Is the VP, Finance role remote?

No — this is an on-site role in San Francisco, California.

How much experience is required?

8–15 years of relevant experience for this VP, Finance role.

Where is the role based?

Exa is hiring for this position in San Francisco, California.

What seniority level is this role?

Exa targets vp candidates for this position.

Is this full-time or contract?

Full-time for this VP, Finance role at Exa.

VP, Finance at Exa

Joblaze summary

The VP of Finance at Exa will lead the establishment of a robust financial infrastructure to support the company's rapid growth, focusing on financial strategy, operational efficiency, and insightful data analysis. This role demands expertise in financial modeling and FP&A, particularly for consumption-based business models, along with a strong background in high-growth tech environments. Ideal candidates will have experience building finance functions from the ground up and possess the ability to communicate complex financial insights clearly to stakeholders. Exa's dynamic team, composed of talent from prestigious backgrounds, emphasizes a collaborative and accountable work culture.

Joblaze insights

Listed 9 days ago on Joblaze — tracked directly from Exa's career page.
Exa has 54 other open roles including Design Engineer, Lifecycle Marketing Manger, Sales Development Representative, SF.

Quick facts

Is the VP, Finance role remote?: No — this is an on-site role in San Francisco, California.
How much experience is required?: 8–15 years of relevant experience for this VP, Finance role.
Where is the role based?: Exa is hiring for this position in San Francisco, California.
What seniority level is this role?: Exa targets vp candidates for this position.
Is this full-time or contract?: Full-time for this VP, Finance role at Exa.

From the original posting

About Exa

Exa is building a search engine for the AI era. Our Search API currently powers Agents, Fortune 500s and AI labs as we transform an industry that hasn’t been disrupted since the 90s. We're a largely SF-based team of ~100 from Harvard, MIT, Meta, Google Research, ex-founders & dropouts alike.

We are rapidly building the most intelligent search engine in history. We’re high agency, low-ego, and united by the feeling that this is one of the last problems worth getting right.

About the Role

Reporting directly to co-founder Jeff Wang, the VP Finance will be Exa’s first dedicated finance leader and a key member of the executive leadership team, driving financial strategy, operational rigor, and business insight across the organization. This role requires a strategic thinker with strong leadership capabilities, exceptional financial acumen, and a proven track record in building financial infrastructures to support hyper growth. Equally important is the ability to operate as a true business partner - someone who can translate complex financial data into clear strategic insights, partner closely with GTM and product leadership, and communicate with precision and confidence to the founders, board, and investors. With its Series C just closed and revenue scaling rapidly, Exa needs a leader who brings rigor to both compute-driven unit economics and top-line growth, while building the finance function from 0 to 1.

Responsibilities

Build the Finance Function

Establish internal controls, systems, and processes to support scale and audit readiness
Bring core accounting and finance operations in-house
Hire and develop a high-caliber finance team from the ground up

Financial Planning & Analysis / Financial Operations:

Build and own financial models and forecasting suited to a consumption-based API business
Own company-wide budgeting and scenario planning
Establish and refine FP&A processes that give leadership real financial visibility and support fast, data-driven decisions
Ensure the integrity of financial reporting and compliance with applicable regulations.

Strategic Finance

Serve as a key strategic partner to the leadership team on all financial decisions - from pricing and unit economics to capital allocation
Partner with GTM on pricing, packaging, and strategic deal-making
Partner with Engineering on infrastructure and product decisions that carry unit-economic implications
Own capital allocation strategy and treasury

Fundraising & Investor Relations

Own investor reporting and board communications
Prepare Exa for future financing events - Series D and beyond

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or a related field
8 - 15 years of finance experience, with meaningful time at a high-growth technology company
Strategic finance background: IB, PE, venture capital, or growth-stage operator experience
Track record building a finance function at a scaling startup - you’ve seen what great looks like and how to build it
Deep fluency in financial modeling and FP&A for API/consumption-based business models
Hands-on experience managing compute costs in an infrastructure, AI, or usage-based business
Strong commercial instincts - ability to partner closely with GTM leadership on revenue strategy, pricing, and unit economics
Experience leading institutional fundraising
Exceptional communicator - concise, direct, and able to distill complex financial data into clear executive and board-level insights
Operator mentality: moves fast, builds from scratch, and thrives in ambiguity
Low ego, high accountability - a collaborator who earns trust through execution

Location

Targeting San Francisco Bay Area as preferred location

Exa is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related conditions, criminal histories consistent with applicable law, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

VP, Finance

Similar positions