Helaina is a VC-backed biotech startup creating a new category of functional food products.
Our vision is to bring the functional properties of human proteins to food. Helaina will be the first company to put human milk proteins into food, defining a new category of consumer nutrition products focused on supporting immunity. We see a range of opportunities to use our breast milk proteins to enhance other types of functional foods for all segments of the population.
Helaina is backed by top VCs in the industry including Spark Capital, Siam Capital, Primary Venture Partners, and Plum Alley. We are a team of change-makers looking for our next team member who is intensely passionate about advancing synthetic biology for food and beverage products and redefining the future of nutrition.
About the Job
We are seeking an experienced and analytical VP, Finance to build and lead our Finance function. As a key member of the leadership team, this role will drive high-impact financial decisions and initiatives as we grow, expand into new markets, and diversify our product offerings. Reporting directly to the CEO, the VP, Finance will enhance our financial infrastructure, oversee budgeting, FP&A, treasury, and accounting, and advise on our long-term growth strategy. This individual will work closely with the executive team, the board, and investors to articulate, define, and execute strategic priorities.
Responsibilities:
Strategic Financial Leadership
- Partner with the executive team to develop, test, and refine key business strategies, including long-range financial and capital planning, pricing, model building and cost/contract management.
- Collaborate with the CEO to set and execute short- and long-term strategies that drive profitability and revenue growth.
- Establish and manage financial KPIs, implementing oversight processes to support rapid decision-making while mitigating risk.
- Lead and execute financial forecast planning cycles (monthly, quarterly, annually) for the board, leadership, and functional units.
- Work with the CEO and COO to lead cash management strategies to optimize runway and growth opportunities.
- Lead investor reporting, including Monthly Operating Reviews and quarterly reports.
Financial Operations
- Oversee budgeting, FP&A, treasury, and accounting functions to ensure financial stability and transparency, and ensure alignment with strategic goals.
- Own monthly reporting, including budget vs. actuals and 13-week cash flow forecasting.
- Analyze financial performance and identify opportunities to decrease cash burn and increase revenue and profitability.
- Work cross functionally with the commercial team to build to maintain a working revenue model that forecasts future cash inflows for the company
- Build and maintain an operating model to support business scaling and cost control.
- Collaborate with production teams on Total Expense Management (TEM) to optimize cost efficiency.
- Partner with HR on headcount planning and financial policies to ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations.
- Participate in the financial portion of contract negotiations, ensuring favorable and consistent terms for the company.
- Develop materials for financial reporting to the board, ensuring clear and concise financial communication.
Risk Management
- Ensure compliance with financial regulations, tax obligations, and audit requirements.
- Ensure compliance with debt obligations and covenants.
- Oversee the audit process, working closely with external auditors.
- Maintain licenses and regulatory compliance as required.
About You
- Bachelor's degree in Finance, Business, or a related field (MBA preferred).
- Ability and willingness to dive deep into the weeds of building models while also operating in a strategic capacity
- 15+ years of progressive experience in finance, with 10+ years in senior leadership roles.
- Industry experience in healthcare, biotechnology, or technology startups that are inventory and manufacturing focused.
- Proven experience leading financial operations and scaling finance functions in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong strategic and analytical mindset with intellectual curiosity and energy.
- Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally and influence key stakeholders.
- Empathetic, collaborative, resilient, and humble leadership style; someone teams want to work alongside to build something great.
Compensation is market-competitive with a yearly cash base of $200k - $300k plus equity.
Benefits:
Helaina was founded on the belief that families should have freedom of choice. We are committed to providing an inclusive workplace that does just that, supporting our team's health, wellbeing and professional development at every stage and milestone. We are proud to offer comprehensive health care, generous parental leave and childcare reimbursement, equity packages and more. A few highlights include:
- Full medical, vision and dental coverage
- Short and long term disability insurance coverage
- 401k match (up to 3%)
- Unlimited vacation days, including an all-company holiday between Christmas and New Year
- Paid Parental Leave for both parents + flexible return to work program
- Childcare reimbursement program
- Commuter Benefits
Visit us at https://www.myhelaina.com/news to learn more about Helaina.
Helaina is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Helaina we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may just be the strongest candidate for this or other roles. For more information, please contact careers@myhelaina.com.
