Director of Finance

Company Description

Inspired Flight’s Purpose Statement says it all - Conserving resources, creating jobs, and saving lives by innovating the American drone manufacturing.  Founded in San Luis Obispo, California our entirely U.S. based team designs, builds and supports highly capable and flexible drone platforms for both commercial and government customers.  

Our purpose driven team exemplifies our Core Values. We are: 

Collaborative: We harness the collective intelligence and energy of our team to surpass individual potentials and achieve shared goals.

Resilient: We approach obstacles with flexibility and creativity, supporting one another to stay focused, resourceful, and determined.

Diverse: We place a high value in people of all heritages, genders, sexual orientations, and points of view to spark innovation and solutions, enriching our work environment and outputs.

Continuously Improving: We are committed to ongoing learning and innovation by always seeking ways to enhance our processes, products, and personal expertise.

Underlying all of this is our deeply rooted belief that the cutting-edge aerial tools we create are advancing an industry that is good for people, good for our planet and good for the United States of America. 

Location

This is an in-office position for hire at Inspired Flight’s HQ in San Luis Obispo, CA.  

Job Description

The Director of Finance owns Inspired Flight’s financial planning, cost control, and accounting operations. This is a hands-on role for a builder: you will create the company’s operating model from the ground up, run disciplined expense management across the business, and develop our accounting team.

This is a highly cross-functional role partnering closely with the executive team across Operations, Go-to-Market, Product & Engineering, and Corporate Administration to turn financial insight into better decisions on production, purchasing, investment, and growth.

This role will report directly to the CEO. This is a prime opportunity for a highly motivated and creative professional who thrives in a high-growth environment and is looking for career development and advancement.

Typical Responsibilities:

Financial Planning & Analysis

• Build and maintain a full three-statement operating model (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow) with driver-based revenue, production, and headcount assumptions.
• Lead the annual budget and rolling forecasts; deliver monthly budget-vs-actual reporting with clear variance explanations.
• Manage cash flow forecasting and runway planning, flagging risks early to the SVP / President.
• Develop product and unit-level cost analysis, including COGS, margins, and bill-of-materials cost trends.
• Provide scenario and sensitivity analysis to support pricing, purchasing, hiring, and investment decisions.

Expense Management & Cost Control

• Own company-wide spend management: approval workflows, purchasing policy, and budget accountability by department.
• Review vendor contracts and recurring spend; identify and drive cost savings.
• Partner with Operations on inventory, purchasing, and production costs to protect gross margin.
• Establish department budgets and hold owners accountable to them through monthly reviews.

Accounting Oversight & Team Development

• Oversee the monthly close, ensuring accurate and timely financial statements.
• Directly mentor and develop the accounting team, building their technical skills and growing their scope over time.
• Strengthen internal controls, policies, and documentation as the company scales.
• Coordinate with outside CPAs on tax filings and any audit or review.

Reporting, Investor & Board Support

• Build KPI dashboards and a monthly reporting package for leadership and the board.
• Prepare financial models, historical financials, and supporting analysis for investors, lenders, and strategic partners, keeping records diligence-ready.
• Partner with Operations, which owns the ERP, to keep financial data accurate and improve how data flows into reporting.

Success Metrics (KPIs)

• Forecast accuracy vs. actuals
• Monthly close completed on schedule
• Operating expenses vs. budget by department
• Gross margin and unit cost vs. targets
• Cash forecast accuracy and runway visibility

• Clean audit or review results

You’ll excel in this role if you have:

• Experience in UAV, aerospace, defense, or other hardware manufacturing environments, including cost accounting, inventory, and COGS analysis.
• Hands-on experience working in NetSuite or a comparable ERP for close, reporting, and cost analysis.
• Experience supporting equity or debt financings through diligence, and familiarity with government contracting finance (FAR, DCAA).

Education/Experience Requirements: 

• 8+ years of progressive finance experience, including at least 3 years in a finance leadership role.
• Proven ability to build a three-statement financial model from scratch and use it to drive decisions.
• Hands-on experience owning budgets, forecasts, and spend controls across multiple departments.
• Strong command of GAAP and the month-end close process.
• Track record of managing and mentoring accounting staff.
• Clear communicator who can explain financial results to non-finance leaders.
• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field; CPA or MBA preferred.

Salary & Benefits Offered

• Unlimited Paid Time Off 
• World Class Health, Dental, Vision Insurance Plan
• 401k w/ 6% company match
• Equity Stock Options
• Quarterly Team Bonus Plan

Physical Demands:  The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee may need to sit and stand for long periods; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone.

Equal Opportunity Employer 

Inspired Flight is deeply committed to building a workplace where inclusion is not only valued, but prioritized. We pride ourselves on being an equal opportunity employer that seeks to create a welcoming and diverse environment. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, or expression, family status, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, neurodiversity, age, or veteran status, or any other non-merit based or legally protected grounds.  

The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions, and perform any other related duties, as assigned by their supervisor.