VP of Strategic Finance
Lightning AI
$280,000 - $310,000 / year
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Description
Who We Are
Lightning AI is the company behind PyTorch Lightning. Founded in 2019, we build an end-to-end platform for developing, training, and deploying AI systems—designed to take ideas from research to production with less friction.
Through our merger with Voltage Park, a neocloud and AI Factory, Lightning AI combines developer-first software with cost-efficient, large-scale compute. Teams get the tools they need for experimentation, training, and production inference, with security, observability, and control built in.
We serve solo researchers, startups, and large enterprises. Lightning AI operates globally with offices in New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, and London, and is backed by Coatue, Index Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, and Firstminute.
The Way We Work
The people who thrive here are builders who move fast, communicate openly, take ownership, and continuously improve themselves, their teams, and our company. Here's what that looks like in practice:
- Move with Urgency: We move quickly, make thoughtful decisions, and keep momentum. We value action over perfection and learn by shipping.
- Take Ownership: We own outcomes, not just our individual work. We make decisions that move the company forward and follow through.
- Communicate Openly: We communicate directly, seek to understand, and create clarity for others. Honest conversations help us move faster together.
- Build Great Teams: We lead by example, empower others, and create healthy teams where people can do their best work.
- Raise the Bar: We're always improving ourselves. We learn from feedback, consistently challenge ourselves to grow, and focus on the work that matters most.
- Think Long-Term: We design for what's next. We create scalable systems, simplify complexity, and use AI and automation to amplify our impact.
What We're Looking For
We are looking for a VP of Strategic Finance to shape the financial strategy of a company operating at the intersection of AI software and large-scale compute infrastructure. You'll be a key thought partner to the CFO and executive team, building the models, plans, and insights that guide how we allocate capital, price our products, and scale the business.
You will be joining the Finance Team and report to our Chief Financial Officer. This is a hybrid role based in our San Francisco office with in-office requirements of 2 days per week.
What You’ll Do
- Strategic Planning: Own the annual operating plan and long-range financial model; translate company strategy into clear financial targets and track performance against them
- Capital Allocation: Model and evaluate major investment decisions, including GPU and data center capacity, infrastructure expansion, and build vs. buy vs. lease trade-offs
- Unit Economics & Pricing: Develop a deep understanding of the economics across our software platform and compute business, including utilization, gross margin, and customer profitability; partner with Product and GTM on pricing and packaging
- Executive & Board Partnership: Prepare board materials, investor updates, and executive reporting; deliver clear, data-backed recommendations that inform company-level decisions
- Fundraising & Financing: Support equity fundraising, debt and asset-backed financing, and investor diligence; build the models and narrative that underpin capital raises
- Merger Integration: Lead the financial integration of Lightning AI and Voltage Park, including unifying planning processes, reporting structures, and KPIs across both businesses
- Business Partnership: Act as a strategic partner to Engineering, Infrastructure, Sales, and Marketing leaders, helping them plan headcount, budgets, and investments with financial discipline
- Corporate Development: Evaluate strategic opportunities including partnerships, acquisitions, and large customer or supplier contracts
- Team Leadership: Build, manage, and develop a high-performing FP&A and strategic finance team as the company scales
What You’ll Need
- 12+ years of experience across strategic finance, FP&A, corporate development, investment banking, or management consulting, with at least 5 years in a senior finance leadership role
- Infrastructure economics expertise: Experience with capital-intensive businesses such as cloud infrastructure, data centers, telecom, or hardware; comfortable modeling capex, depreciation, utilization, and asset-backed financing
- Software and usage-based revenue fluency: Understanding of SaaS and consumption-based business models, including revenue forecasting, cohort analysis, and margin drivers
- Exceptional modeling skills: Able to build sophisticated, flexible financial models from scratch and pressure-test assumptions with rigor
- Capital markets experience: Hands-on involvement in equity fundraising, debt financing, or M&A transactions at a venture-backed or growth-stage company
- Executive presence: Credibility with CEOs, boards, and investors; able to distill complex financial analysis into clear recommendations and influence decisions
- Leadership: Track record of building and developing finance teams in a fast-growing environment
- Business acumen: Ability to connect financial outcomes to operational drivers and partner with technical and commercial leaders in their language
- Bias for action: Comfortable operating in ambiguity, prioritizing what matters most, and moving quickly without sacrificing accuracy
We are committed to offering competitive compensation that reflects the value each team member brings to our mission. Final offers are based on factors such as experience, skills, geographic location, and role expectations. In addition to base salary, our total rewards package for eligible roles includes a discretionary bonus, a meaningful equity component, and comprehensive benefits.
Benefits and Perks
We offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package designed to support our employees’ health, well-being, and long-term success:
- Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and eligible dependents.
- Meaningful Equity: RSUs that give employees a stake in the company's long-term success.
- Retirement Savings: 401(k) matching (U.S.) and pension contributions (U.K.).
- Flexible Time Off: Unlimited PTO, company holidays, and floating holidays to support work-life balance.
- Company-Wide Winter Break: Two weeks of company closure each winter to disconnect and recharge.
- Paid Parental & Family Leave: Paid leave to support you and your family through life's important moments.
- Professional Development: Annual learning and development allowance to support your professional growth.
- Wellness Benefits: Wellness and work-from-home stipends to support your physical and mental well-being.
- Sabbatical Program: Four weeks of paid sabbatical leave after four years of service.
- Flexible Work: Flexible schedules and a hybrid work model for our office-based teams.
- In-Office Meals: Complimentary meals at our office hubs.
Benefits may vary by location, team, and role.
At Lightning AI, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We believe that diverse teams drive innovation and create better products. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We are dedicated to building a culture where everyone can thrive and contribute to their fullest potential.
Benefits
- health insurance
- vision insurance
- 401(k)
- paid time off
- stock options
- professional development
- bonus
About this role
Lightning AI is building an end-to-end platform for AI development and deployment, and they're looking for a VP of Strategic Finance to own the financial strategy across both their developer-focused software business and their large-scale compute infrastructure. You'd report to the CFO and serve as a key strategic partner to the executive team, responsible for translating company strategy into financial models, guiding capital allocation decisions, and managing everything from pricing strategy to board reporting.
The role demands deep expertise in two distinct business models: you'll need to understand the economics of infrastructure (capex, utilization, asset-backed financing) alongside SaaS and consumption-based revenue dynamics. Beyond modeling and planning, you'll lead financial integration of Lightning AI's recent merger with Voltage Park, support fundraising efforts, and act as a business partner to engineering, sales, and product teams. This is a hands-on position that requires both analytical rigor and the ability to influence decisions at the executive and board level.
You should have at least 12 years in strategic finance, FP&A, corporate development, or consulting, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role. The ideal candidate combines infrastructure economics experience with SaaS fluency, proven success in capital markets transactions, and a track record of building finance teams in fast-growing companies. The role is hybrid based in San Francisco (2 days per week in office), with a base salary of $280,000–$310,000 plus bonus, equity, and comprehensive benefits.
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Pay for this role
$280,000 to $310,000 per year
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