---
title: 'Director, Manufacturing Finance & Cost Accounting at Saildrone'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/director-manufacturing-finance-cost-accounting-saildrone-alameda-pgmpd6y11enj'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-02'
---

# Director, Manufacturing Finance & Cost Accounting at Saildrone

- **Company:** Saildrone
- **Location:** Alameda, CA
- **Compensation:** $225k–$264k
- **Posted:** 2026-06-18
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-02
- **Apply:** https://www.saildrone.com/careers/available-jobs?gh_jid=4288892009

## Job description

## THE COMPANY

Saildrone is a maritime defense company and the global leader in autonomous unmanned surface vehicles (USVs). With more ocean miles and real-world operational experience than any USV manufacturer or operator, Saildrone maintains active, combat-deployed systems supporting national security and force projection around the world, 24/7/365.

Saildrone’s manufacturing and R&D headquarters are located in Alameda, CA, with business development and sales operations in Washington, DC, an established European entity supporting regional business development, sales, and operations, and a deployment hub in the Middle East. By combining proven autonomous operations, edge computing, advanced sensing, renewable power, and the most advanced and robust unmanned surface technology on the planet, Saildrone is shaping how the Navy of the future operates. Join a fast-moving, mission-driven team at the forefront of maritime security and autonomous innovation.

The Position

Saildrone is seeking a Director, Manufacturing Finance & Cost Accounting to guide Capital Planning and Analysis, Cost accounting, Inventory accounting, and Manufacturing finance functions supporting our rapidly scaling defense manufacturing operations.

Reporting to the Vice President of Finance, you will partner closely with Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Engineering, Program Management, and Executive Leadership to improve cost visibility, strengthen financial controls, and enable data-driven decision making across the organization.

You will own standard costing, inventory valuation, manufacturing analytics, capital planning support, and operational finance processes while ensuring compliance with US GAAP and maintaining a scalable control environment. This role will play a critical part in supporting Saildrone's transition from prototype-driven development to high-volume production.

## Responsibilities

- Lead the Manufacturing Finance, Fixed Assets and Cost Accounting organization, including hiring, mentoring, and developing a high-performing team.
- Own standard costing methodologies, cost rollups, inventory valuation, variance analysis, and overhead allocation processes.
- Partner with Manufacturing and Supply Chain leadership to improve operational efficiency, capacity planning, utilization, and profitability.
- Analyze material, labor, overhead, yield, scrap, and absorption performance and drive corrective actions.
- Develop product costing models to support pricing, business cases, new product introductions, and strategic investment decisions.
- Establish periodic cost reviews to ensure standards accurately reflect operational realities.
- Oversee inventory accounting, cycle counts, physical inventories, reserves, excess and obsolete inventory analyses, and inventory health metrics.
- Support monthly close, forecasting, budgeting, long-range planning, and executive reporting activities.
- Develop manufacturing KPIs and dashboards covering yield, throughput, utilization, labor efficiency, inventory turns, and cost performance.
- Drive ERP, MES, PLM, and reporting automation initiatives to improve data quality and scalability.
- Ensure compliance with US GAAP, SOX-style internal controls, audit requirements, and corporate accounting policies.
- Partner with Engineering and Program Management to evaluate capital investments, manufacturing initiatives, and return-on-investment opportunities.

Required Qualifications

- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, Engineering, or a related field.
- 12+ years of progressive experience in manufacturing finance, cost accounting, or operations finance.
- Experience leading teams in complex manufacturing environments with multi-level BOMs and inventory-intensive operations.
- Deep expertise in standard costing, inventory accounting, variance analysis, and manufacturing financial controls.
- Strong understanding of US GAAP related to inventory, capitalization, and manufacturing accounting.
- Demonstrated success building scalable processes, systems, and teams in high-growth organizations.
- Advanced ERP experience and strong analytical capabilities.
- Excellent communication and cross-functional leadership skills.

## Preferred Qualifications

- MBA and/or CPA.
- Experience supporting aerospace, defense, robotics, maritime, energy, hardware, or other complex manufacturing industries.
- Experience implementing or optimizing ERP, MES, PLM, or manufacturing reporting systems.
- Background supporting rapid production scale-up environments.
- Experience building finance organizations in venture-backed or high-growth technology companies.

The base salary range for this position is shown below. Actual compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and qualifications. This range reflects the base salary for candidates in states requiring pay transparency disclosure.

Salary Range $225,000—$264,000 USD

To view Saildrone's candidate privacy policy, please visit: https://www.saildrone.com/privacy-policy.

## BENEFITS

At Saildrone, we’re building operational capability that matters—and that requires people who can do their best work over the long term. We invest in our team’s well-being, financial security, and professional growth so you can focus on delivering real-world impact with confidence and stability. Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to support you and your family while you contribute to a mission with lasting significance.

