---
title: 'Director of FP&A at Fuse'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-fp-a-fuse-san-leandro-56v7ks20e7mg'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-08'
---

# Director of FP&A at Fuse

- **Company:** Fuse
- **Location:** San Leandro, CA
- **Compensation:** $180k–$250k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Posted:** 2026-08-19
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/fuse/fe41d2df-6fa1-4ef8-acb0-7a61c88717df

## Job description

## ABOUT FUSE

We are building one of the most potentially consequential companies of the century. Our mission is to accelerate the world's transition to fusion energy while safeguarding humankind. This is not a normal company. This is not a normal job. We are committed for the long term to win.

## ABOUT THE ROLE

You'll build the financial engine behind Fuse's next stage of growth. We've raised institutional capital, operate multiple legal entities, work with U.S. government contracts, and are scaling a capital-intensive hardware company. You'll work directly with the CEO across planning, fundraising, capital allocation, government programs, and the decisions that determine where the company puts its resources.

## WHAT WE VALUE

- Obsess about the details — sloppy work costs us later, so do it right the first time.
- Care — pick up the trash. Do things no one asks you to do. Go the extra mile because you care.
- Act with urgency — every hour matters more than it feels like it does.
- Be responsible for the outcome, not just the task; if it is not working, it remains your problem until it is fixed.
- Assume good intent — disagree openly, then commit fully once a call is made.

## CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

- Lead company-wide financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and long-range strategic models.
- Build and maintain operating models across multiple entities, including government and commercial businesses.
- Partner directly with the CEO on fundraising strategy, board materials, investor reporting, and financing activities.
- Manage cash forecasting, liquidity planning, and capital allocation across the business.
- Develop KPI dashboards that help leadership make faster, better decisions.
- Support pricing strategy, unit economics, contract profitability, and resource allocation.
- Lead annual budgeting and quarterly reforecasting across every department.
- Build financial infrastructure that scales without slowing the company down.
- Evaluate strategic investments, partnerships, government opportunities, and capital projects.
- Partner closely with Accounting to ensure financial reporting supports operational decision-making.
- Work alongside external banking partners, auditors, investors, and financing providers.
- Help build the future Finance organization as the company grows.

## MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

- 8+ years of progressive experience across Finance, FP&A, Strategic Finance, Investment Banking, or Private Equity.
- Strong financial modeling skills, with the ability to build complex operating models from scratch.
- Experience supporting executive leadership with strategic financial decisions.
- Ability to translate complex financial data into simple, actionable insights.
- Strong business judgment and exceptional analytical thinking.
- Comfortable operating with ambiguity and changing priorities.
- Hands-on — willing to build models yourself, not just review someone else's work.

## PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

- Experience in deep tech, aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, or energy.
- Experience supporting venture-backed companies through multiple fundraising rounds.
- Government contracting, DoD, DOE, FAR, CAS, or DCAA experience.
- Experience working with hardware businesses, capital-intensive operations, or long product development cycles.
- Prior experience as the first Finance hire or building a finance function from scratch.
- MBA, CFA, CPA, or equivalent financial background.

## ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

- This is not a remote position and will require relocation if not already local to Fuse's San Leandro, CA facility.
- Position requires the ability to work extended hours and weekends when needed.
- Position may require some business travel to other Fuse facilities.

## BENEFITS

- Medical, dental, and vision coverage.
- Relocation assistance for roles that require it.
- Flexible time off. Take what you need, no accrual tracking.
- 2 weeks of paid time off built into the end of each year, subject to team and business needs.
- Supportive leave of absence policies.
- Paid leave for new parents.

## ITAR REQUIREMENTS

To conform to U.S. Government technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

## EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Fuse is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Fuse is governed on the basis of merit, competence, and qualifications and will not be influenced by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, ancestry, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability, or any other legally protected status.

## About Fuse

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Fuse is a fusion energy and defense company developing magnetized-liner inertial fusion (MagLIF) technology to deliver clean, on-demand power while providing radiation testing services for national security customers.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series A)
- **Headquarters**: San Leandro, California, United States (operates "Fuseville" facility)
- **Founded**: 2018 (per CB Insights) or 2019 (per Wikipedia); founder J.C. Btaiche started the company at age 19
- **Founders**: J.C. Btaiche

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Fusion energy, defense, nuclear effects testing, pulsed power engineering
- **Target customers**: U.S. government (Air Force, NNSA, national labs), defense contractors, eventually commercial energy utilities
- **Mission or purpose statement**: "Accelerating the World’s Transition to Fusion Energy" — building the fastest practical path to abundant, clean, safe, on-demand energy

