What are the responsibilities and job description for the VP / Director of Finance position at NODA AI?
Location: Austin, TX (Hybrid on-site)
Clearance Requirement: U.S. Citizen with the ability to obtain a security clearance
About NODA
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.
The Role
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.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Planning and Analysis
This role is built as a CFO track. The successful candidate has the opportunity to grow into the Chief Financial Officer as NODA scales from Series A through production-scale defense programs, building and leading a full strategic finance organization along the way.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. All qualified individuals will receive consideration for employment regardless of race, age, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.
Clearance Requirement: U.S. Citizen with the ability to obtain a security clearance
About NODA
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.
The Role
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.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Planning and Analysis
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Investor mindset combined with the operating discipline to execute inside the company
- Modeling rigor — your models are right, the assumptions are defensible, and the outputs change decisions
- Comfortable owning ambiguity and willing to build the function before the function exists
- Strong commercial instinct paired with the patience to learn the specifics of defense contracting
- Clear communicator who can move between founder, board, investor, and operator audiences without losing precision
- Mission-driven and motivated by the work NODA is doing for national security customers
- Hybrid work environment
- Competitive pay
- Flexible time off
- Generous PTO policy
- Federal holidays
- Generous health, dental, and vision benefits
- Free OneMedical membership
- 401(k)
This role is built as a CFO track. The successful candidate has the opportunity to grow into the Chief Financial Officer as NODA scales from Series A through production-scale defense programs, building and leading a full strategic finance organization along the way.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. All qualified individuals will receive consideration for employment regardless of race, age, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.