Financial Planning & Analysis Intern

About Tempo

Based in San Diego, California, Tempo develops thermochemical energy storage (TCES) systems designed for energy-intensive industries. The platform enables industrial operators to shift energy use over time by sourcing power when it is most cost-effective and enables the electrification of high-temperature industrial heat at a cost advantage to using fossil fuels. By storing electricity thermochemically, the system delivers a continuous stream of combustion-free, high-temperature air at up to 1,200°C.

Tempo is backed by leading climate and energy investors, including Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Khosla Ventures, and Prelude Ventures.

For more information, visit www.tempoenergy.com.

Tempo is hiring a part-time FP&A Intern to work alongside the finance team during the academic year. This is a build role. Several things the company currently needs — the pricing models behind customer RFP responses, the unit-economics model covering Section 45X credits and cost of goods sold, and the recurring reporting package for management and investors — need to become standing, documented processes. You will help build them and then run them. You will also support the 2027 budgeting cycle end to end.

The work is visible. Pricing models inform numbers Tempo quotes to customers, and the reporting package goes to our management team and our investors. Expect real ownership, real deadlines, and close review.

About Tempo

Tempo develops thermochemical energy storage for industrial heat and power. Our Thermochemical Energy Storage (TCES) System charges on low-cost electricity using self-resistive charging, stores that energy in Thermochemical Storage Material (TSM) inside a containerized Thermal Module, and discharges continuous high-temperature air to the customer's process. Systems are deployed as a Thermal Array of modules with their associated Power Cabinets. [Confirm or replace with current standard company boilerplate before posting.]

What You Will Work On

RFP and project pricing models

• Build and maintain the model used to price Thermal Array configurations in customer RFPs and proposals — capital cost, installation, operations and maintenance, contract term, and delivered cost of energy.
• Run scenario and sensitivity analysis across system configuration, site conditions, electricity pricing, and financing assumptions.
• Translate model output into the pricing exhibits, summary tables, and assumption schedules that go into RFP responses.
• Maintain a versioned assumption library so pricing is consistent and auditable across bids.

Section 45X and cost of goods sold

• Build the unit-level cost model for the Thermal Module and Power Cabinet — bill of materials, vendor quotes, labor, freight, and overhead absorption.
• Model Section 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit eligibility and value per unit, including timing of recognition and the effect on gross margin and cash flow.
• Track standard versus actual cost as production data comes in, and explain the variances.
• Maintain the cost-down curve that underpins long-term margin projections, and keep it tied to procurement and engineering inputs.

Management and investor reporting

• Build the monthly reporting package: profit and loss against budget, cash and runway, headcount, and operating KPIs, with written variance commentary.
• Establish the reporting calendar and source-data workflow so the package is produced on a predictable cadence instead of assembled from scratch each period.
• Prepare the recurring metrics and exhibits used in investor updates and board materials.
• Document the process so the reporting structure survives handoff.

2027 budgeting process

• Support the 2027 annual budget end to end — build and distribute the department templates, collect and stress-test submissions from functional leads, and consolidate them into a single company plan.
• Build the driver-based operating model behind the budget: headcount and compensation, production volume and unit cost, capital spending, and operating expense by department.
• Roll the budget into the monthly reporting package so budget-versus-actual reporting starts on day one of the fiscal year rather than months into it.
• Maintain the budget calendar, track open items across departments, and keep a clean record of assumptions and approved changes through reforecast cycles.

What We Are Looking For

Required

• Currently enrolled undergraduate in finance, accounting, economics, engineering, or a related field, with at least two semesters of relevant coursework completed.
• Strong Excel. You should be comfortable building a model from a blank sheet, not only editing someone else's, and familiar with three-statement mechanics.
• Precision with numbers and the habit of checking your own work before it goes anywhere.
• Availability of 15–20 hours per week during the academic term on a consistent weekly schedule.
• Clear written communication — you will write commentary that management and investors read.
• Working familiarity with AI tools such as Claude or ChatGPT, and the judgment to use them well — we expect you to lean on them to build model structure, clean and reconcile data, write formulas, and draft commentary, and we expect you to check every number that comes out before it lands in a model or a report.

