Vice President, Strategic Finance (R&D, Procurement & Corporate Model)

The Role 

Reporting to the CFO, this leader will own the finance partnership with AiDASH’s R&D (Engineering, Product, Data Science, and AI Data Ops), and Professional Services teams. Their role will span R&D investment and launch economics, infrastructure cost management and reduction targets, partnering with procurement strategy, and owning the corporate operating model. They will help determine where the company invests, how products are priced, and how innovation translates into profitable growth through the Schneider Electric integration and the company's next phase of scale. 

This is a highly operational finance leadership role for someone who wants to influence and partner on product strategy, accelerate launches, improve gross margins, and shape investment allocation decisions alongside the executive team. As the primary finance partner to R&D leadership, this person will translate product roadmaps into forecast impact, turning launch velocity into on-schedule ARR. 

This position will partner with R&D to accelerate launch economics and pricing, cloud infrastructure and strategic vendor negotiations, quarterly planning and forecasting, headcount governance, and the executive narrative around R&D performance. The ideal candidate combines strategic finance expertise with a hands-on operating style, a proven track record of negotiating infrastructure and data costs, and the credibility to influence leaders across R&D and the executive team. 

Location: This is a hybrid role based in Palo Alto, CA, requiring 2-3 days per week in the office.

How you'll make an impact: 

Immediate 

• Become deeply familiar with AiDASH's products (IVMS, CRIS, AIMS, and BNGAI), R&D organization and sprint cadence, infrastructure footprint, Schneider Electric integration, financial model, and strategic priorities
• Build trusted finance partnership with R&D leadership by joining sprint-close cadences and establishing monthly workstream reviews with GTM and Delivery 

Ongoing 

R&D and Finance Partnership 

• Own R&D financial management, including capitalization policy, department-level cost visibility, AI initiative ROI, and build-versus-buy analysis
• Partner with R&D leadership to evaluate roadmap trade-offs, investment priorities, and resource allocation 

Launch Economics & Pricing 

• Partner with R&D on launch economics across the product portfolio, including business cases, pricing and packaging strategy, and post-launch revenue performance
• Track sales readiness, delivery commitments, and roadmap execution to ensure launches convert into ARR on schedule
• Monitor roadmap slippage with R&D leadership and key delivery risks, escalating issues and recommendations to the executive team 

Infrastructure & Cloud COGS Management 

• Partner with R&D on commercial strategy for cloud, infrastructure, imagery, and strategic technology vendors, ensuring scalable economics as the business grows and developing and achieving BoM down targets
• Negotiate long-term infrastructure and platform commitments that improve unit economics, aligning to Company Gross Margin targets, and support future scale with the R&D team
• Manage infrastructure COGS as a strategic operating metric, delivering measurable savings while improving gross margin 

Corporate Model & Planning Governance 

• Own the corporate driver-based model and quarterly reforecast, enabling disciplined capital allocation, operating expense decisions, and scenario planning
• Lead headcount and requisition governance, maintaining a single source of truth for approved, open, and frozen roles while ensuring AI automation is evaluated before incremental hiring 

Executive Communication 

• Own the R&D financial narrative for the CFO and CEO, translating complex operating performance into clear business insights, strategic recommendations, and forward-looking perspectives 

M&A & Integration Support 

• Lead finance support for the Schneider Electric integration, including synergy tracking, operating model alignment, reporting harmonization, day-one readiness, and continuity of the planning cycle through close 

What we’re looking for: 

• 12+ years of experience in Strategic Finance, FP&A leadership, corporate development, investment banking, private equity, or related investment roles, with meaningful experience in high-growth enterprise SaaS or data-intensive product companies 
• Experience in investment banking or private equity followed by strategic finance leadership within a venture-backed or late-stage SaaS company preferred 
• Proven operator in cloud, infrastructure, or data cost management, with a track record of negotiating commercial agreements that delivered measurable savings 
• Experience partnering directly with R&D leadership, with a strong understanding of sprint cadences, roadmap prioritization, and technical cost drivers such as cloud infrastructure, AI model training, and data pipelines 
• Proven track record building driver-based operating models that guide investment decisions, forecasting, and company planning 
• Strong executive communication skills, with experience developing Board, investor, and executive-level presentations 
• Exceptional analytical and process design skills, with the ability to improve productivity, predictability, scalability, and operational rigor 
• Fluent in AI-enabled finance workflows with an automation-first mindset; SQL or Python experience is a plus 
• Experience supporting acquisitions, integrations, or complex cross-functional transformation initiatives is strongly preferred; experience supporting global operations (US, India, UK) is a plus 
• Comfortable challenging assumptions and influencing the executive team through data, sound judgment, and thoughtful debate, while aligning fully behind decisions once made 
• Founder mentality with high ownership, unquestionable integrity, and a roll-up-your-sleeves approach. Thrives in ambitious, fast-moving environments, develops strong teams, and earns trust through intelligence, hard work, and empathy 

What you'll love: 

• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage: 100% coverage for employees and 80% for their spouses and children 
• Health Reimbursement Account (HRA): 100% funded by AiDASH to cover medical deductibles 
• 401(k) Plan: Begin contributing after two months of employment to prepare for your future. Currently, no company match is offered 
• Parental Leave: Supportive parental leave with 16 weeks for primary caregivers and 4 weeks for secondary caregivers 
• Generous Vacation Policy: Accrue 20 vacation days per year, plus enjoy an additional flex holiday to celebrate whatever feels most important to you
• Winter Break: From December 25th through January 1st, we give everyone time off to recharge and enjoy time with family and friends!

We are proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We are committed to embracing diversity and inclusion in our hiring practices, and we promote a work environment where everyone, from any race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, can do their best work.  

We offer a competitive total cash compensation range for this full-time position, between $260,000 and $350,000 annually, inclusive of base salary and annual performance bonus. We strive to ensure our compensation packages are equitable and aligned with industry standards. Your recruiter can share more details about compensation during the hiring process.