VP of Finance

Job Description

Job Description

The financial industry is growing at a record pace, but our data providers are still stuck in the past — with cumbersome onboarding processes, complicated APIs, slow infrastructure, and expensive licensing costs.

Databento is the market data platform for modern finance. The company provides real-time and historical data across futures, options, and equities through a unified API. By owning the entire market data stack end-to-end, Databento is the first platform of its kind to combine the performance and reliability demanded by the world's leading trading firms with a dramatically simpler developer experience. Our team includes alumni of Two Sigma, Citadel Securities, Flow Traders, Tower Research, PDT Partners, SIG, and other top quantitative firms.

We're looking for our first VP of Finance to build and own the finance function at Databento. This is a hands-on, zero-to-one role: there's no team to inherit, no processes to maintain, and no playbook to follow.

In terms of scope, you'll establish the accounting and reporting foundation we need to scale, own compliance across tax jurisdictions, and help steer the business with accurate metrics. You'll also mentor and eventually build out the accounting function as we expand.

As VP of Finance at Databento, you will:

• Ensure correct accounting and bookkeeping practices are followed consistently, and identify gaps in our current processes
• Get us on top of tax obligations at the state and country level as we expand across markets
• Own financial metrics used to steer business decisions, ensuring they are accurately defined, computed, and reported
• Produce financial documentation for fundraising, board reporting, and investor relations
• Oversee procurement integrity — confirming that received hardware and services match against purchase orders and payments
• Audit server hardware, colocation, and software license billing to ensure we're being billed correctly
• Confirm commissions and other incentive compensation are calculated accurately
• Identify and drive improvements to billing cycle complexity and other operational inefficiencies

We're looking for:

• 5+ years of finance experience, with meaningful time as a controller, VP of Finance, or CFO
• Hands-on experience with accounting, bookkeeping, and financial reporting — not just oversight
• Track record of managing multi-jurisdiction tax compliance (US state + international)
• Experience building or formalizing finance operations at a startup or high-growth company
• Strong analytical skills and comfort owning the metrics and models leadership relies on
• Willingness to work at a scrappy pace and do things yourself before delegating

Nice to have:

• Experience with usage-based billing models or SaaS revenue recognition
• CPA, CFA, or MBA, or similar
• Prior experience in fintech, trading, or a high-growth tech startup
• Experience preparing materials for fundraising rounds

We offer health, dental, disability, and life insurance benefits, as well as 401(k) matching for full-time employees. We accommodate 100% remote work, with teammates living around the globe and paid in their local currency.

Be cautious of phishing scams impersonating Databento that offer fake job interviews and request purchases. Official emails come only from @databento.com or us.greenhouse-mail.io (our ATS). Any other domains (e.g., databento-careers.com, databento.online) are fraudulent.

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Databento, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or genetics. We comply with federal, state, and local nondiscrimination laws in every location where we operate. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leave, compensation, and training. Pursuant to applicable laws, we consider qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records. If you need an accommodation, please let us know.

Our recruiting data suggests that underrepresented applicants often downplay their skills. Even if your experience doesn't exactly match the qualifications listed, we still want to hear from you. Please apply!