Helpful, not required

• Coursework or prior exposure to manufacturing or cost accounting.
• Familiarity with Inflation Reduction Act tax credits (45X, 48E, 45Y) or project finance.
• Experience with NetSuite, QuickBooks, or a comparable ERP.
• Interest in energy storage, industrial decarbonization, or hardware businesses.

What You Will Get Out of It

• Ownership of models and reporting structures that stay in use after the internship ends.
• A working understanding of how a hardware company prices, costs, and reports itself — including tax credit mechanics that most finance students never see.
• A full annual planning cycle from the inside — template to submission to consolidated plan to budget-versus-actual reporting.
• Direct mentorship from Tempo's finance leadership, with regular feedback.
• Consideration for extension or a full-time offer for strong performers.

Compensation Range 

The US base hourly range for this part-time position is $25.00-$35.00 an hour. Our hourly ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, location, and relevant education or training. 

Physical Demands

• Sitting and standing: Extended periods at a desk performing computer-based design, simulation, and documentation work, balanced with time at a lab bench or in the shop during hardware build and testing
• Lifting and carrying : Lift and carry equipment, test fixtures, or hardware assemblies up to 50 lbs.; heavier items handled with mechanical assistance or team lift
• Hand dexterity: Frequent use of hands for assembly, fabrication, instrumentation hookup, and operation of test and shop equipment
• Visual acuity: Ability to read engineering drawings, inspect hardware, and identify dimensional and surface quality features during fabrication and testing
• PPE compliance: Ability to wear and work effectively in required personal protective equipment, including safety glasses, heat-resistant gloves, safety shoes, and other appropriate gear in high-temperature lab and shop environments
• Safety acumen: Demonstrated understanding of lab and shop safety protocols, including hazard recognition and risk mitigation in environments involving high-temperature equipment, energized systems, and fabrication machinery
• Travel: Occasional travel (estimated <5%) for tool or material pickup

Working at Tempo

Tempo is a lean organization working on exciting challenges, and the people who thrive here share a few things in common beyond their technical skills.

• Clear, direct communication: You professionally say what you mean, lead with empathy, use tact, ask when you're unsure, and keep the people around you informed without being asked. At a company our size, communication gaps are expensive, and good communicators add to success and efficiency!
• Low-ego helpfulness: You're willing to jump in on work that isn't strictly yours, whether that's helping a teammate debug something, lending a hand in the shop, or flagging an issue you noticed outside your lane. No one here succeeds in a silo.
• Intellectual curiosity: You're genuinely interested in how things work, not just your piece of it, but the broader system. Tempo sits at the intersection of chemistry, mechanical engineering, power electronics, and software; the more you understand about the whole, the more valuable you become.
• Business awareness: You understand that your work exists in a business context. You think about cost, timeline, and tradeoffs—not just technical elegance—and you make decisions accordingly.
• Comfort with ambiguity: Processes here are still being built. You can make progress without a perfect playbook, and you know when to ask for direction versus when to use your judgment and move forward.
• Accountability: You own your outcomes, including the misses. When something goes sideways, the instinct here is to fix it and learn from it, not to explain why it wasn't your fault. 

This job description is intended to provide a general overview of the position and is not an exhaustive list of duties, responsibilities, or qualifications. Tempo reserves the right to modify, add, or remove responsibilities as business needs evolve. Employees may be asked to perform duties outside of those listed above from time to time.

Tempo is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team and encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.  Tempo participates in E-Verify. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check including employment and education check. 

California Privacy Notice (CCPA) - In connection with your application, Tempo collects personal information that you voluntarily provide, such as your name, contact information, employment history, and other information relevant to your candidacy. This information is collected and used solely for the purpose of evaluating your application and administering the hiring process. Tempo does not sell applicants' personal information. For more information about your rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), please contact HR.

Tempo does not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate profiles from external recruiters, staffing agencies, or third-party search firms. Submission of unsolicited resumes by any external agency — whether to a Tempo employee, hiring manager, or any other representative — does not constitute or imply an agreement for placement fees, and Tempo will not be responsible for any fees related to unsolicited submissions under any circumstances. Any candidate submitted without a prior, fully executed, written fee agreement between the agency and Tempo's Human Resources department will be deemed the sole property of Tempo. Tempo reserves the right to pursue and hire such candidates without obligation to the submitting agency.