## Products & Services
- **TITAN**: A 1 TW Impedance-Matched Marx Generator (IMG) — the essential MagLIF pulser building block. World’s first high-energy, high-power IMG, demonstrated in 2024 with results published in *Nature Scientific Reports*.
- **Z-Star**: A 15 TW MagLIF generator designed to iterate on and solve system engineering challenges (targeting 2027).
- **Apeiron I**: A pilot fusion plant design aiming to demonstrate a MagLIF hybrid plant core (targeting 203x).
- **FAETON I**: Neutron-producing fusion generator (over 1 trillion neutrons generated).
- **Radiation Testing Services (HEART)**: Hardened Electronics And Radiation Testing — providing short-burst radiation testing for government and commercial hardware resilience.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Over $200 million as of September 2024 (per Bloomberg News)
- **Total Funding**: $32 million raised (Series A)
- **Key Metric**: 100+ employees; 2 patents filed; 53 employees as of 2024 (Wikipedia)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Bracket Capital, Tamarack Global, Buckley Ventures. Government partners: U.S. Air Force, National Nuclear Security Administration, Sandia National Laboratories, Los Alamos National Laboratory.
- **Growth Signals**: Awarded USAF contract (Feb 2024); published in *Nature Scientific Reports* (July 2024); former NNSA Administrator Lisa Gordon-Hagerty joined board; building Z-Star and Apeiron I platforms; operating a radiation facility covered by *Wired*.

## Competitive Advantages
- **MagLIF approach**: Integrates proven fusion technologies (magnetic and inertial) — demonstrated feasible by Sandia National Lab (2018, 2022). Fuse’s focus on engineering efficiency and affordability aims to solve repetition rate and cost barriers.
- **Rapid iteration**: Delivered two neutron-producing fusion generators and the world’s first IMG pulser in under three years, on time and on a lean budget.
- **Dual-use revenue model**: Generates revenue now through nuclear effects testing for defense customers while developing long-term fusion power — de-risking the path to commercial fusion.
- **Deep government relationships**: Contracts with USAF, NNSA, and CRADAs with Sandia and Los Alamos. Advisory board includes former Under Secretary of Energy, former CIA COO, former NSA Deputy Director, and senior military officers.
- **Patents**: 2 filed patents protecting core technology.

## Strategic Focus
- **Immediate**: Scale the pulsed power driver technology (Z-Star) and continue delivering radiation testing services to defense and intelligence customers.
- **Medium-term**: Demonstrate a MagLIF hybrid plant core with Apeiron I.
- **Long-term**: Deploy commercial fusion power plants, achieving 90% energy efficiency and enabling clean, on-demand energy at scale.
- **Talent**: Aggressively hiring for plasma physics, electrical engineering, pulse power, mechanical engineering, and experimental physics roles.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Described as "misfits, tinkerers, skeptics, doers" — drawn to impossible problems. Values include frugality, speed, hands-on experimentation, and deep technical conviction. "Fuse is not a comfortable environment" — no bean bag chairs; many live, eat, and work at the facility.
- **Work environment**: "Fuseville" — a shipping-container communal living facility adjacent to the lab. Bed-to-reactor commute under 60 seconds. Sleep pods available. You'll likely build your own desk. "We really skimp on furniture."
- **Compensation**: Low salaries — "you should be willing to work for free. While you will receive a minimum base so that you can survive, money and lifestyle is not the motivator." Significant stock option upside if fusion succeeds. "Fair wages. Long hours. High voltage. Success far from guaranteed."
- **Benefits**: Competitive healthcare plan. High-end computer setup and cloud computing resources. "Everyone on the team has skin in the game."
- **Who should apply**: Self-motivated, deeply internally driven, humble yet brilliant, fusion geeks who built Polywells in high school, boundary-pushers who "get shit done." Must be comfortable with deferred gratification and high risk.
- **Remote/hybrid policy**: Not explicitly stated, but the "Fuseville" on-site living model suggests heavy in-person presence is expected. "Commuting makes your blood boil" is a stated value.
- **Notable perks**: Working on one of humanity’s hardest problems alongside top 1% talent; national security impact; potential enormous financial reward via stock options; "glory in case of ignition."

## Sources
1. [f.energy](https://www.f.energy/)
2. [f.energy - About](https://www.f.energy/about-fuse-energy)
3. [f.energy - Join Us](https://www.f.energy/join-us)
4. [CB Insights](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/fuse-energy-technologies)
5. [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuse_Energy_Technologies_Corporation)
6. [Jobs page](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/fuse)

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