Back to jobs

Director, Finance & Accounting

San Francisco, CA USA

Join us at Gradient, where our purpose is to revolutionize home comfort while championing environmental sustainability. Our mission is to combat the escalating challenge of climate change by redefining how homes are heated and cooled. Today, the environmental impact of heating and cooling systems surpasses that of the entire transportation sector, and without intervention, this trend is set to escalate drastically. At Gradient, we believe that ensuring comfortable living spaces shouldn’t come at the cost of our planet. We envision a future where every individual can enjoy the luxury of a comfortable home without contributing to carbon emissions. Our high-efficiency, low-carbon heat pump is just the beginning of our journey toward fully decarbonizing buildings. By joining Gradient, you’ll be at the forefront of a movement to make sustainable living accessible to all, ensuring healthier communities and a brighter, greener future.

As the Director of Finance & Accounting, you will be the most senior finance executive in our organization, reporting directly to the COO. This is a unique opportunity to shape our financial strategy while managing day-to-day operations. You will play a critical role in guiding our financial planning, analysis, and reporting, ensuring that our financial health aligns with our mission to drive clean technology forward.

This is a hybrid role with 2-3 days in our San Francisco (Mission District) based headquarters. 

The estimated salary range for this role is $150,000 - $168,750 per year + equity. Individual salaries vary on a number of factors including but not limited to geography, skills, education, experience and unique qualifications where applicable.

Responsibilities: 

  • Develop and implement financial strategies that support the company's growth objectives and align with our mission.
  • Own the Corporate forecasting and budgeting processes, including Annual Planning as well as monthly and quarterly forecast processes
  • Oversee financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow management to optimize resources.
  • Own operational accounting management, month-end closing, audit collaboration and reporting.
  • Prepare and present financial reports to the executive team, board of directors, and investors, providing insights and recommendations.
  • Manage financial model and provide financial data and insights to support fundraising efforts.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to analyze revenue models and assess financial performance for both pre-revenue and post-revenue phases. Develop and own a strategic asset allocation framework for measuring ROI of spend.
  • Build out systems and processes: ERP, including order management, purchasing module, inventory and costing, etc.
  • Lead financial audits and ensure compliance with regulations and accounting standards.
  • Research technical accounting issues, draft white papers and policies.
  • Manage company 401k plan and administer employee stock option plan.
  • Coordinate tax accounting firm on compliance and tax planning.
  • Mentor and manage one direct report, fostering their professional growth while ensuring high-quality output. 
  • Forecast future growth needs in the finance department & scale for growth as needed. 

Desired Qualifications:

  • 10+ years of strategic finance and accounting experience.
  • Bachelor’s degree required; CPA and / or MBA preferred.
  • Proven experience in a senior finance role within a hardware company; familiarity with cleantech is a plus.
  • Familiarity with QuickBooks advanced, other SaaS applications (A/P, T&E, PO, Equity).
  • Broad and in-depth experience with operational accounting---GL, Cost and Inventory, Revenue and A/R, A/P, Equity and toolsets.
  • Intermediate to advanced excel skills.
  • Demonstrated success working with both pre-revenue and post-revenue business models, showcasing adaptability in diverse financial landscapes.
  • Strategic thinker with the ability to execute tactical plans efficiently.
  • Strong leadership skills coupled with a collaborative mindset, capable of inspiring teams across the organization.

Bonus Qualifications:

  • Experience in early-stage (Series A or earlier) startup in accounting and finance
  • Experience leading an accounting function, with the demonstrated capability to mentor, train, and develop a diverse team, which includes the foresight and ability to delegate and achieve goals through subordinates.
  • A track record of grants management, especially related to compliance and reporting.

Benefits 

  • Equity
  • Medical/vision/dental/life/disability insurance
  • 401k
  • Paid parental leave
  • Professional Development Stipend
  • Flexible  PTO 

 

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive company. We seek to create a culture where everyone can belong because we believe that people do their best work when they can show up every day as their authentic selves. We welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives.

Gradient is an equal opportunity employer. We do not make hiring or employment decisions on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or genetic information, in compliance with applicable federal, state and local law.

 

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in Gradient’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.