--- title: 'Strategic Finance Director at Lab37' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/strategic-finance-director-lab37-pittsburgh-8tsv45pvpg2d' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-11-03' --- # Strategic Finance Director at Lab37 - **Company:** Lab37 - **Location:** Pittsburgh, PA - **Posted:** 2026-07-24 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-03 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/lab37/jobs/8647158002 ## Job description ## Who we are [Lab37 Robotics](https://www.lab37.us/), is a technology company focused on the development and deployment of robots designed specifically for direct-to-customer food production. Our mission is to revolutionize the food industry by creating innovative robotic solutions that enhance efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction. We are passionate about pushing the boundaries of technology to deliver cutting-edge products that meet the evolving needs of our clients. ## About the Role The Strategic Finance Director will be a core member of Lab37's finance team, supporting financial planning and analysis, unit economics, investment cases, and strategic business reviews. This person will translate operational and technical decisions into clear financial implications and provide the analysis leadership needs to allocate capital, manage costs, and scale the business responsibly. This is a high-impact, hands-on role for an analytically strong professional who wants broad exposure to a fast-growing robotics business. The ideal candidate is comfortable moving between detailed financial models, executive-ready materials, and ambiguous business questions. They will work closely with leaders across Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, and Commercial functions while taking increasing ownership of core finance workstreams. ## What you'll do Strategic Finance & Business Partnership - Partner with the Head of Finance & Strategy and Lab37 leadership on the highest-priority business decisions as the company moves from product development and pilots into manufacturing, commercialization, and scale. - Lead strategic analyses across product and customer pricing, robot and restaurant unit economics, commercialization models, capital allocation, investment prioritization, and growth. - Work cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, and Commercial teams to solve complex operating problems, including labor economics, cost structure, deployment economics, utilization, and customer profitability. - Translate ambiguous business questions into structured analyses, develop clear recommendations, and influence decisions with senior leaders. - Move comfortably between detailed operating issues and the broader business strategy, understanding how individual decisions affect Lab37's economics and long-term growth. Financial Planning & Business Performance - Own and evolve Lab37's operating model, forecasts, and long-range financial plan in partnership with the Head of Finance & Strategy. - Translate product roadmaps, manufacturing capacity, deployment schedules, hiring plans, and commercial assumptions into financial and operating forecasts. - Develop the financial frameworks and KPIs needed to understand robot economics, manufacturing and deployment costs, customer profitability, cash requirements, and returns on investment. - Lead performance analysis and business reviews, identifying the key drivers, risks, opportunities, and actions behind the numbers. - Build scalable planning processes and decision-making infrastructure as Lab37's finance organization and commercial operations mature. ## What we're looking for The ideal candidate is a strategic finance athlete and business problem solver who combines strong analytical rigor with sound commercial judgment. They are comfortable entering an ambiguous situation, learning a new business quickly, getting deep into the details, and coming back with a clear point of view on what the business should do. They can move between financial modeling, operating questions, and senior-level strategic discussions without losing sight of the broader objective. This person should enjoy building in an environment where many of the processes, metrics, and financial frameworks are still being created. They should be equally comfortable working independently and partnering closely with technical, operational, and senior business leaders. ## Qualifications - 8–12 years of experience, ideally combining rigorous training in investment banking, private equity, management consulting, or a similarly analytical environment with in-house Strategic Finance, Business Finance, Strategy, or operating experience. - Strong financial and quantitative modeling skills with demonstrated ability to turn complex analyses into practical business recommendations. - Track record of partnering with senior and cross-functional leaders on strategic, commercial, operational, or investment decisions—not solely recurring planning and reporting. - Strong judgment, intellectual curiosity, and ownership, with the ability to work effectively through ambiguity, learn unfamiliar businesses quickly, and operate at both a detailed and strategic level. - Experience in robotics, hardware, manufacturing, industrial technology, restaurant operations, or another operationally complex technology business is helpful but not required. What success looks like - Quickly develop a deep understanding of Lab37's technology, business model, customer economics, manufacturing and deployment model, and key operating drivers. - Become a trusted thought partner to the Head of Finance & Strategy and Lab37 leadership, independently taking on complex business questions and driving them through to recommendations and decisions. - Establish stronger financial frameworks around pricing, unit economics, capital allocation, investment decisions, and business performance as Lab37 commercializes. - Help build the planning, forecasting, KPI, and decision-making infrastructure required to scale the business. - Grow with the organization, with the opportunity to take on broader Strategic Finance leadership and help build the team as Lab37 expands. ## Why join us - Demand for online food delivery is growing really fast! In the last 5 years, just in the US, the overall market has expanded 10X from $10B to $100B, and could expand to $500bn- $1T by 2030. - Changing the restaurant industry: You’ll be part of a team that helps restaurants succeed in online food delivery. - Collaborative environment: You will receive support and guidance from experienced colleagues and managers, helping you to learn, grow and achieve your goals, and you’ll work closely with other teams to ensure our customer’s success. What else you need to know This role is based in our Pittsburgh office. As a company driven by invention and continuous change - we are constantly reimagining our industries, building new products, and refining how we operate. We do our best work together. That’s why all of our office-based teams work onsite, five days a week. The base salary range for this role is $160,000 - $210,000 per year. Actual compensation will be determined on an individual basis and may vary depending on experience, skills, and qualifications. Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package. You may also be eligible for equity awards and an annual performance-based bonus. Benefits Summary (USA Full-Time Exempt Employees): - Medical, dental, and vision insurance (multiple plans, incl. HSA options). - Company-paid life and disability insurance (short- and long-term). - Voluntary insurance: accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity. - Optional supplemental life insurance for self, spouse, and children. - Pet insurance discount. - 401(k). - Health Savings Account (HSA) - Flexible Spending Accounts (Healthcare, Dependent Care, Commuter) - Time Off policies: - Discretionary vacation days - 8 paid holidays per year - Paid sick time - Paid Bereavement leave - Paid Parental Leave Benefits are subject to change at the company's discretion. Atoms accepts applications on an ongoing basis. Ready to join us as we serve those who serve others? #LI-Onsite ## About Lab37 ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Lab37 builds robotic kitchen systems that automate food assembly, starting with the Bowl Builder for makeline operations, to help restaurants reduce labor, increase throughput, and deliver consistent quality at scale. - **Entity Type**: Private (subsidiary of City Storage Systems; no disclosed funding rounds) - **Headquarters**: Warrendale, PA (near Pittsburgh, PA) - **Founded**: 2005 (founding team formed at Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute, lab G37) - **Founders**: Not publicly named (founding team from CMU Robotics Institute) ## Core Business - Primary industry: Food robotics / kitchen automation / food service technology - Target customers: B2B – restaurants, ghost kitchens, food businesses (enterprise and multi-location operators) - Mission: "Use technology to improve the physical world in ways people can feel" and "build robots for better food" – making high-quality, affordable food accessible to everyone through automation. ## Products & Services - **[Bowl Builder](https://www.lab37.us/)**: A robotic makeline system that automates the assembly of bowls and similar meals. It handles live order assembly from bowl dispense to bag close, adapts to customizations (adding/removing ingredients, allergens, portion adjustments), and claims up to 50% labor savings while doubling output. Type: Hardware (robotic kitchen equipment) with integrated software. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (subsidiary of City Storage Systems, a private holding company) - **Key Metric**: Already deployed in commercial kitchens, serving thousands of customers weekly (as of June 2026) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: City Storage Systems (parent company); sister companies include CloudKitchens, Otter, and Picnic. No external investors publicly listed. - **Growth Signals**: Active hiring across multiple engineering roles; expanding from initial product (Bowl Builder) into broader kitchen ecosystem; rapid iteration capability (whiteboard to prototype in hours); real-world commercial deployments. ## Competitive Advantages - **Full-stack R&D under one roof**: In-house fabrication shop, electrical engineering lab, testing facilities, and R&D kitchen enable rapid prototyping and iteration. - **Ecosystem integration**: As part of City Storage Systems, Lab37 works alongside CloudKitchens (ghost kitchen infrastructure), Otter (restaurant tech), and Picnic (food automation) – creating a vertically integrated automation stack for food businesses. - **Data-driven tuning**: Every gram, step, and variable is tracked and refined, allowing precision and consistency at scale. - **Proven real-world impact**: Systems already operating in commercial kitchens, not just prototypes. ## Strategic Focus - Scale Bowl Builder adoption across multi-location restaurant groups. - Expand the kitchen ecosystem with additional robotic modules and software. - Continue to reduce labor dependency and operational chaos for food businesses. - Leverage data from real kitchens to improve automation algorithms. ## Why Work Here - **Engineering freedom**: "Whiteboard to working prototype in hours" – engineers build, test, and iterate with their own hands in a maker's paradise (full fabrication shop, electrical lab, testing facilities). - **Immediate impact**: Work is deployed in real kitchens serving thousands of customers weekly; employees see their work making a difference quickly. - **Culture**: Described as a place where "culinary innovation meets world class engineering" – cross-disciplinary collaboration between robotics, software, hardware, and culinary teams. - **Locations**: Warrendale, PA and Pittsburgh, PA (on-site roles). No explicit remote/hybrid policy stated. - **Perks**: Not detailed publicly, but the facility includes a fully equipped R&D kitchen, modern fabrication shop, and engineering offices built for rapid innovation. ## Sources 1. [lab37.us](https://www.lab37.us/) – Main site with product and company overview 2. [lab37.us/careers](https://www.lab37.us/careers) – Careers page with culture and mission 3. [lab37.us/lab](https://www.lab37.us/lab) – Lab facilities and ecosystem description 4. [lab37.us/history-timeline](https://www.lab37.us/history-timeline) – Company history and founding story 5. [lab37.breezy.hr](https://lab37.breezy.hr/) – Job openings and locations ## Other roles at Lab37 - [Senior Motor Controls Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-motor-controls-engineer-lab37-pittsburgh-6zc2k2jrne2f) — Pittsburgh, PA - [Prep Cook](https://feeny.ai/job/prep-cook-lab37-lawndale-230f5cz1grzr) — Lawndale, CA - [Product Manager - Robotic Kitchen](https://feeny.ai/job/product-manager-robotic-kitchen-lab37-los-angeles-8psmh032qap3) — Los Angeles, CA - [Senior Buyer – Manufacturing & Supply](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-buyer-manufacturing-supply-lab37-pittsburgh-6cx7j92sjsne) — Pittsburgh, PA - [Associate Operations Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/associate-operations-manager-lab37-los-angeles-dxxf2q4fnb79) — Los Angeles, CA - [Prep Cook](https://feeny.ai/job/prep-cook-lab37-hollywood-h4vr57fnt6gt) — Hollywood, CA - [Full Stack Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/full-stack-software-engineer-lab37-pittsburgh-nsg8ypj7sqx2) — Pittsburgh, PA - [Senior Full Stack Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-full-stack-software-engineer-lab37-pittsburgh-wqqydhqepryg) — Pittsburgh, PA - [Product Certification Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/product-certification-specialist-lab37-pittsburgh-kkrra7sxaf9c) — Pittsburgh, PA - [Building Maintenance Technician - HVAC Specialty](https://feeny.ai/job/building-maintenance-technician-hvac-specialty-lab37-pittsburgh-ddvbr8x8r8bx) — Pittsburgh, PA