VP, Finance

Exa; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Exa is seeking a VP of Finance based in San Francisco to lead financial strategy and operations. This is a critical role as the first dedicated finance leader in an organization poised for hyper growth.

The ideal candidate will have significant experience in finance, especially in high-growth startups, and will own all financial planning and analysis processes. Key responsibilities include building the finance function, strategic finance, and investor relations management.

Qualifications

• 8–15 years of finance experience in high-growth technology companies.
• Experience in building finance functions at scaling startups.
• Fluency in financial modeling for API or consumption-based business models.

Responsibilities

• Establish internal controls and processes to support scale.
• Build financial models suited to a consumption-based business.
• Own investor reporting and prepare for future financing events.

Skills

Financial modeling

Strategic financial planning

Commercial instincts

Investor relations

Education

Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or a related field

Job description

About Exa

Exa is building a search engine for the AI era. Our Search API currently powers Agents, Fortune 500s and AI labs as we transform an industry that hasn’t been disrupted since the 90s. We're a largely SF-based team of ~100 from Harvard, MIT, Meta, Google Research, ex-founders & dropouts alike.

We are rapidly building the most intelligent search engine in history. We’re high agency, low-ego, and united by the feeling that this is one of the last problems worth getting right.

About the Role

Reporting directly to co-founder Jeff Wang, the VP Finance will be Exa’s first dedicated finance leader and a key member of the executive leadership team, driving financial strategy, operational rigor, and business insight across the organization. This role requires a strategic thinker with strong leadership capabilities, exceptional financial acumen, and a proven track record in building financial infrastructures to support hyper growth. Equally important is the ability to operate as a true business partner – someone who can translate complex financial data into clear strategic insights, partner closely with GTM and product leadership, and communicate with precision and confidence to the founders, board, and investors. With its Series C just closed and revenue scaling rapidly, Exa needs a leader who brings rigor to both compute‑driven unit economics and top‑line growth, while building the finance function from 0 to 1.

Responsibilities

Build the Finance Function

• Establish internal controls, systems, and processes to support scale and audit readiness
• Bring core accounting and finance operations in‑house
• Hire and develop a high‑caliber finance team from the ground up

Financial Planning & Analysis / Financial Operations

• Build and own financial models and forecasting suited to a consumption‑based API business
• Own company‑wide budgeting and scenario planning
• Establish and refine FP&A processes that give leadership real financial visibility and support fast, data‑driven decisions
• Ensure the integrity of financial reporting and compliance with applicable regulations

Strategic Finance

• Serve as a key strategic partner to the leadership team on all financial decisions – from pricing and unit economics to capital allocation
• Partner with GTM on pricing, packaging, and strategic deal‑making
• Partner with Engineering on infrastructure and product decisions that carry unit‑economic implications
• Own capital allocation strategy and treasury

Fundraising & Investor Relations

• Own investor reporting and board communications
• Prepare Exa for future financing events – Series D and beyond

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or a related field
• 8–15 years of finance experience, with meaningful time at a high‑growth technology company
• Strategic finance background: IB, PE, venture capital, or growth‑stage operator experience
• Track record building a finance function at a scaling startup – you’ve seen what great looks like and how to build it
• Deep fluency in financial modeling and FP&A for API/consumption‑based business models
• Hands‑on experience managing compute costs in an infrastructure, AI, or usage‑based business
• Strong commercial instincts – ability to partner closely with GTM leadership on revenue strategy, pricing, and unit economics
• Experience leading institutional fundraising
• Exceptional communicator – concise, direct, and able to distill complex financial data into clear executive and board‑level insights
• Operator mentality: moves fast, builds from scratch, and thrives in ambiguity
• Low ego, high accountability – a collaborator who earns trust through execution

Location

• Targeting San Francisco Bay Area as preferred location