Chief Financial Officer

We’re currently seeking a Chief Finance Officer to join our extraordinary team. 

- Are you a strategic finance and business development leader with a proven track record of scaling businesses and securing funding? 

- Are you passionate about sustainability and creating a positive impact on the world? 

- Are you excited about the opportunity to build and lead a high-performing team in a fast-paced startup environment? 

- Do you have experience in both corporate and startup environments, and are you ready to apply that knowledge to help guide a rapidly growing startup?

If you answered yes to these questions, then WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU!  

The Role: 

The Chief Finance Officer will be responsible for overseeing the financial and fundraising operations of the company, with a focus on building infrastructure, closing business deals, and delivering financial reporting to support the growth and profitability of Air Protein. This is an executive-level role that requires a deep understanding of startup operations and financing, M&A, fundraising, investment banking, and licensing deal structuring. 

The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of direct fundraising experience of over $100MM, negotiating licensing deals, scaling businesses, as well as having strong finance or accounting training from a top-tier financial services provider like PWC or Deutsche Bank. They will have high growth experience as part of a startup or have co-founder/founder experience. They will also have a strong investment banking understanding, having worked in a fast-paced, high-performance financial environment/culture. 

What you will be doing

• Oversee all financial operations, including cash management, investments, insurance, real estate, budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting, with a focus on delivering accurate and timely information to support the growth and profitability of Air Protein. 

• Develop and implement financial strategies to support Air Protein's growth plans, including fundraising, investor management, and board management, while also ensuring compliance with all financial and regulatory requirements e.g. FASB, IRS 

• Manage financial risk through assessment of company balance sheet; evaluate and manage the company capital structure 

• Build relationships and work with government, financial institutions and investors to identify and develop creative financing strategies, and secure funding for the company while minimizing financial risks and equity dilution 

• Develop and implement best practices and tools to ensure a flexible but well controlled organization that has strong fiscal management and workflows 

• Build and lead a high-performing finance team, providing guidance and mentorship to team members, while also fostering a positive company culture that promotes financial responsibility and accountability. 

• Collaborate with the CEO and other executives to define and execute Air Protein's business strategy, with a focus on building and managing strategic partnerships with key stakeholders, including investors, suppliers, and customers. 

• Build and lead a high-performing finance team, providing guidance and mentorship to team members, while also fostering a positive company culture that promotes financial responsibility and accountability. 

• Support all licensing deals and negotiate agreements to support the growth and profitability of Air Protein, while also building and scaling successful partnerships that enable the global positioning of Air Protein today and in the future. 

• Deliver accurate and timely financial reporting to support the business operations of Air Protein, while also anticipating financial issues before they arise and proactively suggesting long-term solutions. 

• Monitor business performance with appropriate scorecards and prepare detailed reports for Board of Directors meetings, the executive team and other relevant stakeholders. 

• Serve on the executive leadership team of the company 

What you must have

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in business, finance, or a related field is required, with an MBA preferred. 

• At least 10 years of experience in finance, fundraising, investment banking, licensing deals, or a related field, with a proven track record of success in building and scaling businesses. 

• Experience as a CFO leader of a manufacturing business 

• Strong financial and analytical skills, with the ability to develop and execute complex financial strategies, and excellent judgment to make sound financial decisions independently. 

• Strong communication and leadership skills, with the ability to build and manage relationships with key stakeholders, and experience managing and leading high-performing teams. 

• Experience working in a startup environment, with a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities that come with startup growth. 

• Committed to continuous learning and professional development in the financial industry. 

• Proficiency in financial management systems and tools, such as financial modeling software, accounting software, and business intelligence tools. 

• Prior CFO experience is preferred 

What you should have

• Motivated, proactive, and results-driven, with a focus on achieving business objectives and delivering financial reporting that supports the growth and profitability of Air Protein. 

• Demands excellence in financial planning, analysis, and execution to support the company's growth and profitability. 

• Ability to think critically and anticipate financial issues before they arise, and proactively suggest long-term solutions. 

• Excellent project management skills, with exceptional attention to detail and discipline to organize and prioritize financial activities. 

• Passion for building and promoting a positive company culture that fosters financial responsibility and accountability. 

• Strategic thinker with the ability to develop and implement effective financial strategies to support business objectives and investor relations. 

• Excellent leadership skills and the ability to serve as a trusted advisor to the executive team, board of directors, and investors. 

• Strong relationship-building skills and ability to foster partnerships with strategic partners, investors, and stakeholders.

$253,000 - $348,000 a year

This is the pay range for this position that we reasonably expect to pay. Individual compensation is based on various factors, including experience, education, skillset, and geographic location. This range is for the Bay Area, California location, and may be adjusted to the labor market in other geographic areas.

Benefits & Perks

In addition to the chance to work with a world-class team and cutting-edge technology to help combat climate change and address the impending food crisis, Air Protein employees also enjoy competitive benefits. We offer Flexible PTO, parental leave, a 401(k) match, and compensation plans that include employee equity.

Air Protein invests in employee development, and the company culture is shaped by shared values:

- Protect people & the planet

- Play as a team and have a growth mindset

- Do what you say you will do

- Be the change you seek

- Create a culture of belonging

Additional Benefits & Perks

- Competitive Health Benefits, including ancillary benefits and HSA/FSA programs

- Paid Holidays

- Stocked kitchen with snacks and drinks

- Fun -and useful- swag

- Weekly Brown Bag - All-Hands Meetings

Air Protein is an equal-opportunity employer

At Air Protein, we are committed to providing equal opportunities. Because we want the absolute best people, we enthusiastically invite people of every race, color, orientation, age, gender, origin, and ability – or any other status protected by law – to apply to join our team. Research has shown that women and people from marginalized groups may not apply for a role if they aren't a 100% match.  Please don't hold back.  If you think you will excel in this role, but perhaps you don’t tick every box, we'd appreciate the opportunity to consider your application.

About Air Protein

Air Protein is a modern food company, crafting air-based food ingredients to feed us more sustainably, helping to renew the planet’s resources and eliminating the compromise between nutrition, taste, and climate impact. Using novel technology inspired by NASA, we convert elements found in the air around us into nutritious, protein ingredients using postbiotic cultures, then incorporate the ingredients into a broad range of food recipe formulations that cross the grocery store. It’s where cutting-edge science meets bold ambition to reinvent the way we eat.

Join our team of passionate scientists, engineers, and business leaders working to transform the future of food with solutions we never thought possible, creating food ingredients that are delicious and more sustainable. Using no arable land and very little water, Air Protein produces a highly nutritious protein ingredient that is free from pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics, or hormones.

In addition to the chance to work with cutting-edge technology to help combat climate change and our planet’s impending food crisis, Air Protein employees also enjoy competitive benefits, total compensation plans, and a collaborative company culture. If you join us on this relentless pursuit for more, changing the world will soon feel as natural as taking a breath.

Air Protein is funded by ADM, a world leader in fermentation technology, GV (formerly Google Ventures), and Barclays, one of the world’s leading financial institutions.

Check us out in the media, news, and in the community:

- Time:  America's Top Greentech Companies 2024

- JointForces.com:  Air Protein Selected for DARPA Cornucopia Initiative

- TED Talk: A forgotten Space Age Technology Could Change How We Grow Food

- Business Wire:  ADM, Air Protein Sign Strategic Agreement to Advance Development and Production of Unique Landless Protein