Vice President, Finance

About Loyal Loyal is a clinical-stage veterinary medicine company developing longevity drugs for dogs. Our mission is to help dogs live longer, healthier lives. We're pioneering a new category of veterinary prescription drugs that proactively and preventatively target the underlying drivers of aging, delaying the onset of disease and preserving quality of life as dogs age. We've already made significant progress in our mission to develop the first FDA-approved drugs to extend canine lifespan: as of early 2026 we've completed two of three major FDA review sections for our lead program, LOY-002, and are targeting submission of the third and final section later this year. Loyal is a well-funded startup with teams of scientists, veterinarians, engineers, operators, and creatives. You'll help us continue on our path of earning FDA approval for the first lifespan extension medicine for any species, and change what's possible for the dogs we love. About the role Loyal is hiring a VP of Finance to build and lead the company's finance and accounting infrastructure. This is a hands-on leadership role at a company that has closed a $100M Series C, is advancing three pipeline programs, and is targeting commercial launch of its lead product. Loyal is a milestone-based operating business. Value is created by hitting scientific, regulatory, and commercial inflection points, and capital must be committed against multi-year R&D cycles long before any one milestone is proven out. The finance function plays a crucial role in company strategy.  As a key strategic partner to the CEO, you will be instrumental in scaling Loyal into a commercial-stage organization by driving the overall capital strategy, fundraising, board materials, and investor-facing work. You will build and lead the comprehensive finance and accounting function, establishing repeatable disciplines like FP&A and robust board reporting, managing the company's first audit, and owning controllership and close. Equally important, you will build the financial foundation Loyal needs to operate as a commercial organization - revenue recognition, gross-to-net, COGS and inventory accounting, commercial-stage forecasting, and the controls and reporting expected of a revenue-generating business. The finance infrastructure for commercialization is being built from the ground up. The right person has done this before at a VC-backed biotech or other atoms-based, milestone-based organization, knows what excellence looks like pre- and post-revenue generation, and is ready to do the work (IC + leadership) to get there. Reporting line, team, and location Reports to the CEO on an interim basis, transitioning to report to the COO. Inherits Finance Operations Director and various outsourced service providers. Remote, US-based. You must be willing to travel as needed for the company's success (e.g. board meetings, leadership offsites, on-site time with clinical and manufacturing partners) Your daily work will include Controllership, accounting, and audit. Own the close, the books, and the company's first audit, and stand up the accounting infrastructure required to operate as a revenue-generating business. Commercial accounting infrastructure ahead of launch: inventory and COGS tracking, revenue recognition, gross-to-net reserves, and gross margin reporting. Internal financial controls — purchase order requirements, contract approval workflows, segregation of duties — documented for audit readiness and pre-IPO scrutiny. Multi-state payroll with equity compensation tracked correctly. FP&A, financial modeling, and long-range planning. Own the numbers behind every major decision Loyal makes, from program prioritization to fundraising timing. Integrated P&L, balance sheet, and cash flow model across pipeline programs, milestone timelines, and capital deployment scenarios. Long-range financial plan. Rolling cash runway model linked to program spend, headcount, and financing events.  Program valuation to support portfolio prioritization, partnering discussions, and Board capital allocation reviews. Evaluate and implement an FP&A platform, integrated with QBO and providing department-level visibility. Board, capital strategy, and investor relations. Quarterly board finance package plus regular updates to executive leadership and the board. Shape Loyal's capital strategy with the CEO and board (timing, structure, mix of equity, debt, and non-dilutive financing). Populate data rooms, respond to investor and lender diligence, and prepare financial packages for capital partners. Support venture debt facilities and future financing events. Treasury, equity administration, and corporate development. Steward the company's capital base and support the deals that shape its future. Treasury and cash management. Equity administration and the cap table. BD and partnering. Contracts, vendors, insurance, and risk. Own the company's commercial and risk infrastructure. Contract processing workflows, contract repository, and outside counsel relationships. Vendor management and compliance filings. Insurance portfolio — D&O, clinical trial liability, product liability, general coverage - reviewed annually and updated at financing events and ahead of commercial launch. Team and systems. Build the team and tooling that will carry Loyal into its next stage. About you 10–15 years of progressive finance experience, with at least 5 years in biotech, pharma, or life sciences or another R&D heavy business that builds value by achieving technical milestones. Biotech experience is preferred. You bring discipline to milestone-based capital allocation. You can connect spend to scientific, regulatory, and commercial inflection points, frame the trade-offs clearly, and help leadership decide where to lean in and where to hold. You are low ego, high integrity, and a clear and concise communicator. You actively embrace an