Finance Manager

A privately held space technology business on Florida's Space Coast, building crewed hardware for missions in Earth orbit and beyond. The company draws on decades of accumulated engineering heritage, has recently taken strategic investment from a listed industry partner, and holds government funding against its lunar programme. It is now moving out of development and into manufacture ahead of a flight demonstration. The engagement The commercial side of the business has not kept pace with the engineering side. There is no finance framework in place. This is a project-based contract to design and stand one up, working shoulder to shoulder with the executive team. You will define how money moves through the company: the controls, the policies, the workflows and the reporting that let leadership make decisions with confidence and let the business withstand audit and investor scrutiny. At the end of the engagement you will also set out what the permanent finance function should look like. This suits someone who has done this before at a scaling company, who is comfortable with a blank page, and who would rather build the machine than operate one somebody else built. What you will own Designing a finance governance model that will still hold as headcount and revenue climb. Putting internal controls, approval hierarchies and separation of duties in place to protect company assets and reduce exposure. Mapping and rolling out finance workflows across every function, so that speed and accountability both improve. Writing the accounting policy set and the SOP library that keeps execution consistent across the business. Setting purchasing and supplier commitment rules that tie back to budget and to the wider control environment. Standing up accounts payable and accounts receivable processes that will still work at several times today's volume. Introducing treasury and cash handling routines that sharpen forecasting and oversight. Creating a repeatable budgeting and planning cycle to underpin management decision making. Defining spend authorisation thresholds and sign-off routing. Building the management reporting pack for the leadership team, along with the cadence behind it. Shortening and tightening the monthly close so it lands accurately and on time, every time. Preparing documentation and compliance standards to a level that survives audit, investor diligence and regulatory review. Setting records retention and document management rules for the finance function. Reviewing the current systems estate and advising where automation or replacement would repay the investment. Partnering with the executive team, operations, purchasing and other departments to embed the new processes rather than simply publish them. Diagnosing how finance runs today and pinpointing where visibility and performance can be lifted. Advising on the shape of the permanent finance team: headcount, structure and the order in which to hire. What you will need A degree in accounting, finance, business administration or a comparable subject. At least four years in progressively senior finance, accounting or finance operations roles. A demonstrable track record of writing policy, procedure and control frameworks from a standing start. A solid working command of GAAP and of what good financial practice looks like. Experience building finance processes that survived a period of company growth. Hands-on use of an ERP or accounting platform. Strong analytical, organisational and project delivery skills. Clear written and spoken communication, and the confidence to work with every level of the business. Self-direction, and the ability to hold several priorities at once in a fast-moving environment. Practicalities Onsite in Brevard County, Florida. This is not a remote engagement. Project-based, with a defined scope and a clear end point. Reporting directly into executive leadership. #J-18808-Ljbffr