Director, Finance

Polaris Electro-Optics, Inc.; Carlsbad (CA); Hybrid; USD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity: Series B stock options

Job summary

Polaris Electro-Optics, Inc. is seeking a Director of Finance to build and lead a lean financial operation from the ground up. You will own budgeting, FP&A, treasury, and capital allocation, while shaping the tech stack and automating processes with AI. This role partners with the CEO/CTO to scale from prototype to mass production.

You will drive strategic decisions, establish internal controls, and hire a small finance team as the company grows with Series B funding and expanding partnerships.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive finance leadership, startup experience preferred.
• Hardware/deep tech background with scaling finance experience.
• CPA and/or MBA preferred.
• Experience implementing ERP and AI-enabled automation in finance.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic financial planning, budgeting, and FP&A.
• Oversee treasury, capital management, and runway planning.
• Build and own the modern finance tech stack; evaluate QBO vs ERP.
• Ensure internal controls, audit readiness, and cost accounting frameworks.
• Lead a lean finance team as the company grows.

Skills

Strategic leadership

FP&A

AI & automation

Startup finance

Education

CPA or MBA

Tools

QuickBooks Online

ERP systems

Job description

Location: Carlsbad, CA (On-site / Hybrid)

Employment Type: Full-time

Reports to: CEO

About Polaris Electro-Optics

Polaris builds high-speed photonic devices for optical communications based on compact modulators designed for the bandwidth and power constraints of AI, cloud, and high-performance computing. We are out of the lab and onto the work of taking devices into production with partners in the U.S. and abroad.

We recently closed a substantial Series B round, providing us with the necessary funding to fuel our next phase of growth. As we transition from prototyping to mass production, we need a visionary, hands‑on financial leader to help us scale efficiently and aggressively.

The Role

We are looking for a Director of Finance to serve as the foundation and leader of our financial strategy team. You will not be inheriting a bloated finance department; instead, you will be building a highly efficient, lean operation from the ground up. The role spans hands‑on detailed financial management to long term, strategic financial planning.

You will take ownership of our financial infrastructure (currently contracted bookkeeping and QuickBooks Online), build out the required tech stack and, as we grow, augment with a small internal team. We want someone who embraces AI and modern automation tools to streamline workflows, keeping the finance org as small and powerful as possible while actively managing our corporate treasury. In addition, you will lead annual operational budgeting and planning, and play a crucial role in strategic decisions around capital allocation for growth.

What You’ll Do

• Strategic Leadership: Act as the primary financial strategist, partnering directly with the CTO, CEO, and executive team to navigate the transition from prototype to mass manufacturing.
• Treasury & Capital Management: Manage our capital strategy and treasury, ensuring optimal capital allocation, runway extension, and return on assets.
• Build the Foundation: Implement and own a modern tech stack (evaluating whether to scale QBO or migrate to a new ERP) leveraging AI to automate manual accounting tasks.
• Budgeting & FP&A: Lead all corporate financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and board-level financial reporting.
• Audit, Compliance & Inventory: Establish internal controls, standard operating procedures, and inventory/cost-accounting frameworks to keep the company perpetually audit‑ready.
• Team Building: Selectively hire and manage a lean support team (e.g., AP/AR/staff accountant) as commercial scaling demands.

What We’re Looking For

• Experience: 7+ years of progressive finance leadership, ideally within a venture‑backed startup environment.
• Hardware / Deep Tech Background: Strong preference for candidates who have guided hardware, semiconductor, or advanced manufacturing companies through the financial complexities of scaling from prototype to mass production.
• Tech-Forward Mindset: You are excited by the prospect of using AI and automation to replace traditional, headcount-heavy accounting processes.
• Builder Mentality: You are highly strategic but perfectly comfortable in the trenches doing the hands‑on work required to build a department from scratch.
• Education: CPA and/or MBA is strongly preferred.
• Base Salary: $200,000 - $250,000 (Dependent on experience)
• Equity: Series B stock option grant with standard 4-year vesting