Head of Finance

The Opportunity

Gastronomous is hiring its first full-time Head of Finance, an executive role spanning finance and operations. You will sit at the executive table, report to the CEO, attend our quarterly board meetings, and build the financial backbone of a robotics company in the middle of a major scale-up.

This role keeps the books, and goes far beyond them. You will be a leader and a champion of our growth: shaping pricing, steering the finances of our operation, raising capital and helping take us into new countries. The role is built to grow into CFO after our Series A.

Head of Finance · Oakville, Ontario (on-site) · Full-time, permanent

About Gastronomous

We are building the “Kitchen of the Future” for quick-service restaurants. We design, engineer and manufacture AI-powered kitchen automation: ChronoGrill™, an autonomous open-flame grill; Ghost, automated beverage pouring; and Gastroverse, our IoT cloud platform that monitors every machine in the field.

How we work. We are a no-nonsense team of passionate, execution-driven people. Our ability to deliver, not just dream, sets us apart: inside and outside the company, we do what we say we will do. Our people are trusted to act independently, make practical decisions and move fast. We build the future one deployment at a time.

How fast we are growing. The last 12 to 16 months changed the shape of the company:

• Purchase orders signed with major brands, moving us from pilots to rollout
• A new office in La Mirada, California to support US deployments; most of our customers are in the US, across many states
• Our own ERP, built in-house to run parts, BOMs, inventory, work orders and purchasing

The next 12 to 16 months are bigger: scale across North America, sign new major accounts, enter new markets, secure new financing, and build an organization that can grow quickly and efficiently. We are about 35 people, mostly technical, headquartered in Oakville, Ontario.

Why This Role

• A seat at the executive table. You report to the CEO, work directly with our founders, and help set company direction, not just report on it.
• In the boardroom. You attend our quarterly board meetings and present the numbers, the plan and the trade-offs to our directors and investors.
• Champion our growth. Every new account, market and financing round runs through your numbers. You will see your work show up in deals signed and machines deployed.
• Breadth few finance roles offer. Two countries and counting, manufacturing, equipment, service and software revenue, government funding and venture fundraising, all in one seat.
• Build it from the ground up. Our finance function, pricing model, financial controls and new-market playbook are yours to design. There is no inherited bureaucracy to work around.
• A path to CFO. This role is designed to grow into CFO after the Series A.
• A team behind you. You start with a full-time bookkeeper and build the team as the company grows.

What You Will Own

Your work falls into two halves of roughly equal weight. You run an efficient close, so you have real time for the decisions that grow the company.

1. Lead the finance function

You will set up our systems and processes and do much of the work yourself, making sure every entry, filing and payment is right.

• Close and reporting. Lead the month-end close for our Canadian parent and US subsidiary, including consolidation and intercompany reconciliation. Deliver timely financial statements and management reports to leadership and the board.
• Year-end. Lead year-end for both our Canadian and US entities: the year-end close, the audit or review engagement, and corporate tax returns, working with our external accountants.
• Budget and forecasts. Own the annual budget and rolling forecasts, track performance against plan, and report the metrics leadership and the board run the company on: margins, unit economics and cash runway.
• Revenue and billing. Own revenue recognition across equipment, service and software contracts. Set customer payment terms and manage deposits and milestone billing.
• Accounts receivable. Own all of A/R across both entities: invoicing, customer credit and collections, so cash comes in on time.
• Tax, audit and compliance. Manage Canadian and US compliance, including HST/GST, US sales tax, corporate filings and transfer pricing, working with our external advisors.
• Payroll and benefits. Set up and run payroll in Canada and the US, including Records of Employment (ROEs). Administer our employee benefits programs, from enrolments and changes to provider relationships, keeping both accurate, compliant and cost-effective.
• SR&ED and government funding. Assist with preparing our SR&ED claims, from tracking eligible costs to filing. Find, apply for, claim and report on grants and funding programs.
• Systems and day-to-day accounting. Set up our accounting systems, internal controls and policies. Work hands-on with our bookkeeper on A/P, journal entries, reconciliations and expenses until each process runs cleanly.

2. Drive the financial side of our operations

• Pricing and margins. Evaluate product and service pricing, build landed costing from bills of materials, contract-manufacturer quotes, freight and duties, and track margins.
• Inventory and systems. Own inventory accounting and valuation, and keep our in-house ERP and QuickBooks reconciled so every cost and margin can be trusted.
• US operations. Own the budget for our US office and work with its team to run it efficiently.
• Cash and financing. Manage cash flow, working capital, banking relationships and USD/CAD exposure. Secure external financing, including inventory financing. Support equity fundraising: cap table, data room and financial diligence.
• Business cases. Partner with operations, engineering and sales on capital purchases and investment decisions.
• Insurance and risk. Manage our insurance program across Canada and the US, including renewals, coverage reviews and the certificates our customers require.
• New markets. Build the financial setup for each new market we enter.

Who You Are

You are an operator, not a scorekeeper. Taking on new challenges that matter to the growth of a business is what excites you. You use the numbers to change a price, a budget or a contract. You find a way to deliver without a playbook, and you earn the trust of managers, suppliers, outside advisors and investors.

What you bring

• 5+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience
• You have owned finance end to end as the senior finance leader, or as the clear #2 who owned the close: monthly close, financial statements, and work with outside auditors and tax advisors
• Hands-on: you have set up accounting systems and personally run payroll, A/R, A/P, journal entries and filings, not only reviewed them
• A track record of owning finance-related operations beyond accounting, such as pricing, budgets or financing
• Strong working knowledge of ASPE and/or IFRS
• Advanced Excel and hands-on QuickBooks experience (QuickBooks Online preferred)
• You can work on-site, 5 days/week at our Oakville headquarters

What sets you apart

• CPA designation and a degree in accounting, finance or commerce
• Manufacturing, hardware or equipment experience: inventory, standard or product costing, COGS, ERP
• Experience in a fast-paced, growth-stage environment
• Designing service, maintenance or recurring-revenue models for equipment
• Government funding programs such as SR&ED and IRAP
• Cross-border Canada/US finance: intercompany, USD/CAD, US GAAP, US sales tax and state filings
• Leading people

What We Offer

• The chance to make your mark at a fast-paced company
• A leadership role with a clear path to CFO
• Stock options under our equity incentive plan
• Health, dental and vision care
• Disability, life and group insurance

Salary: $110,000–$130,000 base, plus bonus and equity opportunities.

Accommodations are available on request for candidates with disabilities throughout the hiring process.