Director of Finance

About FirstPrinciples:
FirstPrinciples is a non-profit organization advancing scientific discovery by developing an AI Physicist - an intelligent system designed to explore and uncover the fundamental laws of nature. Our goal is to build a new kind of research platform that goes beyond analyzing information: one that can ask deep scientific questions, reason across disciplines, and accelerate the generation of new ideas. By combining AI, symbolic reasoning, and autonomous research capabilities, we aim to transform how knowledge is discovered and help push science toward its next breakthroughs.

Job Description:
We’re seeking a Director of Finance to oversee financial operations at FirstPrinciples as we scale from a 20 person team into a global scientific organization. As we navigate exponential growth, secure transformational funding, and manage increasingly complex multi-national operations, you'll build the financial systems, budgets and strategies across fundraising, partnerships and technology that ensure every dollar brought into FirstPrinciples meaningfully accelerates scientific discovery. This role is well suited for a finance leader who thrives at the intersection of non-profit mission and startup velocity, bringing both strategic vision and operational excellence to our ambitious scientific endeavors.

Key Responsibilities:

Financial Strategy & Planning:

• Lead comprehensive financial planning, budgeting, and forecasting to support organizational growth from startup to global research institution.
• Develop sophisticated financial and scenario planning models that drive towards with FirstPrinciples' moonshot goals while maintaining fiscal responsibility.
• Provide strategic insights to the executive team on financial implications of major decisions, from international expansion to new research initiatives.
• Design capital allocation frameworks that maximize scientific impact while ensuring long-term sustainability.

Grants, Donor Reporting & Fundraising Support:

• Build world-class systems for grant accounting, donor reporting, and tracking of restricted/unrestricted funds across multiple jurisdictions and corporate entities.
• Partner with fundraising and partnerships teams to create financial transparency that inspires confidence from major foundations, government agencies, and donors.
• Lead financial due diligence processes for multi-million dollar grants and partnerships, ensuring compliance while maximizing flexibility.
• Support proposal development with sophisticated budget models and ongoing budget to actuals reporting through the life of the projects.

Accounting, Reporting & Compliance:

• Oversee all financial operations including AP/AR, payroll, treasury management, and vendor relationships.
• Ensure compliance with international non-profit accounting standards (GAAP, IFRS), tax regulations, and audit requirements.
• Take full ownership of key regulatory filings including Form 990 (IRS), T3010 (CRA), and other global compliance filings.
• Manage relationships with external auditors, bookkeepers, tax advisors, and financial institutions.
• Design and implement robust internal controls, policies, and procedures to safeguard organizational assets and ensure financial integrity.
• Create clear, insightful monthly, quarterly, and annual reports that tell our financial story to leadership, board members, and key stakeholders.

Infrastructure & Systems: 

• Design and implement scalable financial infrastructure to support rapid growth, including process automation and real-time reporting.
• Build interactive dashboards and analytics tools that provide instant visibility into organizational health and program performance.
• Establish systems for managing multiple currencies, cross-border partnerships, international payments, and complex funding structures.
• Create financial frameworks that can adapt to new funding models, from traditional grants to innovative financing mechanisms.

Collaboration & Organizational Leadership: 

• Serve as strategic thought partner to the CEO and executive team, translating financial realities into actionable insights.
• Empower department heads with financial training, tools, and guidance to manage budgets effectively and make data-driven decisions.
• Bridge the gap between technical teams and financial requirements, ensuring alignment between scientific ambitions and financial resources.
• Build and mentor a world-class finance team as the organization scales.

Qualifications:

• Educational Background: Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, economics, or related field (CPA, CFA, or MBA is strongly preferred).
• Experience: 5-10 years of progressive finance leadership experience with demonstrated success in:
  • Managing finances for organizations through rapid growth phases;
  • Non-profit financial management and compliance;
  • Complex multi-stream funding environments (grants, donations, partnerships); and/or
  • Building financial systems and teams from the ground up
• Skills:   
  • Strong grasp of budgeting, forecasting, modelling, compliance, and non-profit financial operations.
  • Expertise in managing multi-stream inbound & outbound funding (donations, grants, partnerships)
  • Strong financial management and strategic planning capabilities.
  • Ability to translate financial concepts for diverse audiences.
• Collaboration & Communication: Ability to work cross-functionally with fundraising, operations, and technical teams. Strong communicator who can simplify financial insights for diverse audiences.
• Mindset: Entrepreneurial & mission-driven, comfortable in a fast-growing, startup-style environment, and motivated by the ambition of tackling one of the greatest scientific challenges in history.
• Demonstrated passion for physics and for making scientific knowledge accessible and impactful.

Bonus Skills:

• Experience with scientific research organizations, universities, or R&D-intensive non-profits
• Familiarity with government research funding mechanisms (NSF, NIH, DOE, international equivalents)
• Background in managing finances for AI, deep tech, or breakthrough technology organizations
• Experience with innovative funding models
• Track record of successful financial transformations in high-growth environments
• International tax and compliance expertise across multiple jurisdictions.
  

Application Process:

• Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume, a cover letter detailing their qualifications and vision for the role, and references. Please include "Director of Finance" in the cover letter.

Join us at FirstPrinciples and be a part of a transformative journey where science drives progress and unlocks the potential of humanity.