Business Operations Lead
About the job
- Experience in strategic finance, private equity, and/or investment banking.
- Experience running finance and operations at a venture-backed startup through a period of significant growth; hardware experience is preferred.
- Strong accounting knowledge to manage an outside accounting firm and identify errors, including knowledge of generally accepted accounting principles, revenue recognition, inventory, and capitalized research and development.
- Ability and interest to operate as a generalist and fix operational problems.
- Ability to design scalable operational processes, automate manual workflows, identify future bottlenecks, and evaluate tools, partners, and vendors for long-term scalability.
- Ability to handle confidential information carefully.
- Ability to communicate business concepts plainly to a broad audience.
- Willingness to work in person in Sausalito.
- Run the finance function, including financial planning and analysis and accounting.
- Partner with teams on strategies for cost and revenue optimization as the company scales.
- Own the monthly close with the outside accounting firm.
- Manage accounting for a hardware company moving into production, including inventory, bills of materials, capitalized research and development, fixed assets, and revenue recognition on multi-year agency and utility contracts.
- Handle invoicing and collections, including milestone billing on government and utility contracts.
- Develop expense-management policies, recommend the monthly budget, and track performance against it.
- Keep the budget and board package current.
- Own contracts, working with outside counsel on customer agreements, supplier terms, non-disclosure agreements, and government contracting paperwork; track signed agreements and commitments.
- Own insurance, including aviation and product liability insurance.
- Maintain the compliance calendar for corporate filings, state registrations, export controls, and requirements related to selling to public agencies.
- Run purchasing, including approvals, corporate cards, expense policy, and vendor setup, while ensuring engineers can obtain what they need and spending is tracked.
- Negotiate large vendor and supplier agreements.
- Partner with outside lawyers on non-disclosure agreements, partnership agreements, and day-to-day legal questions.
- Oversee payroll, benefits, and the human resources information system through vendors.
- Support continued recruitment efforts.
- Own compensation and equity processes, including bands, offers, grants, refreshes, and promotions, in partnership with the CEO.
- Ensure completion of I-9s, multi-state registrations, the employee handbook, and required trainings; bring in outside human resources counsel when needed.
- Provide a confidential point of contact for employees raising concerns.
- Own finance and operations systems, including Ramp, Rippling, Carta, and QuickBooks, and decide when to replace systems.
- Run the Sausalito office, including the lease, facilities, information technology and security basics, and equipment; formalize facilities processes in coordination with others.
- Experience at a hardware company is preferred.
About the company
Seneca builds autonomous aerial systems for wildfire resilience, led by an autonomous fire suppression drone system that can be launched remotely and respond to approximate fire locations within ten minutes. The drones are AI-powered, identify fire origins, navigate difficult terrain, and deliver over 100 pounds of high-pressure suppressant, with a single pilot able to control multiple drones using infrared and video for targeting. In addition to initial attack, the technology supports prescribed burns by helping manage perimeters and suppress embers. The company differentiates itself through large-scale funding and partnerships with U.S. fire agencies, enabling rapid fleet readiness, quick deployment, and a focus on rapid response and perimeter management, with a goal to shorten response times, improve firefighter safety, and prevent small sparks from becoming large disasters ahead of the 2026 fire season.
Company Size
11-50
Company Stage
Early VC
Total Funding
$60M
Headquarters
Sausalito, California
Founded
2024
Get referred to Seneca
See people who can refer or advise you
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- October 2025 funding raised $60 million, giving Seneca runway into the 2026 fire season.
- CAL FIRE trials and FireWERX validation broaden credibility beyond the Aspen foothold.
- The platform expands into prescribed burns, utilities, and inspections, widening budgets beyond wildfire response.
What critics are saying
- Aspen remains the only disclosed customer, making revenue concentration extreme through 2026.
- Seneca still depends on human approvals, sensors, and connectivity; a crash kills adoption momentum.
- If 2026 field performance disappoints, utilities and agencies will default to helicopters and Watch Duty.
What makes Seneca unique
- Seneca's February 2026 Aspen contract proves first U.S. autonomous wildfire-suppression deployment.
- Its five-aircraft strike team uses one pilot for multiple drones, boosting firefighter leverage.
- Ouster's October 2026 lidar partnership strengthens navigation in smoke, terrain, and darkness.
Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?
Benefits
- Health Insurance
- Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account
- Unlimited Paid Time Off
- Company Equity