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Finance & Operations

Director of Finance & Operations

  • Full-Time
  • In-Office: Downtown Los Angeles, CA
  • Finance & Operations
  • 5–8 years
  • $145,000–$200,000 + equity
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Summary

Be Guava's internal owner for finance, business operations, and the company's overall operating plan. Working closely with the CEO and leadership team, you will connect Guava's financial plan, hiring plan, departmental priorities, and operating cadence, and ensure that commitments are translated into clear ownership and execution. HR is expected to report into this role, while compliance remains a close cross-functional partnership. This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys bringing structure, visibility, and follow-through to a growing company.

What you'll do

  • Take ownership of Guava's existing budget, forecasting, monthly close, cash-planning, and financial-reporting processes.
  • Manage the relationship with Guava's outside finance and accounting partner, ensuring that work is accurate, timely, and responsive to the needs of the business.
  • Maintain and refine the company's financial model and operating forecast as the business evolves.
  • Produce clear monthly reporting on revenue, expenses, cash, runway, hiring, and other key business metrics.
  • Help the leadership team understand performance against plan and identify emerging risks, opportunities, and decisions.
  • Support pricing analysis, headcount planning, customer economics, board materials, investor reporting, and fundraising diligence.
  • Own and maintain Guava's overall operating plan, connecting company objectives, departmental priorities, financial resources, and hiring plans.
  • Establish a regular cadence for reviewing progress against the operating plan with the CEO and leadership team.
  • Ensure that important initiatives have clear owners, milestones, and follow-through.
  • Help department leaders translate company goals into practical plans, budgets, and resource requirements.
  • Identify dependencies or operating gaps across teams and coordinate the people needed to resolve them.
  • Improve the processes connecting sales, contracting, customer onboarding, billing, collections, and financial reporting.
  • Manage selected company vendors and identify opportunities to improve service, efficiency, or cost.
  • Lead cross-functional projects that require disciplined coordination and execution.
  • Manage Guava's HR leader and ensure that people operations support the company's overall operating and headcount plans.
  • Oversee the administration of payroll, benefits, onboarding, employee policies, and other core HR processes.
  • Partner with leadership on workforce planning, compensation, recruiting priorities, performance-management processes, and organizational needs.
  • Work closely with Guava's compliance leader to ensure that financial, operational, people, and compliance requirements are incorporated into company planning and execution.
  • Help maintain the documentation, policies, controls, and internal accountability required by Guava's customers and partners.
  • Coordinate with outside legal, HR, finance, and compliance specialists as appropriate.
  • Success looks like: clear internal ownership of financial planning, reporting, and the monthly close cadence, with the outside accounting partner well-managed and the right division of work between internal and external resources.
  • Success looks like: the financial plan, headcount plan, departmental priorities, and operating plan integrated and regularly reviewed, with company priorities carrying clear owners, milestones, and accountability.
  • Success looks like: finance, HR, compliance, and leadership working together without unnecessary bureaucracy or duplicated effort, with responsibilities moved in-house where that improves speed, ownership, or economics.

What we're looking for

  • Approximately 5-8 years of relevant experience in finance, accounting, FP&A, consulting, business operations, or a related field.
  • Experience working in a startup, technology company, or other fast-moving environment.
  • Strong financial modeling, budgeting, and analytical skills.
  • A practical understanding of accounting and financial statements; you do not need to be a CPA.
  • Experience working with outsourced accounting, finance, payroll, or HR providers is helpful.
  • Strong organizational skills and the ability to keep multiple workstreams moving.
  • Good judgment about what requires precision, what requires escalation, and what simply needs to get done.
  • Clear written and verbal communication.
  • High integrity, low ego, and a willingness to handle both analytical and administrative work.
  • Comfort operating in an environment where processes are established but still evolving.

Why Guava

  • Guava is a small team passionate about voice, and you would be entering at a pivotal step on our path to growth.
  • Broad exposure to the company and direct access to leadership.
  • The opportunity to build the internal finance and operating function hands-on.

Benefits

  • Competitive base salary and early-stage equity.
  • Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
  • 401(k) with employer match.
  • Flexible paid time off.
  • Paid parental leave.
  • Top-tier equipment and the tools you need to do your best work.

Guava is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please let us know at hiring@goguava.ai.

In accordance with California pay-transparency law, the range shown on this posting reflects the pay we reasonably expect to offer for the role. Where a candidate lands within the range depends on job-related factors including experience, skills, and qualifications.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. Research shows some candidates only apply when they meet every requirement. There is no perfect candidate. If you are excited about this role and believe you can bring value to the team, we encourage you to apply even if your experience does not line up with every point above.