Strategic CFO - 50%

Axel Springer hy GmbH; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 140,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Part-time 50%

Flexible schedule

Remote work

Executive leadership

Job summary

Axel Springer hy GmbH, in the San Francisco area, seeks a Strategic CFO for a 50% part-time executive role guiding capital planning, financial strategy, and governance as the company moves from R&D into revenue and scale-up. This remote position emphasizes fundraising, investor relations, and alignment of financial and legal structures with strategic goals.

The role requires proven executive finance leadership in hardware or semiconductor contexts, and the ability to build scalable financial

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a CFO, VP Finance, or senior financial leader in hardware.
• Experience building or professionalizing financial infrastructure during scale-up.
• Expertise in startup valuation, fundraising, and investor relations.
• Strong cap table management, equity structuring, and legal compliance.
• Data-driven decision making and cash flow forecasting.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment.
• Excellent communication and negotiation with investors and management.

Responsibilities

• Lead corporate financial models including manufacturing and supply chain cash flows.
• Maintain cap table and run scenario analyses for funding decisions.
• Support current funding round: term sheet negotiations and investor communications.
• Build finance function to scale to revenue-generating operations.
• Set budgets, KPIs, and FP&A processes.
• Own cash flow forecasting and runway reporting.
• Lead financial transparency for investors and board.

Job description

Strategic CFO - 50%

Location: Remote. Company presence: San Francisco area
Employment Type: Part-time (50%) executive leadership (not an advisory position)
Company Stage: Scaling startup

Base salary: $120k - 140k for 50% position

Open for contractors

Who we are

We're a Series A semiconductor company building the Fabric VPU and HPU, custom silicon for zero-knowledge proof generation. The chip is in stable silicon at a Tier 1 foundry.

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to join our management team in a part-time (50%) executive role, as the company transitions from R&D into operations, revenue generation, and scale-up. This position will play a key role in shaping financial strategy, capital planning, and the alignment between financial and legal structures through this transition.

In this role, you will partner closely with the executive team and external advisors to guide financial decision-making, support fundraising and capitalization efforts, and help build the financial and operational foundations required to scale responsibly. If you are motivated by working at the intersection of advanced technology, strategy, and execution, we would welcome the opportunity to build this next stage together.

Valuation, Fundraising & Ownership Strategy

• Develop, maintain and update the corporate financial models including the modeling of manufacturing and supply chain cash flows.
• Maintain the cap table to reflect the current round and complete ad hoc scenario analysis to support funding decision making.
• Support execution of the current funding round: support term sheet negotiations, work with legal on closing documentation, and manage investor communications.

Financial & Legal Leadership

• Build the financial and reporting function as required to scale the company into revenue-generating operations.
• Set financial goals, budgets, KPIs, and establish an effective financial planning process.
• Own cash flow forecasting, runway reporting, and liquidity planning against funding and manufacturing milestones.
• Monitor performance against budgets and forecast, identify and recommend corrective actions.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate financial and operational risks through robust internal controls
• Work with advisors to ensure and oversee annual tax compliance.
• Maintain and lead a lean, high-impact finance function that scales with revenue and customer growth.
• Lead financial transparency for investors and stakeholders.

Strategic Partner to the Executive Team & Board

• Serve as a trusted financial strategist and thought partner to the executive team and board.
• Translate financial insights into clear strategic actions that accelerate growth, valuation, and the transition to sustainable operations.
• Foster investor confidence through disciplined communication, precision, and long-term strategic foresight.

What we are looking for

• Proven experience as a CFO, VP Finance, or senior financial leader in a hardware
• Track record of building or professionalizing financial and operational infrastructure as a company moves from R&D into revenue-generating operations.
• Expertise in startup valuation, fundraising, and investor relations, from seed to Series B/C or exit.
• Strong understanding of cap table management, equity structuring, and legal compliance.
• Skilled in financial modeling, scenario planning, and data-driven decision‑making, including hardware cost structure and supply chain forecasting.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial, and resource‑efficient environment.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills with investors, stakeholders, and the internal management team.

What We Offer

• Part-time (50%) executive role with high strategic impact.
• Opportunity to shape the financial foundation of a company transitioning from R&D into revenue and scale-up.
• Be part of the management team of a company preparing for the next phase of operations and scale-up.
• Flexible working model.

Compensation and benefits

• Salary: $120,000 - 140,000 for 50% position
• Flexible vacation
• Benefits eligibility subject to employment location and local regulations.
• Flexible parental leave