Director of Finance and Operations: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

ABOUT PAFA

Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is America’s first school and museum of fine arts. Located in center city Philadelphia, PAFA is intimate in scale with a strong sense of community. PAFA’s undergraduate degree offerings include a BFA in Studio Art and a coordinated BFA with the University of Pennsylvania. Graduate programs include an MFA and Low-Residency MFA degree, and a Post-Baccalaureate certificate. PAFA’s museum has an outstanding collection of American art, and the museum actively collects and exhibits contemporary art, including work in new media. Additionally, PAFA is home to the Brodsky Center, a print and papermaking center focused on the creation of innovative editions by contemporary artists.

DIVERSITY STATEMENT

Because we were the nation’s first art museum and art school, we believe PAFA has a moral obligation to ensure that every member of our community can study and work in an environment where they feel a sense of belonging. We have the additional obligation of ensuring that our community reflects that rich tapestry of beauty and diversity that surrounds our world. We are committed to modeling diversity and inclusion for the entire arts, cultural and educational sector, and to maintaining an inclusive environment with equitable treatment for all. PAFA is committed to maintaining an inclusive learning environment, and a diverse community of students, faculty and staff.

PAFA is an equal opportunity employer. Women and diverse candidates are strongly encouraged to apply to work in our pluralistic community.

POSITION: Director of Finance and Operations

The Director of Finance and Operations will support the CFO in building a culture of continuous process improvement at PAFA. The Director will be responsible for the timely and accurate execution of financial functions. The Director will be the CFO’s thought partner to strengthen finance, development, payroll, events, and other auxiliary revenue streams. The successful candidate will also oversee grants and project budget management and will play an active role in the annual budget processes.

The position requires excellent communication skills – an ability to “translate” financial information to the development team, program team, and the senior staff. It also requires hands-on experience with all financial aspects of a nonprofit and the ability to run all grants management and spending reporting to numerous institutional funders.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate a commitment to continuous process improvement, a willingness to learn, and dedication to PAFA’s mission.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILTIES

• Coordinates and/or supervises Finance & Operations staff to ensure day to day operations run smoothly, providing assistance and training as needed.
• Maintains and implements appropriate processes and internal controls over Finance and Operations function organization wide
• Communicates Finance and Operations matters to the organization at all levels, communicates effectively with staff and faculty about new procedures, or to clarify existing ones and provides institutional training regarding Finance and Operations information processes and procedures
• Manages projects periodically to install new or upgraded software applications and/or processes
• Develops solutions to unique management requests for information pertinent to the request, collects and analyzes the required data, design and produce the necessary analysis and report(s)
• Works with all departments to assess internal controls and reliability of data from various systems used across the organization
• Continually create, implement and maintain the most accurate and up to date process narratives, forms and flow charts
• Budgeting & Forecasting – assists in preparation of and report on annual budget and forecasts
• Year end audit – coordinate with Accounting Manager to ensure that accurate information is presented to auditors timely
• Assist with Finance and Operations led Board committee meeting coordination
• Courteously answers questions and resolves concerns of all stakeholders
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or equivalent combination of education and experience in accounting or related discipline required
• CPA preferred
• Five years in operational accounting required
• Three years’ supervisory experience required
• Non-profit financial management exposure
• Strong communication skills to explain and partnership effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and knowledge of financials
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Programs
• Proven ability to understand and work with integrated enterprise software applications and improve processes as needed

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Ability to work in a standard office setting, with considerable sitting, standing, and viewing of computer
• Mid-level stress
• Requires reaching continually throughout the workday (mouse, keyboard, telephone)

• Resume
• Cover Letter

When submitting your application online using the provided link, please save your documents as Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx) or PDF (.pdf) files. To help us process your applications as efficiently as possible, please save your files with the following filename format:

• LastName_FirstName_Resume
• LastName_FirstName_CoverLetter

*Due to the amount of potential applicants, we do not respond to voice calls or messages about the status of your application. Based on the criteria for the position, the most qualified candidates will be contacted directly. Thank you for your interest in PAFA.