Finance Manager

About Magrathea

Based in Oakland, California, Magrathea is a global category leader in critical mineral production technology. Our mission is to rebuild the magnesium metal supply base, delivering secure access to one of the most critical materials on Earth. Magnesium is essential to the aluminum, steel, titanium, nuclear, defense, and aerospace industries but 95% of global supply comes from China where large amounts of coal are used to make metal. This isn’t just an economic risk: it’s a national security threat, and Magrathea is fixing it. We’ve developed a next-generation electrolytic process to make magnesium metal from seawater and brines, unlocking a new path to industrial independence and to a cleaner environment for future generations. We’re backed by the earliest believers in Tesla and SpaceX, major European industrial families, and the U.S. Department of Defense. If you’re ready to make a lasting real-world impact, let's talk.

Is Magrathea For Me?

You’ll be joining a small, high-trust team of builders on a mission to stand up the first major electrolytic magnesium smelter this century. We’re doing it this decade. There are no pointless positions here, no layers of middle management, no meetings about meetings: just a deep focus on moving important work forward. You’ll be hands-on from day one, shaping the core of a technology that will have major impacts on national security, clean technology, and industrial resilience. If you’re the kind of person who is energized by hard, consequential problems, stays clear, calm, and effective when the work is ambiguous or urgent, and wants to build something that will matter far beyond the company, this role is for you.

What This Role Involves

This is a hands-on operational finance role responsible for keeping Magrathea's internal finances accurate, organized, and running smoothly. Reporting to Ethan, our Chief of Staff, you'll own the daily work that keeps payments moving, financial records reliable, and reporting on time.

You'll work directly in platforms including QuickBooks, Rippling, and Ramp to manage accounting workflows, payroll, expenses, and cash administration. You'll manage our fractional controller and external bookkeeping team, work closely with our fractional CFO, and coordinate government grant reporting, invoicing, audits, and financial information for the board. Fundraising and strategic finance sit with our CEO and you will be a key collaborator with him as part of those processes.

One day you may be resolving a reconciliation discrepancy or preparing a government reimbursement package; the next, coordinating payroll or helping with an unexpected operational project. We want someone who brings energy, sound judgment, and a friendly, practical approach to getting the details right.

Ideal Background

5+ years in operational finance, accounting, or finance operations, with direct responsibility for the day-to-day financial processes of a growing organization

Experience managing cash operations or financial workflows involving large dollar values (e.g. >$50M+) with clear approval controls and accurate records

Strong hands-on bookkeeping skills, including account reconciliations, transaction coding, financial reports, and month-end close

Hands-on experience using Rippling for payroll and employee administration, and Ramp for corporate cards, expenses, and bill payments

Comfort administering business banking and treasury platforms such as J. P. Morgan and Schwab, including payments, statements, cash balances, and access permissions

Experience coordinating a controller, external bookkeepers, and senior finance advisers, setting deadlines and reviewing their work for accuracy and completeness

Experience with government grant reporting, invoicing, and supporting records strongly preferred, particularly Department of War, Department of Energy, or similar federal awards

Experience coordinating financial or grant audits, organizing supporting documents, responding to auditor requests, and following findings through to resolution

Strong Microsoft Office skills, with the ability to reconcile data across systems and prepare clear cash, spending, and budget reports

Strong practical fluency with AI tools is essential for this role, including using them to analyze financial data, draft reports, investigate discrepancies, and improve everyday workflows

Demonstrated experience using AI to save time or improve work quality, with the judgment to verify outputs and recognize when accounting expertise or further investigation is needed

Working knowledge of accounting fundamentals, payroll, accounts payable and receivable, and internal controls; able to investigate discrepancies and ask good questions

Comfort working in person with our Oakland team and communicating clearly with colleagues, vendors, accountants, auditors, and government contacts

Bonus: experience in a startup, manufacturing, hard technology, or an R&D organization, including project cost tracking or accounting across multiple entities

You’ll Thrive Here If

You bring energy, curiosity, and enthusiasm to the everyday work of keeping a company running well

You are kind, approachable, and helpful, and stay constructive when someone needs an explanation or a deadline is tight

You are organized and dependable: you write clearly, follow through, and close the loop without repeated reminders

You are comfortable asking for receipts, questioning an unexplained charge, or escalating a concern, even when the conversation is awkward

You enjoy doing the work yourself, coordinating outside partners, and solving problems without needing a large internal team

You take pride in accurate reconciliations, complete records, and timely payments, and willingly help with practical tasks outside your usual remit

You treat company funds and confidential information with care, own mistakes promptly, and hold yourself to a high standard of integrity

You use AI regularly and instinctively ask how it could help you complete a task more accurately, efficiently, or thoroughly

Compensation

Salary range: $120,000–$150,000 annually, commensurate with experience

Equity, stock options, and/or milestone-based compensation

Health, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) from day 1 with pre-tax and post-tax investing options

Role Expectations

Own the daily finance calendar and workflows, keeping payroll, accounts payable and receivable, expenses, close, and reporting on schedule

Manage our fractional controller and external bookkeeping team: set priorities, review deliverables, resolve open items, and hold partners accountable for quality and timeliness

Keep our books accurate and current; coordinate month-end close, review reconciliations, and resolve unsupported, unusual, or uncategorized transactions promptly

Manage vendor onboarding, invoices, purchase documentation, and payment preparation; verify payment details and obtain the required independent approvals before funds move

Administer payroll and related finance workflows in Rippling, coordinating employee changes with the Chief of Staff and reconciling payroll records with accounting

Manage Ramp card and expense workflows, collect supporting receipts, review coding and policy compliance, and resolve outstanding items with colleagues

Monitor cash and account activity; maintain a near-term cash forecast and execute treasury transactions within approved policies and authorities

Maintain payment approval workflows, appropriate system access, separation of duties, and audit trails

Prepare and coordinate government grant financial reports, invoices, and reimbursement requests; track award budgets, deadlines, supporting costs, and receivables

Work with technical leads and the controller to document labor, project expenses, cost allocations, and required cost share, and verify that billed costs meet award requi