Director of Finance

Location: Columbus, Ohio (In-Person)

Company: Mission Sciences

Compensation: $135,000 – $150,000 (based on experience and demonstrated AI proficiency)

Mission Sciences is building AI-native capabilities for national security and enterprise applications. We are seeking a Director of Finance who combines strong financial discipline with the ability to leverage AI as a force multiplier.

This role operates at the intersection of finance, operations, and applied AI, owning the company’s financial backbone while increasing speed, accuracy, and insight through modern tooling.

• Own bookkeeping and general ledger (GL) integrity
• Manage month-end and year-end close
• Ensure compliance with accounting standards and internal controls
• Oversee AP/AR, payroll coordination, and financial systems

• Lead financial planning and analysis (FP&A)
• Build and maintain financial models, forecasts, and scenario plans
• Drive annual and quarterly budget planning cycles
• Provide leadership with insight into burn, margins, and growth drivers

• Produce monthly and quarterly reporting packages
• Develop executive dashboards and board-level materials
• Translate financial data into clear, actionable narratives

• Use AI tools to:
• Automate reconciliation, reporting, and analysis workflows
• Accelerate modeling and forecasting
• Improve visibility into financial and operational performance
• Own and optimize enterprise AI token spend
• Track usage across teams and tools
• Implement cost controls and efficiency measures
• Report on utilization and return on spend

Demonstrated high proficiency in at least one of the following:

• Claude
• ChatGPT
• Grok
• Perplexity
• Gemini

Preferred experience with at least one:

• Claude Code
• Perplexity Computer
• Hermes
• Windsurf
• Cursor

Candidates should be able to:

• Build repeatable AI-assisted workflows
• Use prompting to support financial analysis and modeling
• Integrate AI into daily finance operations

• 5–10 years in finance, accounting, or FP&A
• Strong experience with GL, close processes, and financial reporting
• Demonstrated ability in financial modeling, forecasting, and budgeting
• Experience in a high-growth or startup environment preferred
• Proficiency with Google Workspace (Sheets, Docs, Drive)
• Strong analytical and communication skills

• Reporting cycles reduced from days to hours through automation
• Financial models that directly inform executive decisions
• AI used as a core part of financial operations, not an afterthought
• Clear visibility into both cash spend and AI token spend
• Ability to operate independently while supporting leadership at a high level

Finance at Mission Sciences is a core operational function that drives decision-making speed and clarity. This role defines how effectively the company converts capital and AI capability into execution.