Fractional Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Fractional Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Davis, CA or Hybrid | Part-Time

Opportunity Overview

We are a premier, venture-backed biotechnology company commercializing breakthrough sweet proteins designed to replace sugar at scale across global food & beverage categories. With our technology de-risked & manufacturing at commercial scale, we have our first enterprise customers engaged & are gearing up for a commercial stage Series C fundraising Fall 2026. To that end, we are seeking a high-caliber fractional CFO to help architect the financial strategy that enables category-defining impact & enterprise value creation.  This is not a maintenance role; this is a value-creation mandate.

Reporting to the CEO, the CFO will be a key partner  in providing financial strategy, commercialization counsel & fundraising support. The CFO will oversee the in-place Controller (& supporting team) that is running all core accounting & finance activities & functions, including financial reporting, budgeting & forecasting, financial planning & analysis, accounting, & cash management. This role will also partner with the Company’s senior leadership to provide financial counsel & will recommend financial process, reporting &/or other support upgrade critical to meet the Company’s rapidly evolving needs.

Role & Responsibilities

Strategic Thought Partner

• Serve as a strategic partner & financial advisor to the CEO & leadership team on Company strategy & critical operational & financial strategy, key initiatives & decisions.


• Assist CEO with communication & presentations with the Board of Directors; lead Board financial updates.


• Support the CEO in venture-fundraising, including but not limited to building & developing relationships with existing & prospective investors & overseeing the due diligence & deal negotiation processes.

• Support & participate in the Company’s engagement with key stakeholders (advisory, partners, etc.), as requested.

Accounting, Finance & Admin Oversight

• Lead the Controller (& team) running all core finance activities & functions, including financial reporting, budgeting & forecasting, accounting & cash management; oversee & optimize stage-appropriate finance systems, controls & resources for a growth trajectory, as needed.


• Be responsible for the timely monthly, quarterly & annual fiscal reporting & tax compliance calendars; future proof audit readiness & long-term strategic optionality, as needed.


• Build out flexible financial tools for evaluating & advising on the impact of different business models, partnerships & other key operating assumptions, including but not limited to evolving sales’ partnerships.

• Oversee real estate, insurance (commercial, business & D&O) & general risk management.

 Drive Capital Strategy

• Act as the primary contact for all banking relationships; source/secure new contacts as needed.


• Lead structured equity, venture debt, strategic & non-dilutive financing strategies.


• Help position the company for late-stage venture, crossover or strategic capital.


• Own Board-grade financial narrative & KPI architecture.


• Alongside the CEO, evaluate M&A, JV & strategic partnership opportunities.

Engineer Scalable Economics

• Optimize working capital & cash efficiency during rapid commercial growth.


• In partnership with the CEO, COO & the head of Commercial, architect long-term margin strategy across partnerships, types of sales, product categories & contract manufacturers, including but not limited to developing pricing strategies to deliver enterprise food & beverage customers’ & partners’ revenue targets.

• Implement scenario planning tied to revenue scale & CMO capacity expansion.


• Help assess financial risk / rewards of investments, new partnerships & other strategic initiatives.


• Support the team in building world-class, venture-fundable unit economics.

Ideal Profile

• Former CFO or VP Finance at a Series B–D biotech, ingredient, fermentation, or advanced food technology company; Experience at companies such as Ginkgo Bioworks, Impossible Foods, Amyris or comparable venture- backed scale-ups &/or experience with specialty ingredients from companies like Ingredion, Cosun, Symrise, CJ or comparable mid-to-large formulation & ingredient manufacturers is highly relevant.


• Experience raising $75M+ in institutional capital, with a particular emphasis on cross-over venture capital/PE.


• Deep manufacturing & scale-up finance expertise (specialty ingredients & fermentation preferred).


• Demonstrated success navigating late-stage venture governance.


• Builder mindset with ability to operate at both strategic & execution depth.

 Engagement

•  Fractional engagement (2 days per week, initially).


• Direct partner to CEO & Board.


•  Compensation aligned with value creation (cash + equity).

About Oobli

We make seriously sweet proteins that are changing the world, one bite at a time. Sweetness from protein—not sugar—is the breakthrough you’ve been waiting for. They’re good for your body & good for the planet, but it’s their amazing taste that will keep you coming back. The gut-friendly, diabetic-friendly, all flavor, no compromise win we all deserve.

Oobli is the first & only company in the world regulated to sell sweet proteins as a sweetener, with three FDA “no questions” letters, one additional protein with self-affirmed FDA GRAS status & three proteins with FDA FEMA GRAS status at “natural flavors.” In addition to selling its own protein- sweetened chocolates, Oobli partners with companies to help deliver great-tasting, affordable & healthier products.

We’re a team of biologists, engineers, food-lovers, health advocates & environmentalists on a mission to transform the world with healthy sweetness. Come join us in building a sweeter future for all. For more information, visit oobli.com.

***

We want the best people & we don’t want biases holding us back. We strongly encourage people of every color, orientation, age, gender, origin, ability & personality to apply. Because we value a diverse workplace, we prioritize an inclusive climate absent of discrimination & harassment during the application process & after you join the team.