Finance Director

HR Pals; Madison (WI); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary with equity

Job summary

HR Pals is seeking a Finance Director to own and scale finance and accounting as the company grows. You will transition from outsourced to an agile internal model, own close, FP&A, and public-readiness initiatives.

The role reports to Head of Operations and focuses on policy upgrades, audits, and government cost accounting in a hybrid setting across North America. You will oversee control frameworks, equity administration, and modern finance tech stacks to support scaling and potential

Qualifications

• CPA credential is required.
• BS in Finance or Accounting required, MBA/MS preferred.
• Experience combining public accounting with high-growth hardware or deep-tech startups.
• Experience managing audits and moving toward SOX readiness.
• Familiarity with FAR/CAS government cost accounting is a plus.
• ERP and equity management systems experience.

Responsibilities

• Own month-, quarter-, and year-end close in collaboration with SVFG.
• Prepare US GAAP financial statements (P&L, balance sheet, cash flows).
• Upgrade accounting policies and ASC 606/ASC 842 disclosures.
• Lead external audits from prep to final release.
• Design government cost accounting mechanisms for FAR/CAS.

Skills

Finance leadership

Budgeting & FP&A

Internal controls

Executive reporting

Education

CPA

BS in Finance or Accounting

MBA or MS in Finance preferred

Tools

NetSuite

Sage Intacct

Ramp

Brex

Coupa

Carta

Job description

Location

Madison, Wisconsin / or Hybrid (Remote-friendly across North America including Vancouver, Canada or Los Angeles, CA)

Reports To:

Head of Operations

About Our Client

Our client is a venture-backed quantum hardware company building utility-scale superconducting quantum computers. Our client addresses critical scaling bottlenecks in quantum processing unit (QPU) manufacturing.

By leveraging advanced 300mm semiconductor fabrication facilities and industrial wafer-scale integration, our client manufactures reproducible, high-yield superconducting qubits and modular cryogenic architectures. Backed by a $54.2M Series B funding round and headquartered in Los Angeles, California, with research and fabrication partnerships globally, our client is accelerating the timeline toward fault-tolerant quantum computing.

Role Overview

Our client’s first internal financial hire, the Finance Director will own, build, and scale our finance and accounting operations as we enter a rapid growth phase. Reporting directly to the Head of Operations, you will transition the company from an purely outsourced accounting infrastructure into an agile, hybrid internal model.

This is a high-impact, hands-on operational leadership role. You will oversee month-end, quarter-end, and annual financial reporting, FP&A, government cost accounting (FAR/CAS compliance), procurement policies, internal control frameworks, and financial contract negotiations. Additionally, you will drive the uplift of the company’s accounting infrastructure toward public company readiness (SOX baseline, ASC 606/ASC 842 compliance, technical disclosures) to support future institutional milestones.

Key Responsibilities

1. Financial Strategy, FP&A & Executive Reporting

• Develop and maintain our client’s multi-year integrated financial model, dynamic cash flow forecasts, and runway projections
• Lead monthly, quarterly, and annual budgeting processes, establishing clear KPIs and variance analyses for executive leadership and department heads.
• Conduct scenario modeling for capital expenditures, fab/metrology tool acquisition, head-count scaling, and R&D program investments.

2. Accounting Operations & Public Readiness Uplift

• Manage the month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close processes in partnership with SVFG.
• Prepare complete financial statement packages (P&L, Balance Sheet, Cash Flows) under US GAAP.
• Lead the uplift of accounting policies, revenue recognition frameworks (ASC 606), lease accounting (ASC 842), and technical documentation to align with public company standards.
• Serve as primary point of contact for external audit firms, managing annual financial audits from preparation to final release.

3. Government Cost Accounting & Procurement

• Design, implement, and maintain government cost accounting mechanisms compliant with FAR/CAS requirements for federal grants, research contracts, and subcontracts.
• Manage indirect rate calculations, forward pricing rate proposals, cost-reimbursement tracking, and incurred cost claims.
• Establish scalable vendor approval matrices, procurement procedures, and purchase order systems tailored for high‑cap‑ex semiconductor fab operations.
• Review vendor, vendor‑lease, and commercial contracts from a financial risk and cash‑flow optimization perspective.
• Design and enforce robust internal control frameworks across accounts payable, payroll, expense management, fixed asset tracking, and cash disbursements.
• Ensure regulatory compliance, state and federal tax filings, R&D tax credit studies, and property tax compliance.
• Oversee equity administration (Carta) in coordination with legal counsel and executive leadership.
• Direct and optimize the day‑to‑day engagement with Silicon Valley Finance Group (SVFG), retaining ownership over controls while delegating routine bookkeeping tasks.
• Evaluate, upgrade, and implement modern corporate finance technology stacks (e.g., NetSuite, Ramp, Carta, QuickBooks) as the company scales.

Qualifications & Candidate Profile

• Experience: 8–12+ years of progressive finance and accounting leadership experience, preferably combining public accounting (Big 4 / regional) with high-growth hardware, semiconductor, deep-tech, or aerospace startup experience.
• Credentials: CPA (Certified Public Accountant) required. BS in Finance or Accounting required; MBA or MS in Finance preferred.
• First-Hire Expertise: Proven experience building or scaling accounting operations, implementing internal controls, and transitioning from outsourced providers (e.g., SVFG) to internal ownership.
• Public Readiness Track Record: Direct experience managing annual financial audits and upgrading financial reporting/controls toward SOX-compliant baseline standards.
• Government/Contracting Exposure: Demonstrated familiarity with government cost accounting standards (FAR/CAS), federal grant tracking, or defense/energy contract administration.
• Software Systems: Strong command of ERP tools (NetSuite or Sage Intacct), automated expense platforms (Ramp, Brex, Coupa), and equity management software (Carta).
• Personal Attributes: High autonomy, intellectual rigor, comfort navigating technical ambiguity, and ability to translate complex financial concepts into strategic context for non-finance leaders.
• Competitive base salary paired with equity option grants.
• US based pay range $150k-$200k
• Discretionary annual performance bonus potential based on company milestones and individual contribution (no guaranteed bonus).