Position Title: Vice President of Finance and Human Resources

Department: Executive

Classification: Exempt

Direct Report: President / CEO

Postion Summary

The VP of Finance is the chief financial spokesperson for Mississippi Aquarium (MSAQ) and supervises the finance unit as well as procurement, human resources, contract management of outside vendors, and IT directly and contributes to the development of the organization’s strategic goals. The VP of Finance reports directly to the President and directly assists the President on all strategic and tactical matters as they relate to budget management, cost benefit analysis, forecasting needs and the securing of new funding. The VP of Finance will also be charged with developing and implementing more sophisticated policies and procedures for the financial operations of the organization. This is an outstanding opportunity for a finance professional with operational experience and a proven track record of creative problem-solving and change management to join in a high-growth, mission-driven organization.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

Strategy, Vision, and Leadership

Work with the President on the strategic vision including fostering and cultivating stakeholder relationships as well as assisting in the development and negotiation of contracts.
Advise the President and other key members of senior management on financial planning, budgeting, cash flow, investment priorities, and policy matters.
Serve as the management liaison to the Audit and Finance Committee; effectively communicate and present critical financial matters at Committee meetings and Board meetings.
Contribute to the development of strategic goals for the financial health of the organization.
Maintain continuous lines of communication, keeping the President informed of all critical issues.
Represent the organization externally, as necessary, particularly in banking, contract, benefits and insurance negotiations

Team Development / Leadership

Participate in developing new sources of revenue, specifically: assist the President in identifying new revenue opportunities, drafting of prospective programmatic budgets, and determining cost effectiveness of prospective service delivery.
Oversee, direct, and organize the work of the finance team. Direct reports include Accounting, Human Resource, IT, and Purchasing.
Promote a culture of high performance and continuous improvement that values learning and a commitment to quality.
Ensure staff members receive timely and appropriate training and development.
Assist the President in administering salary adjustments.
Mentor and develop staff using a supportive and collaborative approach: assign accountabilities; set objectives; establish priorities; and monitor and evaluate results.

Finance

Train the Finance Unit and other staff on raising awareness and knowledge of financial management matters.
Ensure adequate controls are implemented and maintained. Ensure that substantiating documentation is approved and available such that all purchases may pass independent and governmental audits.
Working in conjunction with the leadership team, oversee the development of an operating budget for MSAQ annually. Work with the Senior Management Team to ensure programmatic success through cost analysis support, and compliance with all contractual and programmatic requirements and monitor compliance.
Oversee the management and coordination of all fiscal reporting activities for the organization including: organizational revenue/expense and balance sheet reports, reports to funding agencies, development and monitoring of organizational and contract/grant budgets. This includes all filings (City, State, Federal, 990’s, sales tax, etc.) are filed on time and accurately.
Oversee all purchasing and payroll activity for MSAQ.
Develop and maintain systems to safeguard financial assets of the organization and oversee programs.
Oversee the coordination and activities of independent auditors ensuring all audit issues are resolved, and all compliance issues are met, and the preparation of the annual financial statements is in accordance with U.S. GAAP and federal, state and other required supplementary schedules and information.
Attend Board and Committee meetings; including being the lead staff on the Audit and Finance Committee.
Monitor banking activities of the organization.
Ensure adequate cash flow to meet the organization's needs.
Serve as one of the trustees and oversee administration and financial reporting of the organization's Savings and Retirement Plan when applicable.

Required Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

Possess organizational development, human resource, and program operations skills.
Possess general office software, particularly the Microsoft Office Suite and accounting software and use of databases.
Foster and cultivate business opportunities and partnerships.
Create and assess financial statements and budget documents.
Recognize and be responsive to the needs of the organization.
Supervise staff, including regular progress reviews and plans for improvement.
Communicate effectively in both written and verbal form.

Qualifications

Business or Accounting degree mandatory, a master’s in business administration or accounting is preferred
CPA preferred
Minimum 10 years’ experience with at least 5 years in a senior management role ideally with both external audit and in-house financial management experience gained in a high-growth organization
Experienced either as an employee or board member of a nonprofit organization; must be familiar with nonprofit finance and accounting regulations
Excellent judgment and creative problem-solving skills including negotiation and conflict resolution skills
Strong mentoring, coaching experience to a team with diverse levels of expertise
Entrepreneurial team player who can multitask
Superior management skills; ability to influence and engage direct and indirect reports and peers
Self-reliant, a good problem solver, and results oriented
Energetic, flexible, collaborative, and proactive; a team leader who can positively and productively impact both strategic and tactical finance initiatives.
Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills and the ability to effectively interface with senior management, Board of Directors, and staff.
Ability to operate as an effective tactical, as well as strategic, thinker.
Passion for Mississippi Aquarium’s mission.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Team Requirements

Safety & Security - All Team Members are required to adhere to all Mississippi Aquarium safety and security standards.
Attendance & Appearance - To maximize the guest’s experience, all Team Members are required to adhere to Mississippi Aquarium standard operating procedures regarding attendance and dress code policies as it relates to individual job functionality. Tattoos and piercings must be appropriate and in keeping with a professional image. Depending on the work area, management reserves the right to determine that tattoos will need to be covered during your shift.
Sales & Guest Services - Our forward-thinking business model requires listening and understanding the needs of our guests both internal and external. To that end, we must always be focused on the guest experience which is the key driver for return guest visitation and increased sales.
Team Partnership - All Team Members are focused on supporting each other to complete the guest experience. Therefore, supporting, facilitating, and participating in activities that promote team effectiveness is vital to our Organization.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl; talk or hear; taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 60 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color and peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is exposed to weather conditions prevalent at the time. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Mississippi Aquarium

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Vice President of Finance and Human Resources