Head of Finance

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Looking to join a world-class blockchain development team? Ava Labs makes it simple to deploy high-performance solutions for Web3, led by innovations on Avalanche. The company was founded by Cornell computer scientists, who partnered with Wall Street veterans and early Web3 leaders to execute a promising vision for redefining the way people build permissionless networks. Ava Labs is redefining the way people create value with Web3. Join us as we empower people to easily and freely digitize all the world’s assets on one open, programmable blockchain platform.

HEAD OF FINANCE

At Ava Labs, we move fast, own our outcomes, and build structure where none exists. As Head of Finance, you’ll lead with clarity and urgency in a high-accountability environment at the forefront of crypto innovation. This role is more than oversight - it’s about setting the pace, shaping systems, and driving financial strategy that scales with the future of decentralized technology. If you're the kind of leader who thrives without hand-holding and builds what others wait for, you’ll feel right at home.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Strategic Financial Leadership: Lead financial planning, risk management, and strategy execution. Develop sophisticated financial models and forecasts to guide strategic decisions across all departments
• Operations and Compliance Oversight: Manage day-to-day financial operations, ensuring compliance with statutory law and financial regulations. Oversee the handling of crypto and fiat transactions, ensuring efficient payments and settlements through close collaboration with the treasury team. Set up and improve systems for expense management, equity and compensation plans, travel arrangements, and accounts payable to streamline financial operations and enhance fiscal control
• Cross-functional Collaboration: Serve as a critical financial liaison among engineering, compliance, business development, product, marketing, legal, and accounting teams. Work closely with People Operations and Human Resources to align financial strategy with workforce planning and organizational development. Foster collaborative efforts to achieve financial and operational synergy
• Performance Management: Design and implement a robust framework for tracking and reporting key financial and operational metrics. Collaborate with the Head of Business Operations and Analytics to proactively analyze trends and variances, address business challenges, and leverage growth opportunities
• Investor Relations and Strategic Communication: Collaborate with the C-suite to prepare and present materials for board meetings and strategic updates. Experience in venture capital fundraising is a plus, although direct fundraising activities are not currently planned. Create visually engaging and digestible financial presentations that simplify complex information for diverse audiences, enhancing communication both within the company and with external stakeholders
• Innovation and Process Improvement: Continuously assess and refine financial processes and systems to increase efficiency and adapt to new business demands and regulatory environments. Encourage creative problem-solving and 'outside-the-box' thinking to enhance financial strategies
• Tax Responsibilities: Play a crucial role in the organization's tax planning and compliance efforts. Ensure that tax strategies are well-aligned with overall fiscal policies and comply with legal standards
• Legal Agreement Review: Collaborate with the legal department to review and approve the financial aspects of contracts and agreements
• Financial Communication: Effectively communicate strategic financial insights and risks to the executive team, enabling informed decision-making

WHAT YOU WILL BRING

• Education: An exceptional academic background - an MBA from a top program or a high-performing undergraduate track record, is strongly preferred. This role presents a unique opportunity to combine intellectual rigor with practical execution, offering a platform for continuous learning and professional growth
• Experience: Extensive experience in finance within the digital assets or fintech sector. Proven track record in cryptocurrency management, international payments, and trading platforms. Experience in fast-paced startup environments is highly valued
• Adaptability and Resourcefulness: A 'can-do' attitude capable of being scrappy and resourceful in a dynamic environment. Able to make critical trade-off decisions and prioritize effectively under pressure
• Technical Skills: Advanced financial modeling, analytics, and large-scale data management proficiency. SQL or statistics experience is a plus
• Industry Knowledge: Deep understanding of P&L, balance sheets, cash flow management, and general accounting principles. Familiarity with the cryptocurrency regulatory landscape 
• Strategic Thinking: Strong capability to identify financial opportunities and risks and develop responsive strategies
• Communication Skills: Excellent communication abilities, demonstrated experience in a leadership role influencing cross-functional teams, high integrity, and the ability to work collaboratively
• Proactive and Self-Motivated: You don’t wait for instructions. You identify gaps, raise your hand, and solve issues before they escalate. You never ask, “What do you want me to do?” - you propose a solution and own it
• Leadership and Team Management: You lead by example—setting standards, not just managing tasks. You create leverage, not dependency. Your team delivers with autonomy, precision, and speed. You are a multiplier who eliminates drag, unblocks decisions, and ensures the team operates at its highest possible velocity
• Attention to Detail and Strategic Perspective: Exceptional attention to detail without losing sight of the bigger picture. Demonstrates the ability to think critically and analytically, enabling effective problem-solving and decision-making under tight deadlines

SUCCESS IN THIS ROLE REQUIRES

• Rock-Solid Reliability: You are someone others can count on, especially in high-pressure situations. When you commit, we can move forward with confidence. Your consistency is a stabilizing force in a fast-moving environment
• Ownership from Day One: You absorb complexity, solve problems, and reduce the burden on others. If the team needs to carry you, this isn’t the right fit
• Startup-Speed Execution: You deliver accurate, decision-ready outputs fast—remote work demands even greater urgency and clarity
• Elite Work Ethic: Like the best operators, you show up early, master the details, and never ship ambiguity
• Mission-Driven Communication: In moments that matter, clarity and responsiveness turn challenges into wins. We’re a team that shows up, especially when it counts
• Raising the Bar: You embody a no-excuses culture of precision, iteration, and data-backed decision-making. This is where high standards meet high velocity

CULTURAL ALIGNMENT

At Ava Labs, we thrive in a high-accountability, high-urgency environment where execution matters more than location. We value individuals who don’t just need structure - but create it. They don’t need reminders - they own the calendar. If you’re ready to lead a finance team at the bleeding edge of crypto innovation, you won’t just keep up - you’ll set the pace. If you’re excited about shaping the financial systems that power the next generation of decentralized technology, this is your moment to lead.

Salary Range: $207,994 to $259,992

(**This is not a guarantee of compensation or salary, a final offer amount may vary based on factors including but not limited to experience and geographic location.)

#LI-Remote #LI-RP1

WHY AVA LABS?

If you've ever thought about joining an early stage Web3 company - this is it! We're a global, world-class team of experts in computer science, economics, finance, marketing, and law with offices in New York City and Miami. We're highly passionate about Web3 and redefining the way people build and use finance and decentralized applications of all kinds. The company received early-stage funding from Andreessen Horowitz, Initialized Capital, and Polychain Capital, with angel investments from Balaji Srinivasan and Naval Ravikant. Join us and be a pioneer in a new technology that will have implications across a range of verticals such as finance, gaming, investing, collectibles, among many others.

Ava Labs is committed to diversity in the workplace and we’re proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not hire on basis of race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, parental status, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, or any other basis protected by local, state or federal law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.