Chief Financial Officer

Reporting to the Deputy Director, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) serves as a key member of the Whitney Museum of American Art's functional leadership team - referred to as the Strategic Planning Group (SPG). The CFO is responsible for planning and oversight of the Museum's financial activities, including an annual operating budget of approximately $80 million. Working closely with the Museum's executive leadership team, colleagues across the Museum, and with the Finance, Audit, and Investment Committees of the Board of Trustees, the CFO will have responsibility for organizing short- and long-term financial planning activities, performance analyses, risk management, financial reporting, and cash/liquidity management.

The CFO oversees all Finance, Treasury, and Accounting functions, including, but not limited to, operating & capital budgets, annual audit, financial reporting systems, insurance, and tax-related information. In addition, the CFO has administrative oversight of the Museum's investment portfolio under the direction of the Investment Committee of the Board. Above all, the CFO will be a proactive strategic partner with the Museum's leadership team in enabling the Whitney's institutional priorities through proactive & rigorous financial planning.

Primary Responsibilities

• Financial Monitoring and Reporting
  • Direct, supervise, and improve the Museum's financial and budget planning processes to sustainably fund programs and operations, deliver on high-priority capital projects, and increase efficiency
  • Partner with functional leadership and teams across the Museum, including the Chief Advancement Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Marketing Officer, to develop financial targets, monitor performance, and develop remediation plans as needed
  • Monitor financial performance across the Museum through clear and consistent metrics and measures of success. Advise on opportunities for revenue enhancement, cost efficiencies, process improvements, and related policy changes
  • Drive long-range financial planning initiatives across the Museum to enable diversified revenue growth and a positive operating bottom line
  • Provide periodic updates on the Museum's financial performance to staff with a view to reinforcing connections between departmental/ project budgets and the Whitney's mission and strategic priorities
  • Provide periodic updates and financial reporting to the Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees, including operating results, emerging financial opportunities, risks, trends and key performance metrics
  • Partner with department leadership teams in developing performance targets, monitoring performance, and creating remediation plans
• Design and recommend financial strategies for review and action by the Museum's executive leadership team
  • Short- and long-term financial goals and related strategies for ratification by the Board's Finance Committee
  • Long-range financial planning initiatives across the Museum to enable diversified revenue growth and a positive operating bottom line
  • Reporting and/or policy recommendations to support the execution of the Museum's Strategic Plan
  • Course-corrective actions to address emerging financial risks
  • Museum-wide financial risk management policies and procedures, in partnership with the General Counsel
  • Management strategies for the Whitney's ongoing debt program with strategic guidance from the Board of Trustees. Working with external advisors and the internal finance team, oversee the negotiation, execution, and management of tax-exempt bond financings and credit facilities, including ongoing compliance with legal and reporting requirements
  • Strengthen the capabilities of the Finance organization, through a combination of people development, retention, and recruiting efforts (e.g. Data-driven decision-making strategies to help clarify links between departmental operations and the financial results of the organization)
• Act as a fiduciary on the Retirement Plan Investment Committee
• Oversee the Museum's Controller in coordinating the annual audit of the Museum's financial statements and tax filings, including the annual IRS Form 990

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or other quantitative or business-related discipline required; MBA/CPA preferred
• Minimum ten years of progressive experience in a senior-level financial management role
• Excellent analytical, verbal, and written communication and presentation skills required
• Strong communicator with the ability to make financial information accessible and comprehensible to stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds. Must be able to connect finance to the Museum's mission and values.
• Exceptional emotional intelligence, sound judgment, and a deeply collegial, collaborative leadership style
  • Demonstrated ability to develop positive board-level relationships. Experience working with governing boards and committees is helpful, but not required
• Excellent planning, financial management, and organizational skills
• Strong work…