Director of Tax

Hadrian is building autonomous factories that help aerospace and defense companies manufacture rockets, satellites, jets, and ships 10x faster and 2x cheaper. By combining advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we are reinventing how America produces its most critical parts.

We recently raised a $260M Series C ($500M total funding) to accelerate this mission. We are launching a new 270,000 sq ft factory in Mesa, Arizona, opening a new HQ to support thousands of future hires, expanding into Hadrian Maritime to serve naval production, and rolling out a Factory-as-a-Service model that delivers complete systems rather than individual parts.

Hadrian works with startups, Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, and major defense primes across space, shipbuilding, and aviation. We are backed by Lux Capital, Founders Fund, Andreessen Horowitz, and other leading investors. Our fast-growing team is united by a shared mission: reindustrialize American manufacturing for the 21st century and beyond.

Hadrian is seeking a Director of Tax to build and lead the company's first internal tax function. This is a foundational, high-impact role responsible for shaping Hadrian's multi-entity structure, managing state and local tax exposure, and capturing $100M+ in available tax incentives across multiple jurisdictions.

You will report initially to the VP of Finance (Max), partner closely with the VP of Strategy and CFO, and interface directly with external advisors and government stakeholders. Over time, this leader will scale into Hadrian's senior tax executive and build a small, high-performing internal team.

If you want to own tax strategy at one of the fastest-growing industrial technology companies in the country—and create massive enterprise value through world-class tax planning—this role is for you.

• Own all tax strategy and compliance across an expanding multi-entity corporate structure (growing from one to ~5–6 entities within 12 months).

• Identify, negotiate, and manage state and local tax incentives, including credits tied to headcount expansion, fixed-asset investments, training programs (TTP), and other subsidy mechanisms.

• Capture and operationalize major tax credit packages in partnership with the VP of Strategy (e.g., CA grant of $49M; total credits exceeding $80–100M).

• Oversee federal, state, and local income tax filings across multiple states, including California and Arizona.

• Design optimal entity structures to maximize credit realization while maintaining compliance and minimizing risk.

• Build ROI frameworks to quantify and communicate the value of tax initiatives to executive leadership and the Board.

• Establish processes for sales and use tax compliance as operations scale.

• Provide guidance on domestic transfer pricing, state nexus, and future self-insurance programs.

• Partner with Finance, Accounting, Legal, Strategy, and external consultants to execute complex tax initiatives.

• Support long-term tax planning as Hadrian expands into new facilities, new states, SPVs, and major multi-year industrial programs.

• Influence entity design for two new leases currently in negotiation, including one facility exceeding 2M sq ft in a new state.

• 10–15+ years of progressive tax experience, ideally a blend of Big 4 / large regional public accounting and industry roles.

• Proven track record structuring entities and capturing substantial state/local incentives or credits.

• Experience negotiating multi-state tax credit programs and navigating complex jurisdictional rules.

• Deep expertise in corporate income tax, SALT, entity structuring, and familiarity with domestic transfer pricing.

• Ability to translate tax strategy into clear economic value, presenting ROI and compliance implications to executives and boards.

• Strong leadership presence with the ambition and capability to build a scalable in-house tax organization.

• Industry experience in manufacturing, industrials, defense, semiconductors, power generation, or other capital-intensive sectors preferred; open to candidates from high-growth software/SaaS with relevant tax experience.

• $100M+ in value creation through strategic tax planning, credit capture, and entity optimization.

• Direct influence on major structural, financial, and incentive decisions—working alongside the VP of Strategy, CFO, CEO, and Board.

• Exposure to state-level negotiations, multi-entity structuring, and advanced incentive programs across a fast-scaling industrial platform.

• Opportunity to build Hadrian's first internal tax function and ultimately lead a full-scale tax department.

• Company momentum:

  • Series C-2 raise in progress; valuation approaching $2.0B+.

  • Multiple $XXXM–$X.XB contracts under negotiation with top aerospace and defense manufacturers.

  • Rapid multi-state expansion and major greenfield facility development.

• High ownership, high accountability, high impact environment.

Benefits:

• Company equity

• 401k

• Discretionary vacation policy

Equal Opportunity

It is the policy of Hadrian Automation, Inc. to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.