VP of Finance

Pyka is seeking an experienced Vice President of Finance, to join our team and service in a key leadership role to prepare the organization for P&L reporting as the Pyka scales production, commercialization, and support of its aircraft and customers globally. This role involves growing a high performance finance organization and overseeing critical areas such as FP&A, treasury, strategic risk, and capital raises. The VP of Finance will work closely with teams across commercial, production, supply chain, and operations to drive continuous improvement in financial processes and operations.

This role will report into our Chief Operating Officer and work closely with our executive team to support the company's growth and long-term financial goals. This role requires a strategic thinker with outstanding communication skills and a proven track record in both internal and external financial operations and execution in a complex manufacturing organization. 

This role will play a pivotal role in advancing Pyka and contribute to advancing society's transition to using electric aircraft. 

About Pyka

Pyka’s goal is to provide society with a new form of safe, clean, and cost-effective transportation enabled by autonomous electric aviation.

To get there, we’re taking a different approach than most. We're applying our technologies to every industry where autonomous electric aircraft can be useful, starting with the highest value and most dangerous jobs. In doing so, we're building game-changing products manufactured at scale, while perfecting the safety, reliability, and capabilities of our autonomy engine and electric propulsion systems. 

We design, develop and manufacture an ecosystem of technologies including proprietary flight control software, avionics, high power density motors, motor controllers, batteries, and custom carbon-fiber composite airframes.

Today, we supply autonomous electric aircraft for cargo transport and crop protection to real-world customers across four separate continents and have secured industry-first regulatory approvals from the FAA. 

Our cargo aircraft enables remote connectivity, enhances express delivery networks, and ensures fast and reliable shipping of critical supplies to areas in need. Our crop protection aircraft offers agricultural services providers and farmers an autonomous tool to make aerial application safer, more precise, and less harmful to surrounding environments. Both vehicles are highly economical to operate, easy to deploy, and significantly reduce CO2 emissions in their respective industries. 

What you work on at Pyka makes people’s lives better now and brings the future of electric aviation one step closer each day. 

Responsibilities

• Oversee and manage all finance operations including, financial planning and analysis, accounting, treasury, audit, tax, investor relations, insurance, support for capital raises,
  
  
• Lead contributor to financial aspects of contracts, support for pricing, and compliance
  
  
• Preparing the organization for P&L segment reporting as a revenue-generating entity, particularly as the company commercializes its product for rapid, capital-efficient growth with high margins
  
  
• Ensure the company's financial practices are in line with statutory regulations and accounting standards.
  
  
• Identify, negotiate, and secure financing for the company. This includes debt financing, equity fundraising, and other financial instruments.
  
  
• Management and implementation of technology solutions (e.g., ERP) in support of the operations, as well as engagement with external parties as required to achieve objectives in a rapidly growing hardware manufacturing environment.
  
  
• Deliver accurate and timely financial reporting to support the business operations of Pyka, while also anticipating financial issues before they arise and proactively suggesting long-term solutions
  
  
• Manage relevant external consultants and third parties to supplement the Company’s ability to maintain accurate accounting and reporting requirements
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in senior financial managerial roles, with a consistent record of strategic financial decision-making.
  
  
• Demonstrated proficiency and hands-on experience leading finance operations in businesses in serial production of complex hardware systems, such as aviation, automotive, robotics, and autonomous systems. Your insights into these industries should be both profound and current.
  
  
• A robust portfolio showcasing successes in raising capital, adeptly steering finance operations, and architecting sustainable financial strategies that have propelled business growth.
  
  
• Proficiency in integrating operations and procedures, with a focus on streamlining processes, enhancing efficiency, and ensuring seamless organizational collaboration.
  
  
• Outstanding leadership qualities, complemented by impeccable communication skills both written and oral. You should possess the ability to rally teams, liaise effectively with stakeholders, and convey complex financial strategies in an understandable manner.
  
  
• A profound understanding of data-driven decision-making, with capabilities in sophisticated data analysis, accurate forecasting, and strategic budgeting to guide business direction.

Company Perks

• $220,000–$270,000 per year base salary + equity. Compensation will vary depending on location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Salary ranges are subject to change.
• Employer-sponsored health, dental and vision insurance
• FSA with employer matching
• 401(k)
• Paid holidays, generous PTO, and additional unpaid time off
• Voluntary short-term disability, long-term disability, and life insurance
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Free catered lunch and plenty of snacks

Export Control Requirements

This position requires access to technology, software and other information that is subject to governmental access control restrictions, due to export controls.  Employment in this position is conditioned on the continued availability of government authorization to authorize release of such items, to the extent required, including without limitation an export license, or other documentation required to establish authorization to receive access to such items. 

Company may delay commencement of employment, rescind an offer of employment, terminate employment, and/or may modify job responsibilities, compensation, benefits, and/or access to Company facilities and information systems, as Company deems appropriate, in order to ensure compliance with applicable government access control restrictions.