Vice President, Finance and Strategy

ABOUT US:
We use American corn and existing bioethanol infrastructure to produce critical chemicals right here at home—powering U.S. competitiveness and securing our nation's supply chains - while reinvesting in agricultural America. Bluestem Biosciences has engineered a breakthrough in American manufacturing. Our proprietary biomanufacturing process represents a new, cost-effective, and advantaged way to produce platform chemicals domestically. With the foundation of existing infrastructure, we convert abundant, renewable American corn into high-value chemicals at scale.🌽 JOIN US AS WE ACCELERATE TO COMMERCIALIZATION

ROLE SUMMARY:

We are seeking a full-time Vice President of Finance & Strategy to lead Bluestem’s financial operations and long-range strategic planning. This executive will serve as a key partner to the CEO and leadership team, responsible for building a best-in-class finance function that supports and accelerates the company's growth.

The VP will oversee all financial planning and analysis (FP&A), accounting, treasury, and capital management. This candidate will lead future fundraising efforts (equity and debt), manage investor relations, and develop the financial models to guide critical business decisions. The VP will work closely with the CEO to evaluate new market opportunities, potential M&A, and strategic partnerships, providing rigorous financial diligence and strategic guidance.

Additionally, the VP will partner with the sustainability and business development teams to build the financial case for our bio-based value proposition. This candidate will be instrumental in developing the quantitative framework for our goals, ensuring our sustainability mission is fully integrated into the company's financial roadmap and creates long-term value.

Ideal candidates will have a proven track record in a senior finance role within a high-growth industry (e.g., biotech or advanced manufacturing) and possess a strong background in corporate strategy, investment banking, or venture capital. The VP will be responsible for synthesizing complex financial and strategic information for the executive team, Board of Directors, investors, and key external partners.

This role reports to the Chief Executive Officer.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Maintain all financial systems, accounting and the company’s models and forecasts
• Own the TEA (techno-economic assessment) of the technology and all of the financial forecasting of the project and company
• Manage our third-party grant accountants to maintain the most robust and compliant grant and financial reporting systems to stakeholders
• Develop and execute project financing strategies, including securing debt and equity capital for large-scale projects
• Lead the financial structuring and negotiation of offtake agreements and other commercial contracts to support revenue generation and de-risk projects
• Oversee financial modeling and due diligence for new market opportunities, potential M&A, and strategic partnerships, with a focus on project-level economics
• Manage financial aspects of commercialization initiatives, ensuring alignment with overall business strategy and profitability targets
• Partner with legal and business development teams to structure and negotiate complex commercial agreements, including joint ventures and strategic alliances
• Preparation of board materials and quarterly/annual reviews
• Monitor and manage financial risks associated with all aspects of the business
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with investors, financial institutions, and other external stakeholders relevant to project finance

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university with a focus in finance, accounting, or economics
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal and ability to work in a dynamic and fast-paced environment (start-up!)
• Self-starter and ability to lead projects, build relationships and be a vocal representative of the company
• Excellent communicator and relationship builder and are skilled at global strategy development, internal/external communications, managing multiple stakeholders, leading teams and adapting to change

Bluestem is an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.