Desolenator builds solar-thermal desalination and circular water systems for industry and agriculture. Our core strength is R&D and innovation—turning breakthrough engineering into bankable, real-world deployments. We exist to deliver sustainable, affordable clean water while lowering carbon intensity and waste. We’re a start-up: high ownership, low bureaucracy. We stay lean and agile, yet uncompromising about the structure, governance, compliance, and impact reporting needed to be investable and to finance large projects responsibly.
We’re hiring a CFO to lead investor relations and future capital planning and to structure project & infrastructure financings through to financial close, while building right-sized finance processes that scale with us. This is a hands-on builder role—close to the numbers, close to the deals, and a true partner to the CEO and Board.
What you’ll lead
Project & Infrastructure Financing
- Structure and close non-/limited-recourse financings for multi-site deployments: SPVs, offtake/PPA-like agreements, EPC/EPCM, O&M, performance/security packages.
- Run workstreams end-to-end (diligence → term sheets → credit/IC → documentation → financial close).
- Coordinate lenders, DFIs/ECAs, insurers, technical advisors and counsel; evaluate blended-finance and sustainability-linked/green instruments where catalytic.
Investor Relations & Capital Strategy
- Own investor relations: cadence, reporting, Board/shareholder materials, and data-room readiness; coordinate diligence and stakeholder responses.
- Develop the forward-looking capital plan (equity/debt/DFI/ECA options, timing, uses of funds) tied to milestones, runway, and unit economics; maintain relationships with VCs, strategics, DFIs and family offices.
FP&A, Unit Economics & Cash Discipline
- Build a practical FP&A engine (budgeting, rolling forecasts, scenarios) tied to operational drivers and unit economics.
- Maintain tight cash and working-capital control; align capital allocation to milestones and measurable water/climate outcomes.
Governance, Compliance & Controls (right-sized)
- Implement institutional-grade but lightweight policies and controls; close calendar; IFRS reporting and audits across jurisdictions (EU/GCC).
- Set pragmatic tax architecture (transfer pricing, VAT/withholding, PE) with external advisors.
- Ensure impact and sustainability reporting meets lender/DFI standards (e.g., ESG covenants, sustainability-linked targets) without unnecessary bureaucracy.
Systems & Ways of Working
- Choose tools that are simple now and scale gracefully later (ERP/project accounting when it truly adds value).
- Define trigger points for hiring vs. outsourcing; keep processes documented and teachable—no complexity for its own sake.
How we work (and what that means for you)
- Mission first, R&D-led: You’ll translate engineering progress into investor-ready narratives, measurable water access and decarbonization KPIs, and financeable structures.
- Hands-on leadership: You’ll roll up your sleeves—monthly close, cash forecast, deal modeling—alongside the Financial Controller.
- Lean by design: We prefer clear ownership + great external partners over large internal teams.
- Structured where it matters: Compliance, audits, lender reporting and governance are non-negotiable—done efficiently, not elaborately.
- Impact integrated: Finance helps steer water-positive and lower-carbon outcomes (e.g., intensity per m³, energy use, brine/waste minimization) and supports sustainability-linked financing where it lowers cost of capital.
What good looks like in 6–12 months
- A signed project financing (or lender-approved path to close) with clear SPV and risk allocation, plus an established lane with DFIs/ECAs.
- Series A process professionally managed with disciplined investor engagement and a clear capital plan for the next phase (metrics, data room, milestones).
- A reliable cash & KPI cockpit (13-week cash, runway, impact KPIs like GHG intensity per m³ and freshwater displaced) that informs weekly decisions.
- Clean audit readiness and repeatable monthly reporting—without a big back office.
- A documented “scale plan” that specifies when to hire vs. outsource as deployments ramp.
You’ll thrive here if you
- Have led project/infrastructure financings to close and run high-quality investor relations and capital planning in clean-tech/infra/industrial tech (equity raise experience a plus).
- Are a player-coach who enjoys both the model and the meeting—commercial structuring, lender workstreams, and monthly close.
- Bring FP&A rigor, cash discipline, and multi-jurisdiction experience (EU/GCC).
- Communicate crisply with Boards, investors, lenders, and partners—and are purpose-driven about water and climate impact.
- (Nice to have) Familiarity with ESG/impact frameworks used by DFIs/lenders (e.g., sustainability-linked terms, light-touch EU Taxonomy alignment, or ISSB/IFRS-S2 reporting expectations).
We value diversity and strongly encourage women to apply.
Practicalities
- Location: Netherlands remote preferred
- Time Invested: Full-time; 80% considered for exceptional candidates
- Reports to: CEO; close collaboration with the Board and Executive Team
How to apply
Please respond to judith@desolenator.com with your CV and a brief note on a project financing you closed: your role, structure, tenor, counterparties, and (if relevant) how sustainability or impact featured in the process.
