About this role

Panther: Better Health Is Skin Deep

Panther is unlocking the tremendous biological power of our skin, delivering efficacious, shelf-stable treatments directly to customers. Panther's precisely engineered smart microarray patches (SmartPatches) address a wide range of needs in Skin Health (cosmetics, medical aesthetics) and are designed to treat conditions in Systemic Health (infectious diseases, allergies, cancer, autoimmune diseases, metabolic disorders). Billions of people around the world lack access to effective treatment, and we will change this.

SmartPatches enable effective, tech-enabled customer experiences, and our AI platform provides valuable insights for improved patient outcomes and the development of even better treatments. SmartPatches are affordable to manufacture and distribute, and easy to apply, resulting in greater access and market expansion. Panther is developing clinically validated products, the first of which launches in 2027.

About Panther

The Opportunity

Panther is entering a new and exciting phase in the development of our products. We're preparing to launch the first of several commercial products, advancing a pipeline of therapeutics, and getting ready to scale manufacturing from thousands to millions of units a month. We're looking for an exceptional finance leader who wants to be at the center of all of it.

This isn't a narrow back-office role. As Panther's first VP of Finance, you'll be the CEO's and the Board's partner on every financial question the company faces: how we plan, where we invest, how we structure partnerships, and how we fund our growth. You'll build the finance function from the ground up (the team, the systems and controls, and a sharp view of the economics behind every product we make), and then use it to help steer the company.

We're looking for a go-getter with range. You're as comfortable presenting to the Board as you are building the model behind the presentation. Your default is to roll up your sleeves, and you see finance as a seat at the leadership table, not a support function. This role offers a path to CFO.

The Impact You'll Make in Your First Year

- Build out the team, starting with a Director of Finance and a Financial Analyst.
- Select and implement an ERP as the company's system of record, with the chart of accounts, item master and cost structure designed by you.
- Put standard costing and BOM-level unit economics in place for our first commercial product ahead of launch, including a clear view of cost at scale.
- Deliver a reliable monthly close, a budget and rolling forecast, and a Board reporting package that leadership trusts.
- Play a central role in closing our Series B, owning the financial model, data room and diligence process.

What You Will Do

Build the Finance Function

- Design the finance organization and develop the team, while personally building the models, running the analyses and setting up the processes as the team grows.
- Establish accounting policies, internal controls and the monthly close.
- Lead the ERP implementation end to end, from requirements through integrations and go-live, and build the metrics, dashboards and Board reporting that give leadership real-time visibility. Build all of it to scale well beyond launch.

Run the Economics of a Physical Product Business and Platform

Panther makes and sells physical products, and we're also building a world-class platform. You'll understand and run both, from raw material to cash collected.

- Own the cost structure: standard and landed costs, BOM-level unit economics, and how costs change as we scale from thousands to millions of units a month.
- Manage the working capital cycle: inventory planning and valuation, supplier and contract manufacturer terms, minimum order quantities, and the cash tied up between purchase order and customer payment.
- Account for what happens after the product ships: gross-to-net revenue, channel and distributor margins, returns and write-offs, and sales tax across jurisdictions.
- Run variance analysis on purchase price, yield, scrap and volume, and build the cost models and benchmarks we use to hold contract manufacturers and suppliers to their commitments.
- Model the economics of our platform: investment case and ROI, capitalized software development costs, and any recurring or data-driven revenue.

Plan, Advise and Fund the Company

- Own the annual budget, the rolling forecast and the multi-year plan, and the mechanisms that turn our business plans and platform roadmap into an operating plan.
- Partner with the go-to-market team on pricing, channel economics and revenue forecasts, and with R&D, Product, Engineering and Operations on the financial trade-offs of key decisions.
- Model partnership economics across Skin Health and Systemic Health/Therapeutics (licensing, co-development, milestones), including R&D and clinical cost tracking.
- Support the CEO on financing: financial models, data room, due diligence and investor materials.

Qualifications

- 12+ years in finance, including at least 3 years leading finance at a smaller company that manufactures and sells a physical product (consumer, CPG, medical device or hardware).
- Background in a larger-scale, unit-economics-driven operating environment (e.g., a leading consumer products or technology company), followed by hands-on experience building finance from the ground up at a smaller company.
- Excellent financial modeling skills, with the ability to explain the numbers clearly to executives, the Board and partners.
- You have hired and managed finance teams.
- Ideally you have personally led an ERP implementation from selection through go-live, and then run finance on that system afterward.
- Strong accounting fundamentals, including GAAP, inventory accounting and revenue recognition. A CPA is a plus but not required.
- Experience in capital raising (equity, debt or strategic financing).
- Comfortable with technology and systems.
- Experience in a regulated industry (medical device, pharma, cosmetics or consumer health) is a plus.
- Bachelor's degree in finance, accounting or a related field.

Benefits

- Build something unique and high-impact with a world-class team of experts in technology, healthcare, and science.
- Equity in the form of stock options
- Competitive health insurance, including 90% employer-paid medical, plus dental and vision
- Life, AD&D and short-term disability insurance
- Paid time off and paid company holidays
- In-person company events
- Fully stocked kitchen, plus in-office lunch twice a week

Equal Opportunity Employer

Panther Life Sciences is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital or partnership status, age, national origin, citizenship, veteran or military status, disability, medical condition, genetic information, caregiver status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Compensation

As a pre-Series A startup, Panther Life Sciences is committed to offering fair market value compensation and benefits, combined with a compelling equity grant that aligns your success with the company's growth. The anticipated base salary for this position in New York, NY is listed below with meaningful equity grants in the form of stock options. Offered salary will be reflective of job related knowledge, skills and commensurate experience. $170K – $220K • Offers Equity