Skyways is building autonomous cargo aircraft to create a faster, more resilient transportation network.
The Role
At Skyways, we are building the future of air transportation with fully autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Backed by significant funding, including a $37M STRATFI contract from the U.S. Air Force, we operate at the intersection of commercial and defense markets. We have designed, built, and flown aircraft with real customers and government partners, and are now entering the next phase of the company: scaling toward production.
Based in Austin, TX and supported by top investors including Y Combinator, Skyways blends rapid iteration with real world deployment. We design, test, and operate our systems in the field, then bring those learnings directly back into engineering and product decisions. As we grow, we are looking for builders and leaders who want real ownership, technical depth, and the opportunity to help take an aircraft from successful deployments to full production.
The Opportunity
Skyways is at a critical inflection point, scaling from early production to mass deployment of autonomous aerial vehicles. We are hiring a VP of Finance to build and lead the financial foundation of the company. This is your chance to define the systems, strategy, and discipline that will enable Skyways to scale rapidly while maintaining operational and financial excellence. You’ll work closely with the executive team, investors, and government partners while rolling up your sleeves to own the details of accounting, audits, and financial operations.
What You’ll Do:
- Build and manage Skyways’ financial systems, processes, and controls from the ground up.
- Own accounting, reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and compliance.
- Partner with leadership on strategic financing, pricing models, and long-term planning.
- Support fundraising strategy and investor relations, leveraging your network and credibility to strengthen Skyways’ market presence.
- Lead financial operations for defense and government contracts, ensuring accuracy and compliance.
- Manage audits and maintain investor- and audit-ready systems.
- Oversee financial tools and infrastructure.
- Provide data-driven insights and guidance to inform executive decisions.
What You’ll Bring:
- 10+ years of progressive finance experience, with success at early-stage, high-growth companies.
- Proven experience building finance functions from scratch and scaling them through growth and audits.
- Strong background in defense/government contract accounting and compliance.
- Demonstrated success supporting fundraising and maintaining investor relationships.
- Experience running or overseeing formal audits.
- Hands-on expertise with financial tools such as QuickBooks, Ramp, and ERP systems, and familiarity with BOM and manufacturing finance.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, ambiguous startup environment with a mix of strategy and execution.
Bonus Points If You Have:
- CPA or MBA.
- Prior experience as the first finance hire at a successful startup.
- Direct fundraising track record with venture or government partners.
Want to join our mission? Apply to learn more!
Due to U.S. government contract requirements, this role is limited to U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, or candidates from specific countries authorized under applicable export control regulations.
Skyways is an Equal Opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other factor protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.
Skyways Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Skyways and has not been reviewed or approved by Skyways.
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Healthcare Strength — Employee medical and dental are employer-paid with additional vision and HSA/FSA options noted; core health coverage appears strong for a hardware/robotics startup.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Stock options are offered to every employee and performance bonuses are listed; ownership upside is broadly accessible across the organization.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off is described as generous, with paid holidays and generous parental leave highlighted; the breadth of leave supports work-life needs beyond baseline policies.
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The Company
What We Do
We are creating a new form of transportation to advance the future of our civilization. Our story starts with fully autonomous, unmanned aerial vehicles with vertical take-off and landing capability and used for cargo transportation.
Why Work With Us
We are creating a new form of transportation to advance the future of our civilization. Skyways is building fully autonomous cargo aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing capability to transform how goods move. Join a small, ambitious team solving hard aerospace and autonomy problems with real world impact.
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