VP / Director of Finance

NODA AI•Austin, TX

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

NODA is a veteran-owned, venture-backed technology company that is transforming how unmanned systems collaborate in complex, mission-critical environments. We are developing next-generation solutions that enable the autonomous orchestration of heterogeneous unmanned systems across air, sea, land, and space with vital applications in the defense, intelligence, and commercial sectors. Our strategic finance function exists to make NODA’s capital and contract decisions sharper. The VP / Director of Finance is the first finance leader hire at the company — the person who builds the model, the forecast, and the financial story that carries NODA from Series A through production-scale defense programs. Joining NODA means working on meaningful technology that pushes the boundaries of autonomy alongside a team that thrives on innovation, rapid iteration, and collaboration. We are seeking a VP / Director of Finance to build and own the strategic finance function at NODA. This is a CFO-tracked role for someone with the modeling rigor of an investment banker and the capital-allocation instincts of an investor, ready to apply both inside an operating company. You will work directly with the founding team on the decisions that shape NODA’s trajectory: how we price contracts, how we forecast revenue across prototype and production work, how we plan headcount against backlog, and how we tell our financial story to investors and the board. You will lead financial planning and analysis, build the models and reporting infrastructure that make the business legible at scale, and support the next equity raise from diligence through close. This role partners closely with the Controller/external accounting firms, who own accounting, audit, and government contract compliance. You own the forward-looking, strategic, and capital-facing side of finance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Economics, Accounting, Engineering, or related quantitative field
4+ years of progressive experience spanning investment banking and private equity, with at least 2 years in a banking analyst program at a leading firm
Mastery of three-statement modeling, valuation, and operating model construction
Direct exposure to defense, aerospace, government technology, or enterprise software businesses
Excellent written and verbal communication, including the ability to develop board-quality materials
U.S. citizenship with ability to obtain a security clearance

Nice To Haves

Private equity experience at a fund focused on defense, aerospace, government technology, or enterprise software
Prior experience supporting equity financings or M&A diligence as either an operator or an investor (Series B or later)
Experience modeling government contracts, including cost-type, fixed-price, OTA, and SBIR economics
Familiarity with defense technology business models, including hybrid prototype-to-production revenue
Prior FP&A or strategic finance exposure inside an operating company
Prior military, government, or defense industry experience
Existing security clearance

Responsibilities

Build and own the company’s operating model, including bottoms-up revenue forecast, headcount plan, OpEx build, and cash forecast
Lead the annual budgeting process and quarterly reforecasts in partnership with department leaders
Translate the operating model into board, investor, and management reporting on a recurring cadence
Develop and report on the KPIs that matter for a hybrid prototype-to-production defense business — bookings, backlog, contract value, burn, runway, gross margin, and unit economics
Build the pipeline-to-revenue framework that connects capture stages to expected bookings, recognized revenue, and cash collection
Develop pricing strategy and contract economics across cost-reimbursable, fixed-price, OTA, SBIR, and production vehicles
Partner with capture, contracts, and program teams on bid strategy, price-to-win analysis, and margin discipline
Maintain the bookings, backlog, and ARR architecture that supports scaling defense and commercial revenue
Support the next equity raise from materials development through diligence and close
Own investor reporting, board materials, and quarterly business reviews
Develop and maintain the capital strategy across equity, debt, government funding (SBIR, OTA, contract financing), and other non-dilutive capital options
Lead financial diligence on partnerships, teaming arrangements, and potential acquisitions
Serve as financial partner to the Head of Operations, BD, and engineering leadership on the decisions that shape strategy
Build the financial infrastructure to evaluate program-level economics and resource allocation trade-offs
Translate financial outputs into language that operators, engineers, and investors can act on