Director of Finance & Operations

Guava; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 145,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Guava is seeking a Director of Finance & Operations to own finance, business operations, and the overall operating plan. Working closely with the CEO and leadership, this leader will align financial planning, hiring plans, departmental priorities, and operating cadence with execution.

This hands-on role involves establishing financial processes, collaborating with HR and compliance, and driving cross-functional projects while ensuring alignment as the company grows.

Qualifications

• 5-8 years of experience in finance, accounting, FP&A, or operations.
• Experience in a startup, technology company, or other fast-moving environment.
• Strong financial modeling, budgeting, and analytical skills.
• Clear written and verbal communication and good judgment.

Responsibilities

• Own budget, forecasting, monthly close, cash planning, and financial reporting.
• Manage relationship with outside finance/accounting partner.
• Maintain and refine financial model and operating forecast.
• Produce monthly reporting on revenue, expenses, cash, runway, and hiring.
• Lead operating plan coordination and cross-functional initiatives.

Skills

Financial modeling

Budgeting

Analytical skills

Communication

Organizational skills

Problem solving

Job description

Location: Hybrid, Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA)

Type: Full-time

Compensation: $145,000 – $200,000 + equity

About Guava

Guava is building the infrastructure that makes voice AI reliable enough for the real world. Our developer-first platform helps companies deploy intelligent voice agents with the speed, control, and reliability required for production — not just demos.

We are a growing, venture-backed company with an experienced team, real customers, and a significant opportunity ahead. We are looking for a Director of Finance & Operations to help us build the financial discipline and operating infrastructure needed for our next stage of growth.

The Role

The Director of Finance & Operations will be Guava's internal owner for finance, business operations, and the company's overall operating plan. Working closely with the CEO and leadership team, this person will connect Guava's financial plan, hiring plan, departmental priorities, and operating cadence — and ensure that commitments are translated into clear ownership and execution.

This person will take internal ownership setting up financial processes and work closely with Guava's HR and compliance leaders. HR is expected to report into this role, while compliance will remain a close cross-functional partnership. Together, these functions will help ensure that Guava's financial, people, and operating plans remain aligned as the company grows.

This is a hands‑on role for someone who enjoys bringing structure, visibility, and follow‑through to a growing company. The right person will be comfortable moving between financial analysis and practical company operations — reviewing the forecast, coordinating the operating plan, supporting a department leader, improving an internal process, or making sure an important cross‑functional initiative reaches completion.

Financial Planning and Reporting

• Take ownership of Guava's existing budget, forecasting, monthly close, cash‑planning, and financial‑reporting processes.
• Manage the relationship with Guava's outside finance and accounting partner, ensuring that work is accurate, timely, and responsive to the needs of the business.
• Maintain and refine the company's financial model and operating forecast as the business evolves.
• Produce clear monthly reporting on revenue, expenses, cash, runway, hiring, and other key business metrics.
• Help the leadership team understand performance against plan and identify emerging risks, opportunities, and decisions.
• Support pricing analysis, headcount planning, customer economics, board materials, investor reporting, and fundraising diligence.

Business Operations and Operating Plan

• Own and maintain Guava's overall operating plan, connecting company objectives, departmental priorities, financial resources, and hiring plans.
• Establish a regular cadence for reviewing progress against the operating plan with the CEO and leadership team.
• Ensure that important initiatives have clear owners, milestones, and follow‑through.
• Help department leaders translate company goals into practical plans, budgets, and resource requirements.
• Identify dependencies or operating gaps across teams and coordinate the people needed to resolve them.
• Improve the processes connecting sales, contracting, customer onboarding, billing, collections, and financial reporting.
• Manage selected company vendors and identify opportunities to improve service, efficiency, or cost.
• Lead cross‑functional projects that require disciplined coordination and execution.

People Operations and Compliance Partnership

• Manage Guava's HR leader and ensure that people operations support the company's overall operating and headcount plans.
• Oversee the administration of payroll, benefits, onboarding, employee policies, and other core HR processes.
• Partner with leadership on workforce planning, compensation, recruiting priorities, performance‑management processes, and organizational needs.
• Work closely with Guava's compliance leader to ensure that financial, operational people, and compliance requirements are incorporated into company planning and execution.
• Help maintain the documentation, policies, controls, and internal accountability required by Guava's customers and partners.
• Coordinate with outside legal, HR, finance, and compliance specialists as appropriate.

What We're Looking For

• Approximately 5-8 years of relevant experience in finance, accounting, FP&A, consulting, business operations, or a related field.
• Experience working in a startup, technology company, or other fast‑moving environment.
• Strong financial modeling, budgeting, and analytical skills.
• A practical understanding of accounting and financial statements; you do not need to be a CPA.
• Experience working with outsourced accounting, finance, payroll, or HR providers is helpful.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to keep multiple workstreams moving.
• Good judgment about what requires precision, what requires escalation, and what simply needs to get done.
• Clear written and verbal communication.
• High integrity, low ego, and a willingness to handle both analytical and administrative work.
• Comfort operating in an environment where processes are established but still evolving.

What Success Looks Like

• The Director has taken clear internal ownership of Guava's existing financial planning, reporting, and monthly close cadence.
• Guava's outside finance and accounting partner is well‑managed, with clear responsibilities, strong communication, and the right division of work between internal and external resources.
• The company's financial plan, headcount plan, departmental priorities, and operating plan are integrated and regularly reviewed.
• Leadership continues to receive clean, timely financial information, along with increasingly useful analysis and recommendations.
• Company priorities have clear owners, milestones, and accountability, and cross‑functional initiatives reliably move forward.
• HR operates as an integrated part of the company's broader financial and operating plan.
• Finance, HR, compliance, and company leadership work together effectively, without unnecessary bureaucracy or duplicated effort.
• Appropriate responsibilities have moved in‑house where doing so improves speed, ownership, or economics, while Guava continues to use outside specialists where they provide meaningful leverage.

Why Guava

Guava is a small team passionate about voice. You would be entering the team at a pivotal step on our path to growth. This role offers broad exposure to the company, direct access to leadership, and the opportunity to build the internal finance and operating function in a hands‑on approach.

Guava is an equal opportunity employer. We value different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences and are committed to building an inclusive team.