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TRL11

Provides OSAM, LEO satellite ops services

Head of Finance

Full-TimeUpdated on 10/17/2026
No salary listed
Senior, Expert
Bachelor's, MBA
Irvine, CA, USA
In Person
Finance & BankingCorporate Finance & FP&A

About the job

Requirements
  • A bachelor's degree in finance, accounting, economics, business, or a related field.
  • At least 7 years of progressive finance, accounting, or financial planning and analysis experience.
  • Experience owning a broad finance scope in a startup, growth-stage company, small business, or similarly hands-on environment.
  • Strong knowledge of financial statements, accrual accounting, cash management, budgeting, forecasting, and internal controls.
  • Demonstrated experience building or improving financial processes and reporting systems.
  • Experience managing external accounting and financial service providers.
  • Experience supporting an enterprise resource planning or accounting-system implementation.
  • Strong financial modeling, spreadsheet, and analytical skills.
  • Ability to move between strategic analysis and detailed execution.
  • High integrity, sound judgment, and careful handling of confidential information.
Responsibilities
  • Own financial operations, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, invoicing, cash management, expense administration, and close activities.
  • Manage external bookkeeping, tax, audit, banking, insurance, and accounting resources.
  • Deliver accurate financial reporting, forecasts, cash planning, and decision support to leadership and the Board.
  • Design and implement company-wide budgeting, budget-to-actual reporting, and variance analysis.
  • Maintain and improve the company’s financial model, including revenue, hiring, operating expense, capital, and runway forecasts.
  • Establish practical internal controls, approval workflows, reconciliations, and documented finance procedures.
  • Serve as the finance lead for enterprise resource planning implementation, including inventory, manufacturing, procurement, project accounting, billing, and reporting requirements.
  • Develop a roadmap for government accounting readiness, including timekeeping, cost allocation, indirect rates, project costing, contract billing, and audit support.
  • Support fundraising, lender and investor diligence, data-room preparation, financial presentations, and strategic analysis.
  • Provide financial input on pricing, customer contracts, payment terms, capital investments, and major vendor commitments.
  • Build a scalable finance organization using the appropriate combination of internal hires, systems, and external specialists.
Desired Qualifications
  • CPA, CMA, MBA, or another relevant advanced qualification.
  • Experience as an early or first finance hire at a rapidly growing company.
  • Aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, hardware, or government contracting experience.
  • Familiarity with Federal Acquisition Regulation, Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, Defense Contract Audit Agency expectations, indirect rates, timekeeping, cost allocation, and contract billing.
  • Experience with inventory, manufacturing, project, or contract accounting.
  • Experience supporting institutional fundraising, Board reporting, audits, or lender diligence.
  • Experience building and scaling a finance team.

About the company

TRL11 provides end-to-end space-tech capabilities for satellite operations, including On Orbit Service, Assembly and Manufacturing (OSAM), plus launch, deployment, and operation of Low Earth Orbit satellite constellations. Sensor fusion combines data from multiple sensors to improve situational awareness, while compact, powerful communication hardware enables efficient ground and inter-satellite links; next-generation batteries and management systems power satellites more safely and efficiently. The company differentiates itself by offering an integrated suite that covers launch through on-orbit work, with in-house sensor fusion, communications hardware, and power systems for both maintenance and constellation operation. Its goal is to enable scalable, safe satellite missions by providing the tools, systems, and services needed to build, repair, operate, and power satellites and their networks.

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

Seed

Total Funding

$5M

Headquarters

Los Angeles, California

Founded

2022

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • NASA awarded TRL11 imaging systems for the SR-1 Freedom Mars mission on September 22, 2026.
  • TRL11 closed over $3 million pre-seed funding led by BoostVC.
  • TRL11 launched prototypes to orbit within a year, proving fast hardware execution.

What critics are saying

  • TRL11 remains a tiny supplier; Northrop disclosed no contract value on GHOST-R.
  • SpaceX Transporter-18 delays push Portal and TRL11 execution into 2027.
  • If GHOST-R, Haven-1, or SR-1 slip, TRL11 loses launch-dependent credibility.

What makes TRL11 unique

  • TRL11 sells flight-proven full-motion video with onboard edge processing for spacecraft.
  • Northrop Grumman picked TRL11 for the GHOST-R optical payload on September 23, 2026.
  • Vast and Portal selected TRL11 for Haven-1 and Starburst-1 mission video.

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Benefits

  • Health Insurance
  • Unlimited Paid Time Off
  • Stock Options

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

0%

1 year growth

-3%

2 year growth

4%
Orange County Business Journal
Sep 23rd, 2026
TRL11 of Irvine providing key component for Northrop Grumman spacecraft.

TRL11 of Irvine providing key component for Northrop Grumman spacecraft. For U.S. military September 23, 2026 Northrop Grumman said it has picked the Irvine-based firm TRL11 to supply the "optical payload" for the prototype of a spacecraft that will keep an eye on other spacecraft orbiting the Earth. Financial details were not released. Northrop Grumman has been selected by the U.S. military's Defense Innovation Unit and Space Force to develop the prototype, according to a statement from the Falls Church, Va.-based company. The spacecraft - called GHOST-R - is intended to demonstrate a commercially derived approach to close-range reconnaissance of spacecraft whose orbits match the Earth's rotation, instead of relying on ground-based systems. For further details, see the Oct. 5 edition of the Business Journal. Want more from the best local business newspaper in the country? Sign-up for its FREE Daily eNews update to get the latest Orange County news delivered right to your inbox! One-Year for Only $99 * Weekly in-depth coverage in print and digital formats * Special Features: OC's Wealthiest, Top Priced Home Sales, Giving Guide, OC500, Charity Event Guide, Best Places to Work, Indispensables, Largest Charitable Gifts * The annual Book of Lists: Orange County's top companies across every industry Tech reporter at Orange County Business Journal

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The Program Hosts Its 13th Accelerator Space Domain Awareness Catalyst Accelerator's 13th Cohort Colorado Springs, Colorado, Feb. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Catalyst Accelerator is excited to announce the selection of seven outstanding small businesses with innovative, complementary tech solutions. These companies will come together from across the globe to participate in the Accelerator’s 13th cohort focused on Space Domain Awareness. The Catalyst Accelerator, powered by the Air Force Res

Benzinga
Jun 12th, 2023
TRL11, Inc. adds renowned NASA Space Imaging Expert and nasa/lockheed Martin executive to its management team

TRL11, Inc., a pioneering company at the forefront of space video technology, announces the addition of two new executive team members, Rodney Grubbs and Vijay Shravah, to its management team.

Orange County Business Journal
Jun 12th, 2023
Satellite Video Company TRL11 Raises $3M+

TRL11 Inc., an Irvine-based maker of video and monitoring products for satellites, said last month it raised over $3 million in pre-seed funding.

VCNewsDaily
May 24th, 2023
Trl11 Closes $3M Pre-Seed Funding

TRL11 Closes $3M Pre-Seed Funding Back to HomeIRVINE, CA, TRL11, Inc. announced that it has closed a pre-seed funding round of over $3 million.TRL11, Inc. announced that it has closed a pre-seed funding round of over $3 million. BoostVC led $3M+ round, with participation from Wonder Ventures, Anorak Ventures, Geek Ventures, Space Cadets, and several angel investors including Max Haot, founder of Launcher.TRL11, Inc. designs and manufactures state-of-the-art full motion video solutions and the supporting subsystems for aerospace applications. Headquartered in Irvine, CA, the company was started in 2022 and launched the first prototypes to orbit in less than a year