Head of Finance

About Kraken Kinetics

Kraken Kinetics designs and manufactures advanced kinetic solutions that enable modern war fighting capabilities for the United States Armed Forces and its allies. We specialize in mission‑tailored warheads and firing systems for unmanned and autonomous weapon platforms, delivering production‑ready solutions at speed to address urgent national security challenges. Our team brings decades of specialized Department of War experience across the full lifecycle of kinetic system development—from concept and design through testing, manufacturing, and operational deployment.

Built on a foundation of work that helped lead the DoW into the era of kinetic drones, Kraken Kinetics combines commercial agility with deep technical expertise to deliver DEFINITIVE LETHALITY
™ when it matters most.

Location: On‑site or Hybrid 2‑3 days in our Moore County, NC facility

We are seeking a Head of Finance to be our first in‑house finance leader, with a clear path to CFO as the company grows. This is a highly hands‑on, build‑from‑scratch role for a senior finance operator who has spent much of their career executing directly and is now ready to own and scale the full finance function. We are a ~20‑person, self‑funded company with established external accounting support and strong cash flow visibility.

As we scale and our programs and operations grow in complexity we are looking to deepen our financial capabilities with more robust program‑level cost, overhead, and margin insights. This role exists to add that next layer of financial rigor and strategic leadership.

The Head of Finance will partner closely with the CEO, as well as the leadership team, operating with a strong point of view while maintaining a collaborative, mission‑focused approach.

• Build and own the company’s finance function from the ground up
• Establish clear, reliable program‑ and project‑level cost and margin visibility
• Develop forecasting, cash flow planning, and financial strategy
• Own the financial aspects of government contracts, including cost tracking and margin reporting
• Partner with the CEO on strategic decisions, tradeoffs, and resource allocation
• Determine when and how to bring accounting and operational finance functions in‑house
• Select and implement appropriate financial tools and systems as the company scales
• Over time, build and lead an internal finance team and evolve into the CFO role

• Senior finance leadership experience in a hardware‑focused company (e.g., defense, aerospace, manufacturing, robotics, or similar)
• Demonstrated success in hands‑on finance roles, with deep personal involvement in execution
• Experience operating in small to mid‑sized organizations
• Strong understanding of cost accounting, project‑based financials, and overhead allocation
• Ability to operate effectively in a defense / military‑adjacent environment
• Ability to obtain a security clearance

Security Clearance Statement: This position requires special access to U.S. government information. You must be a U.S. citizen for consideration.

• Experience with government or defense contracts, particularly cost tracking and margin reporting
• Prior experience building, rebuilding or scaling a finance function
• Background supporting strategic decision‑making at the executive level
• Demonstrated ability to scale a finance organization over time

• Generous PTO policy
• Comprehensive medical coverage effective day 1 (80% company‑paid for employee + dependents).
• Vision & dental (100% company‑paid)
• Short‑and‑long‑term disability coverage (100% company‑paid)
• Generous 401(k) retirement plan
• Company‑paid life insurance
• Great teammates and well stocked snacks

Kraken Kinetics is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and welcome applicants of all backgrounds.

Compensation Range: $140K - $185K