performing finance team over time
• Work cross-functionally with Engineering, Operations, Manufacturing, Legal, and HR
• Support contract review, pricing strategy, and vendor negotiations as needed

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive finance leadership experience (CFO, VP Finance, or equivalent senior role)
• Proven experience operating in a fast-paced startup or scale-up environment
• Strong expertise across FP&A, accounting, and financial operations
• Experience supporting venture capital fundraising and Board-level financial reporting
• Hands‑on, detail‑oriented leader willing to dive in where needed
• Ability to communicate clearly with both technical and non‑technical stakeholders
• Strong judgment, analytical rigor, and ability to drive decisions under ambiguity

Desired Qualifications

• Experience in aerospace, space, defense, hardware, or other capital‑intensive technical environments
• Experience supporting government customers, grants, or regulated contracts
• Familiarity with manufacturing cost models and hardware program economics
• Experience scaling finance teams and systems from early‑stage to growth‑stage
• Exposure to ERP implementation or financial systems build‑out
• CPA, CFA, and/or MBA (preferred but not required)

For U.S. Roles:

To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e. Green Card holder), or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

For U.K. Roles:

To comply with U.K. regulations, this role requires Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks, and successful candidates must be eligible to obtain UK Security Clearance (SC).

For Canada Roles:

Successful candidates must obtain and hold a security clearance at the reliability status level, and pass security assessment for the Canadian Controlled Goods Program (CGP) and ITAR.

We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.