Finance Engineer

Skipwithjoy; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Office in Dogpatch, San Francisco

Job summary

Skip, a hardware-mocrovation startup, is seeking its first dedicated finance hire to build an AI-native finance function. You will transform the finance system from Xero to an accrual-based model, implement rigorous controls, and develop live financial models with AI-driven workflows to automate repetitive tasks.

You will own cash flow, working capital, and vendor terms, while preparing for Series A, including board materials and data room diligence.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated GAAP knowledge and cash-to-accrual transition experience.
• Strong analytical skills with ability to build live financial models.
• Experience with AI-enabled finance tools and automations.

Responsibilities

• Own cash flow management across supplier and customer terms.
• Move books from cash to accrual and manage capex/inventory accounting.
• Set up reserves, insurance, and vendor terms.
• Migrate from Xero to AI-native finance tools and automate close.

Skills

GAAP knowledge

SQL

Python

APIs

AI tools

Cash flow management

Education

CPA Certification

Big 4 background

Tools

Xero

AI finance tools

Rillet / Ramp / Brex / Concourse

Job description

Skip is on a mission to make life joyful through powered movement.

Movement is a powerful way to build physical, mental and social health. Yet it is elusive for 2 billion people due to age, injury, or disability. We are building products that will restore mobility for millions and enable a new frontier of joyful movement experiences. We want to build a future where a grandparent can easily outrun their grandkids and no one is left behind at the trailhead.

Skip is a 24-person early-stage start-up that spun out of Google X in 2023. With deep cross-disciplinary expertise and key partnerships (e.g. with Arc’teryx) we are uniquely positioned to launch the first commercially successful wearable robotic device, the MO/GO, develop a platform to launch future Movewear products and transform millions of lives in the coming years.

The Role

We are seeking a highly motivated, AI native finance builder to be Skip’s first dedicated finance hire. You will take our finance function from a Xero account and good intentions to a real operating system: accrual books, clean controls, a live financial model, and AI workflows and agents that handle the repetitive work so you can focus on the decisions that matter. If you do something twice, you automate it.

What you’ll do

• Own cash flow management across complex supplier and customer payment terms, including invoicing, collections, and payables
• Move our books from cash to accrual accounting and bring real rigor to capex, inventory, and fixed asset accounting
• Set up warranty reserves, product liability accounting, and the insurance coverage a consumer hardware company needs
• Migrate us off Xero onto AI native finance tools, and make it easy for the team to issue POs, track spend, and get approvals without chasing anyone
• Build workflows, scripts, and agents that automate the close, reconciliations, reporting, and variance analysis, with an audit trail behind every number
• Own working capital strategy: evaluate and secure the right mix of inventory and product financing, working capital lines, invoice factoring, SBA loans, and venture debt
• Build and own our financial model, including burn, runway, unit economics, BOM costing, COGS, and scenario planning we can run live in a meeting
• Lead Series A readiness: clean financials, board materials, investor updates, data room, and diligence support
• Partner closely with manufacturing and operations on vendor terms, purchasing, and supply chain cash flow

What we’re looking for

• 4 to 8 years in accounting, FP&A, strategic finance, or controller roles, ideally including time at an early stage company
• Strong accounting fundamentals; you’ve run or overseen a cash to accrual transition and know GAAP well enough to set policy, not just follow it
• You build with AI every day. You’ve used Claude Code, Codex, or similar to ship real tools for a finance team, and you can show us
• Comfortable with SQL, Python, and APIs; you’d rather wire two systems together than export a CSV
• Experience with hardware, inventory, or manufacturing finance
• Hands on experience with debt financing, whether working capital lines, venture debt, or asset based lending
• Operator mindset: you bring the controls and rigor of a big company without the bureaucracy
• Clear communicator who can walk an engineer through cash runway and an investor through unit economics

Nice to have

• CPA or Big 4 background
• Experience supporting a priced Series A or later round
• Familiarity with AI native finance tools (Rillet, Ramp, Brex, Concourse, or similar), plus Carta and Rippling

This is a full time hybrid position working at the Skip office in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco.

Skip is an equal opportunity employer. Our hiring decisions are based on need and competence to satisfy said need. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other legally protected status.

Any and all offers of employment extended by Skip are conditional on candidates’ ability to provide satisfactory proof of eligibility to maintain full-time employment in the United States.