The Director of Finance provides strategic oversight in budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, and reporting for the museum, enabling effective decision-making for mission-driven operations and long-term sustainability.
GHJ Search and Staffing serves as the recruitment division of GHJ, a prominent national accounting and advisory firm. Our team provides qualified Accounting and Finance professionals on a temporary and permanent basis across a broad range of industries. GHJ’s relationship with our Global Advisory and Accounting Network provides the resources needed to better understand client’s needs, attract a higher caliber of candidates and assess candidate potential.
GHJ Search and Staffing has been exclusively retained by the Japanese American National Museum (JANM) to identify their new Director of Finance.
MISSION & HISTORY:
The mission of the Japanese American National Museum is to promote understanding and appreciation of America’s ethnic and cultural diversity by sharing the Japanese American experience. The Japanese American National Museum started as a dream, but without funding or a site. Within 20 years of its incorporation, JANM built a campus, traveled exhibitions internationally, became a Smithsonian Affiliate, secured its community’s history and changed how Americans think about Japanese Americans.
To learn more about the JANM story, visit: Japanese American National Museum
POSITION SUMMARY:
The Director of Finance provides strategic financial leadership and oversees the museum’s budgeting, forecasting, financial planning, and internal reporting functions. This role ensures that the museum’s senior leadership and department heads have the financial insight needed to support mission-driven operations, exhibitions, programs, membership initiatives, retail, development, and facilities. The Director of Finance plays a key role in long-term sustainability planning and supports executive decision-making with accurate, data-driven analysis.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Lead the development and management of JANM’s annual operating and capital budget.
- Oversee departmental budget collaboration across Exhibitions, Collections, Programs, Visitor Services, Retail, Membership, Education, and Development.
- Monitor actual performance versus established budgets, identifying areas that require further investigation.
- Serve as the initial point of contact with Departments related to recurring financial issues or questions.
- Assist outside accounting firm with month-end close; provide analysis and variance explanation of monthly results.
- Prepare monthly and quarterly financial reports for leadership and Board committees (Finance, Executive, Investments).
- Analyze earned and contributed revenue performance, including admissions, memberships, retail, rentals, grants, and fundraising campaigns.
- Maintain and update existing cash reports to help identify the short-term and long-term cash requirements of the organization.
- Partner with Development to prepare grant budgets and multi-year financial projections for proposals.
- Monitor grant performance and ensure that financial reporting aligns with funder requirements.
- Create project reports to support interim and final grant financial reporting requirements.
- Support tracking of restricted, endowment, and other investment assets.
- Support the audit through analytical schedules, narratives, and internal review of financial statements.
- Identify opportunities to streamline financial processes and improve reporting accuracy and efficiency.
- Support implementation and optimization of financial systems and tools. Recommend and help implement process improvements to enhance accuracy and efficiency.
- Compile and summarize information in support of annual renewals of insurance policies.
- Prepare initial draft of financial statements for inclusion in JANM’s audited financial report as well as other external reporting requirements.
- Provide back up support for the processing of payroll.
- Staff members must be able to work with visitors of all ages to support the various events sponsored by the National Museum. Each staff member will be expected to work on a minimum of three museum-wide events per year:
a) JANM Benefit Dinner & Online Auction - (off-site) typically held in the Spring (April-May)
b) Oshogatsu Family Festival Day (1st Sunday in January)
c) Natsumatsuri Family Festival Day (Saturday in August)
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or related field.
- Experience/Knowledge: At least seven years of experience in financial planning, budgeting, analysis, or related functions. Ability to communicate financial concepts clearly to leadership and non-financial staff. Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving abilities. Experience building and managing budgets in a multi-department environment. Willingness to learn and apply new skills. Ability to multi-task and prioritize. Ability to work well under pressure to meet deadlines. Ability to plan and manage tasks according to firm deadlines, clearly communicate delays, and respond to request in a timely manner. Demonstrated commitment and flexibility in order to ensure a high level of quality service. Ability to adjust and provide appropriate action when unanticipated need arises.
- Experience in a museum, cultural institution, or nonprofit with complex revenue streams is a plus.
- Knowledge of Japanese American history and culture a plus.
JANM is partnering on this search with GHJ Search and Staffing. Please direct all inquiries to Matthew Cruz, Sr. Director of Executive Recruiting, at [email protected]. No other agency referrals please.
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