Defense Finance Lead, Strategic Finance

Applied Intuition • Sunnyvale, CA

4d • $175,000 - $225,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Our defense business is one of the fastest growing parts of the company, and we are looking for a strategic operator to lead finance for it. You will sit on the Strategic Finance team and embed with the Defense organization, helping build and scale the business as it takes on more ambitious programs and customers. This is a highly visible role at a hyper-growth, pre-IPO technology company. We build a dual-use software platform with applications across both commercial and defense markets. You will act as the financial counterpart to the Head of Defense and their leadership team across product, engineering, and go-to-market, operating with the breadth of a business unit CFO: the person in the room who can say what a decision is worth, what it costs, and what it means for the trajectory of the business.

Requirements

• 8+ years of finance, corporate development, or strategy experience within defense tech, defense primes, aerospace, investment banking/PE, or related sectors.
• Deep understanding of government budgeting and procurement, including funding sources, acquisition processes, and the difference between customer interest and funded requirements. You know the difference between customer enthusiasm and a funded requirement.
• Experience owning business outcomes, including P&Ls, pricing decisions, strategic deals, margin improvement, and spend management.
• Hands-on experience building with AI, using tools such as Cursor or Claude Code to automate workflows, build applications, and develop AI agents.
• Exceptional financial modeling and problem-solving skills, with the ability to turn ambiguous problems into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Experience thriving in ambiguity, building from scratch in high-growth environments where priorities and processes evolve rapidly.
• U.S. Person status, required due to access to export-controlled information.

Nice To Haves

• Transaction background. Investment banking, private equity, or corporate development experience, including diligence, valuation, and deal execution.
• MBA or another relevant advanced degree.
• Be fluent in software business models. You understand recurring revenue, gross margin, and retention, and how to package software value for a customer accustomed to buying hardware and services.
• Active or prior security clearance, or eligibility to obtain one.

Responsibilities

• Work alongside the Head of Defense and the product, engineering, and go-to-market leaders on the questions that shape the business, from where to invest to which opportunities are worth chasing. Own the financial picture of the business and make it legible to the executive team and the Board.
• Develop how we price our platform in defense markets and structure agreements as our offering and customer base evolve. Build the models that connect price to cost of delivery and margin, and bring judgment to novel situations where there is no precedent to copy.
• Partner with go-to-market, Legal, and Contracts on pursue/pass decisions, proposal economics, and negotiation strategy for major opportunities. Own the financial case for what we go after and what we decline.
• Develop a defensible view of where defense budgets are heading, which funding sources our platform can reach, and how long it takes money to move from customer interest to signed contract. Turn that into a plan leadership can plan against.
• Advise on where to invest R&D dollars and how to resource the business. Translate product roadmaps and customer requirements into cost, margin, and headcount implications, and bring rigor to how we choose between competing bets.
• Build the forecasting cadence, business reviews, and reporting the Defense organization needs to operate with accountability, and deliver the narrative behind the numbers.

Benefits

• Applied Intuition is an equal opportunity employer and federal contractor or subcontractor. Consequently, the parties agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and that these laws are incorporated herein by reference. These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. These regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability. The parties also agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of Executive Order 13496 (29 CFR Part 471, Appendix A to Subpart A), relating to the notice of employee rights under federal labor laws.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior