Finance Lead

Swarm Aero is redefining air power, building the largest swarming UAV and the most versatile swarming aircraft network in the world. The company is moving quickly to launch the first aircraft designed specifically for swarming, as well as the Command & Control software to mobilize swarms of thousands of heterogeneous autonomous assets and empower human operators to achieve superhuman results. The team has created and exited multiple startups, negotiated defense deals worth billions of dollars, and designed and built 30+ novel aircraft, with aerospace experience from Scaled Composites, Airbus, Archer Aviation, Blue Origin, and Boom Supersonic. THE ROLE There's a version of a finance career where the playbook is already written, the policies are set, and the job is to run the process. It's comfortable. Well-defined. And for the right person at the right time, exactly what they need. This isn't that role. We're looking for someone who has lived inside a scaling startup and arrived with a playbook in hand. You know what good looks like on AP process, company credit card policy, expense controls, and financial reporting because you've built or inherited those systems somewhere between Series B and D. You didn't just execute someone else's framework, you understood it well enough to adapt it when things changed. On top of that foundation, you have real exposure to manufacturing or a major hardware program. You've thought about inventory finance, cost structures, and what it means to track the money through a physical product. That context matters here. We're building hardware at scale, and the finance function needs to keep up. WHAT YOU'LL DO • Lead financial planning and analysis: budgets, forecasts, scenario models, and long-range plans • Prepare board and investor reporting, including monthly management packages and quarterly updates for investors and board members • Support fundraising activities, including financial model preparation, investor diligence support, and board materials • Build and maintain the financial model as a living tool that reflects the business in real time • Own and evolve core financial operations: AP process, credit card and expense policies, vendor payment cadence, and financial controls • Partner with operations, engineering, and supply chain as a trusted financial advisor on key business decisions • Drive variance analysis and business reviews that connect financial results to operational drivers • Establish KPIs and dashboards that give leadership visibility into the metrics that matter • Collaborate closely with the Accounting Lead on the close process to ensure financials are accurate, timely, and decision-ready WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR Required • 5+ years of experience in FP&A, strategic finance, or corporate finance at a venture-backed startup • Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or related field • Experience scaling finance operations at a Series B, C, or D company • Demonstrated ability to build complex financial models from scratch • Familiarity with core financial operations: AP process, expense policy, vendor management, and financial controls • Strong communication skills: able to distill financial complexity into clear, actionable narratives Strongly Preferred • Exposure to manufacturing, hardware programs, or inventory-intensive businesses • Familiarity with manufacturing cost structures, including inventory, WIP, and COGS • Experience preparing materials for senior leadership, boards, or investors • Aerospace or defense industry background • Experience partnering with or reporting to a CEO or CFO directly Nice to Have • Prior exposure to fundraising processes or investor relations • MBA or CFA • SQL or data analytics skills • Prior experience building a finance function from scratch WHO YOU ARE • Carries a Playbook: You've seen enough scaling companies to know what good looks like and can adapt it to a new context without starting from zero • Business-Minded: You understa