- Generous Time Off: Competitive Paid Time Off (PTO) accrual plus a robust annual holiday schedule and paid sick leave ensure you can rest, reset, and sustain performance over time.
- Comprehensive Health Coverage: Premium, multi-tier Medical, Dental, and Vision plans with significant company contributions for employees and dependents—providing security and peace of mind.
- Shared Ownership in the Mission: Equity grants are a core part of our compensation, allowing you to participate in the long-term value you help create through meaningful, operational work.
- Retirement Savings: Access to a 401(k) retirement plan with flexible pre-tax and Roth payroll contribution options supports long-term financial planning.
- Investment in Your Growth: We support your continuous learning through an annual professional development reimbursement program, empowering you to sharpen your skills and stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving field.
- Relocation Support: For eligible roles, we offer relocation assistance to help bring the world’s best talent to our mission-critical locations.

Saildrone is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

## About Saildrone

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Saildrone builds autonomous unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) that deliver persistent maritime intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and kinetic effects for defense, security, and ocean mapping missions.
- **Entity Type**: Private (venture-backed)
- **Headquarters**: Alameda, California, USA
- **Founded**: Not publicly available (company references 12+ years of operations as of 2026)
- **Founders**: Richard Jenkins (Founder & CEO)

## Core Business
- **Industry**: Autonomous maritime systems, defense technology, ocean data and intelligence
- **Target Customers**: Primarily government and military (U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, allied navies), as well as commercial ocean mapping and environmental monitoring organizations
- **Mission**: To give operators persistent awareness of maritime activity, the seabed, and the environment — delivering data, intelligence, and kinetic effects for strategic superiority at sea.

## Products & Services
- **Saildrone Voyager**: Multi-mission USV for maritime domain awareness, counter-narcotics, illegal immigration monitoring, electronic surveillance, and coastal mapping. Equipped with radar, vision, AIS fusion, and AI-driven classification.
- **Saildrone Explorer**: Smaller, proven platform for environmental sensing and extended presence; used for climate and oceanographic data collection.
- **Saildrone Surveyor**: Deep-ocean mapping USV with high-resolution multibeam sonar; designed for seafloor mapping and undersea infrastructure inspection.
- **Saildrone Spectre**: Next-generation medium USV for high-end naval operations, available in two variants:
  - **Silent Endurance**: Ultra-quiet persistence for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and ISR, with towed arrays and variable-depth sonar.
  - **Stealth Strike**: Low-observable, high-speed platform for kinetic operations with concealed payload capacity for effectors.
- **Services**: Real-time surface ISR, seafloor mapping, anti-submarine warfare, and METOC (meteorological and oceanographic) data delivery.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Over 2.5 million nautical miles sailed and 65,000 days at sea (as of 2026); fleet includes hundreds of USVs deployed globally
- **Notable Investors**: BOND, XN, Standard Investments, Emerson Collective, Crowley Maritime Corporation, Capricorn’s Technology Impact Fund, Lux Capital, Social Capital, Tribe Capital, The Schmidt Family Foundation, Exor Seeds
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - Introduced Saildrone Spectre in 2025, filling a critical ASW capability gap
  - Achieved US Navy integration in 2026
  - Expanded European operations with headquarters in Copenhagen (2022)
  - First production Surveyor launched at Austal USA (2024)
  - Proven GPS-denied operations in the Middle East (2025)
  - Operates globally with deployment hubs worldwide

## Competitive Advantages
- **Proven extreme endurance**: USVs operate autonomously for months in the harshest ocean environments, enabling persistent missions that crewed vessels cannot sustain.
- **Proprietary wing technology**: Developed from a world-record wind-powered vehicle, enabling efficient, near-silent propulsion with high payload capacity.
- **Integrated sensor fusion**: Combines radar, vision, AIS, sonar, and AI classification for real-time above- and below-surface awareness.
- **End-to-end autonomy platform**: Vehicles stream data directly into customer command-and-control systems 24/7/365.
- **Trusted by defense customers**: 12+ years of operational track record with governments including the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard.

## Strategic Focus
- **Defense and national security**: Continuing to expand capabilities for anti-submarine warfare, ISR, and kinetic effects to address critical gaps in maritime power projection.
- **European market expansion**: Growing presence in Europe through the Copenhagen office and partnerships with allied navies.
- **Autonomy at scale**: Scaling production of Surveyor and Spectre classes, and integrating advanced payloads for undersea warfare, electronic warfare, and multi-domain operations.
- **Ocean data services**: Leveraging persistent mapping and environmental monitoring for commercial and scientific applications.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven culture**: Join a team at the intersection of AI, autonomy, and defense technology, delivering systems that directly impact national security and maritime safety.
- **Comprehensive benefits**: Medical, dental, and vision coverage; 12 weeks paid parental leave (maternity/paternity); military leave with pay differential; sabbatical after 5 years; annual professional development stipend; 401K through Fidelity; accrued PTO and holidays.
- **Work environment**: Headquarters in Alameda, CA, with an office in Washington, DC, and deployment hubs globally. Fast-moving, engineering-focused organization that values innovation and operational excellence. Hybrid/remote policy not specified.
- **Growth opportunities**: Work on cutting-edge autonomous systems with real-world impact, from deep-ocean mapping to advanced naval missions.

## Sources
1. [Saildrone Main Website](https://www.saildrone.com/)
2. [Saildrone Careers](https://www.saildrone.com/careers)
3. [Saildrone About Us](https://www.saildrone.com/about)
4. [Saildrone Available Jobs](https://www.saildrone.com/careers/available-jobs)
5. [Saildrone LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/saildrone-inc)

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