Manager, Museum Finance

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) seeks a Manager, Museum Finance to join the RISD Museum. The RISD Museum acquires, preserves, exhibits, and interprets works of art and design representing diverse cultures from ancient times to the present. Distinguished by its relationship to Rhode Island School of Design, the Museum educates and inspires artists, designers, students, scholars, and the public through exhibitions, programs, and publications.

The Manager, Museum Finance leads and directs the budget and planning process in support of the RISD Museum’s annual and strategic initiatives. Reporting to the Director, the incumbent will oversee the Museum’s budgets – operational, restricted sources (gifts, grants and endowed sources) and capital projects – and act as project manager and facilitator between the Museum, department heads and curators, and liaison between RISD central administrative offices, including the Office of Finance and Administration and Human Resources. The Manager, Museum Finance will prepare and develop the Museum’s annual budget in support of annual and strategic planning initiatives, participate fully in discussions regarding the focus and direction of resource allocation, and assist the Director and governing committees in ensuring that the Museum’s financial strategy and fiscal administration is aligned with and supportive of RISD’s institutional strategy. Specific responsibility for fiscal monitoring, reporting, research, analysis, and grants budget management. Oversees the Museum’s financial systems and databases, ensuring system data integrity and reporting. Hires, trains, manages and evaluates the work of systems and database employees.

The RISD Museum is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community where members from all backgrounds can learn and create. With the goal of increasing the diversity of the museum profession, we aspire to create a climate that recognizes and values diversity as central to excellence. As an employer, RISD offers a supportive, collegial and inclusive work environment and a competitive benefits package

Essential Functions:

• Responsible for managing and monitoring Museum operating revenue, and restricted and endowed funds, ensuring communication with RISD Institutional Advancement and the Controller’s Office. Ensure that unrestricted and designated gifts received through all channels are properly accounted for and that resources available to the Museum are managed in accordance with applicable laws, regulations and/or donor restrictions. Act as liaison between the Museum and RISD’s central business offices.
• Develop, recommend, and maintain, as approved by the Director and the Director, short and long-range financial plan(s), taking into account multiple sources of income, including earned income, gifts, grants and endowed sources, and a complex Museum financial and operational setting.
• Manage the fiscal operations of the Museum. Within RISD’s ERP systems, develop, monitor and maintain an approval and reporting structure that reflects both strong internal control and operating efficiency. Provide training, guidance and assistance to museum staff as requested. Provide analysis and guidance for operational and program areas, including determination and setting of fees, ticket prices, and rates for facility rentals. Advise support staff and provide guidance on other business processes and/or information systems as necessary.
• Develop, review, and analyze the Museum’s budget with approval from the Director- andthe Museum Director, with the support of the Museum Database Manager.
• Model and evaluate strategies for enhancing revenue streams. Provide advice on resource allocation (human, financial and capital) in support of the Museum’s strategic initiatives.
• Recommend business practices and/or procedures that enhance the efficient use of institutional resources. Oversee and monitor exhibition, departmental and project budgets in coordination with curators and program staff. Monitor and adjust as necessary payroll allocations among various unrestricted and designated funds in order to ensure compliance with grant and project budgets.
• Prepare Museum related financial reports and various other accounting statements asrequired with the support of the Museum Database Manager. Ensure accuracy, timeliness, compliance and completeness. Responsible for preparing, monitoring, and reporting the financial aspects of state and federal government, foundation, and private grants received by the Museum.
• Develop and monitor the museum’s capital project budgets with assistance from theMuseum Business Operations Coordinator. As part of a project team, which may includeRISD Facilities personnel, outside architects, designers, construction managers, and museum staff members, work to ensure that project goals are realized and completed within available resources.
• Review and evaluate museum related contracts, leases, and other agreements for both budgetary impact and sound business practice. Assist with the review and approval process by RISD central offices, including Procurement and RISD Legal Counsel, when necessary.
• In coordination with the Controller’s Office, monitor and review receipt, expense, and deposit activity related to museum gift and earned income operations for proper classification and accuracy. Actively engages with RISD Institutional Advancement and the Controller’s Office, to ensure that resources, including designated funds, are effectively and appropriately managed within RISD’s ERP systems, including Workday.
• Oversees the work of the Museum Database Manager, who is responsible for the dataintegrity and reporting for the Museum’s Point of Sale system (Altru) and ERP system(Workday), including data and field creation, mapping and tracking for our front of houseoperations, and budget compilation, uploading and reporting in our accounting system.
• Help manage and prioritize their workload, provide guidance as needed, and monitor their ongoing success, productively, and growth.

Required Knowledge/Skills/Experience

• Ability to recognize diversity and inclusion as central to excellence.
• Knowledge of fund accounting required.
• Proven experience and ability to work effectively and collaboratively with administrators across the spectrum of a cultural institution or institution of higher education.
• Demonstrated ability to support museum operations and related educational programs through fiscal analysis and modeling.
• Demonstrated knowledge of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems (ie., WorkDay) and project planning and management.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• B.S. in Accounting or Business Administration and a minimum of five years (or an equivalent combination of education and experience) of progressively responsible financial planning, budget management, internal audit or related experience in a non-profit cultural institution or higher education environment.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please upload all required documents.

The successful candidate will be required to meet our pre-employment background screening requirements.

RISD recognizes diversity and inclusivity as fundamental to its learning community and integral to an art and design education. We welcome candidates whose experience has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and excellence. RISD is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetics, or any other protected characteristic as established by law.