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About the role
As our first US finance hire, you will bridge our existing accounting capabilities with the strategic financial needs of a growing US entity. This is a hands-on, build-from-scratch role perfect for someone who thrives in startup environments and wants to see their work directly impact manufacturing scale-up.
You will own the critical transition from Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) costing through small-batch production to series manufacturing cost structures, while simultaneously building financial planning capabilities for US operations.
What you'll do
Product Costing & Manufacturing Finance (40%)
• NRE Cost Tracking: Establish systems to capture and allocate non-recurring engineering costs from R&D through pilot production, including prototyping, testing, tooling, and certification expenses
• Cost Structure Development: Build product costing models transitioning from one-off NRE amortization to small-batch unit economics, preparing for series production scale
• BOM & Routing Analysis: Work with engineering and operations to develop accurate bill of materials and manufacturing routings for 4-meter flywheel assemblies
• Make-vs-Buy Analysis: Evaluate insourcing vs. outsourcing decisions for components and assembly processes as volumes scale
• Inventory Valuation: Implement WIP and finished goods valuation methodologies appropriate for capital-intensive energy storage equipment
Financial Planning & Analysis (30%)
• OpEx Planning: Develop operating expense budgets and forecasts for the US entity, including facility costs, staffing plans, and operational overhead
• CapEx Planning: Create capital expenditure models for assembly line build-out, test equipment, and facility improvements (late 2026/early 2027 focus)
• Cash Flow Management: Monitor US entity cash position, working capital requirements, and intercompany funding needs
• Board & Investor Reporting: Prepare financial presentations for leadership and investors highlighting US operational metrics and path to manufacturing
China-US Coordination (30%)
• Partner with China-based R&D and sourcing teams (70% of current activity) to capture design-to-cost feedback and engineering change impacts on US production cost models
• Coordinate with China sourcing on supplier qualification costs, tooling amortization, and component pricing for US-bound materials
• Facilitate weekly cost reviews bridging China engineering and US operations, ensuring NRE allocations and BOM accuracy across geographies
• Build relationships remotely via Mandarin-language communication; resolve costing ambiguities across time zones with patience for relationship-heavy business practices
Operational Finance & Compliance (on-going)
• US Entity Setup: Support legal and tax advisors in establishing appropriate entity structure; ensure compliance with federal and California state requirements
• ERP Implementation: Guide selection and implementation of financial systems capable of handling manufacturing cost accounting (experience with NetSuite, SAP Business One, or similar preferred)
• Audit & Controls: Establish internal controls and financial processes appropriate for a venture-backed manufacturing company
Qualifications
• 5-8 years progressive finance experience, 3+ years manufacturing cost accounting (hardware/industrial equipment)
• Proven NRE-to-production costing experience: taken products from engineering development through manufacturing ramp
• ERP implementation experience in startup environment; advanced Excel modeling from scratch
• Bachelor's in Finance/Accounting; CPA/CMA preferred
HIGHLY VALUED
• Cleantech/energy storage or rotating machinery manufacturing background
• Series A-C startup scaling experience
• Multinational financial reporting experience
• Cross cultural communication
• Manufacturing incentives and regulatory familiarity
• Government contracting or utility procurement exposure
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