VP of Finance and Operations

Subcritical Systems, Inc. is a venture-backed startup in Austin, Texas building the accelerator driven systems and the only US commercial manufacturer of accelerator cavities. What Space X did for rockets, we plan to do for accelerator cavities and commercialize across applications of power production, medical isotopes, semiconductors and waste transmutation.

We are in the process of building the Energy Amplifier — a novel nuclear fission system in which a particle accelerator drives a subcritical core, making melt del physically impossible for clean power production. Due to its inherent safety, our system has a more streamlined licensing process. Our founding team includes successful entrepreneurs with a track record of building several multibillion dollar companies in deep-tech, and scientists who were leading U.S. national labs with deep experience in accelerator & nuclear technologies.

We are actively hiring to expand our team as we work toward licensing, regulatory submissions, and construction of our first energy amplifier. More information is available at

Subcritical Systems is seeking a VP of Finance & Operations to build and run the company's finance function. Reporting to the Co-founder and President and to the CFO, you will own everything finance and operations touches for our employees and vendors: payments, payroll, taxes, stock options, contracts, procurement, and quarterly GAAP reporting to our investors and shareholders.

This is a hands-on, in-the-weeds role. You will be in the factory daily, working alongside the engineering and manufacturing teams whose work you support, and providing leadership with the detail behind the numbers. With a small team, you will independently handle accounting, procurement, and investor relations support, while building the systems and the team Subcritical needs as it scales.

We are looking for someone direct, pragmatic, and financially literate who solves problems the simple way. Every process should earn its place: if it doesn't make the company faster, better informed, or more compliant, it shouldn't exist. You will use AI tools and automation wherever possible to make finance as efficient and frictionless as possible for everyone who works with it.

• Build the finance function. Design and implement the accounting, payables, payroll, procurement, and financial reporting systems Subcritical needs today, structured to scale as we move toward commercialization.
• Own payments and expense management. Run accounts payable and vendor payments. Set up a simple process for employees to upload receipts, categorize expenses, and complete a first-pass review, and delegate day-to-day screening as the team grows.
• Run payroll and employee finance. Manage payroll through Trinet, benefits deductions, and reimbursements accurately and on time, and serve as the go-to contact for employee finance questions.
• Manage tax compliance. Own federal, state, and local tax filings, including income, payroll, sales and use, and property taxes, working with outside advisors where it makes sense.
• Administer equity. Maintain the cap table, manage stock option grants and exercises, coordinate 409A valuations, and keep equity records accurate and diligence-ready.
• Own contracts and procurement. Manage vendor and customer contracts, purchasing, and supplier terms. Make it easy for engineering and manufacturing teams to get what they need, with controls that are proportionate rather than burdensome.
• Deliver GAAP reporting. Run a timely monthly close and deliver quarterly GAAP financial statements to investors and shareholders. Lead independent audits, board reporting, and grant or lender reporting as required.
• Lead financial modeling and planning. Build and maintain detailed financial models, budgets, and cash forecasts. Give the President and CFO the analysis they need to make decisions on spending, hiring, and capital raising.
• Support investor relations. Prepare investor updates, respond to diligence requests, and maintain the data room alongside leadership.
• Automate relentlessly. Use AI tools, integrations, and lightweight internal tools to eliminate manual work, reduce errors, and keep finance and operations frictionless for employees and vendors.

• Demonstrated experience building a finance function from the ground up at a venture-backed startup, ideally one that scaled into the hundreds of millions. We are looking for startup operators rather than candidates…