Vice President, Finance & Operations

The National Aquarium is looking for a VP, Finance & Operations to oversee the business performance of a world-class attraction, support program evaluation/profitability analysis, assist with long-range financial planning & reporting, leverage procurement strategies, manage key business contracts, and optimize business revenues while controlling expenses.

They will also be responsible for backup support for the day-to-day and month-end management of the accounting operations and General Ledger.

The VP, Finance & Operations will report to the SVP, Chief Operating and Financial Officer (COFO), a member of the Aquarium’s Leadership Team, who oversees Operations, Information Technology, Human Resources and Administration, Finance and Financial Planning, and Exhibits Planning and Design. The VP, Finance & Operations will join a team who reports to the COFO, including the VP, Operations & Technology; VP, HR & Administration; the VP, Finance and Controller; the VP, Exhibits Planning and Design; and the Financial Planning & Analysis Director.

Key requirements

• Ensures daily business practices meet operational goals, produce maximum efficiency, and oversee compliance with relevant regulations and policies.
• Advises the COFO on business strategy, stakeholder relations, and critical partnerships.
• Handles problems before they reach the COFO and works collaboratively with Aquarium colleagues in other departments.
• Works closely with COFO, Director of Financial Planning and Analysis, and VP, Finance & Controller on multi-year projections, financial reporting, and budgeting.
• Manages relationships with and with key partners and Aquarium colleagues.
• Reports on operations to Aquarium leadership, and sometimes, before Board of Director Committee meetings.
• Creates and leverages procurement strategies to reduce expenses and maximize efficiency and consistency across the organization.
• Oversees management of 3rd party partners, ensures contract compliance, and maximizes revenue opportunities.
• Implement best-in-class, barrier-reducing, and secure forms of payment at the lowest cost negotiable.
• Compile well-documented and cross-functionally informed long-range plans for special projects to incorporate into the Aquarium’s priorities and objectives.

Key competencies

• High-level of comfort and knowledge of GAAP
• Exceptional written and public speaking skills and ability to present ideas clearly and compellingly.
• Highly collaborative and team-oriented to enable business operation programs to fully integrate with other aquarium programs and external organizations with whom it collaborates.
• An ability to listen to others and learn from their best ideas - a sense of inquisitiveness and intellectual curiosity.
• Capacity to interact knowledgeably and clearly with various internal and external customers.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, able to convey complex financial information understandably to various audiences. Ability and drive to partner effectively with all levels of stakeholders, including employees, managers, department leaders, brokers, vendors, senior management, and the Board of Directors.
• Keen ability to think and act strategically; planning for the long-term while balancing the short and long-range needs of the organization.
• Adept at planning, prioritizing, organizing, and following through.
• Able to initiate, analyze, monitor, evaluate, and advance strategic development plans.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business Administration, or Finance, advanced degree or equivalent preferred (CPA/MBA).
• At least ten years of industry/relevant experience with a proven track record of streamlining and improving business operations.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to present ideas and results at the highest levels of the organization through excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
• Skilled in Microsoft Office Suite and experience with Adaptive and Sage Intacct preferred.
• Demonstrated experience with process improvement.
• Possesses an understanding of accounting, economics, finance, leadership, human resources, and marketing.
• Experience with audits preferred.
• Experience in the non-profit industry (zoos and aquariums precisely) and food service, gift shops, and photographic vendor management is preferred.
• Extensive experience leading profit centers within an attraction, directing strategic procurement efforts, managing performance contracts with major third-party vendors, and conducting thorough program evaluations

The National Aquarium is committed to diversity and invites individuals who bring a diversity of culture, experience, and ideas to apply.

About The National Aquarium

Recently named one of Baltimore’s Best Places to Work, the National Aquarium opened in 1981 as a nonprofit aquatic education and conservation organization, the jewel of the city’s Inner Harbor redevelopment. SmartCEO Magazine honored the National Aquarium with the Healthiest Workplace award and the Corporate Culture award in 2016. With a mission to inspire conservation of the world’s aquatic treasures, the Aquarium is consistently ranked one of the nation’s two top aquariums and has hosted over 51 million guests since opening.

Today, the National Aquarium builds on a history of local, regional and global conservation initiatives that provide real solutions for protecting marine life, ecosystems and aquatic communities. Its Animal Rescue team has rescued, rehabilitated and released hundreds of marine mammals and endangered sea turtles throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Its Animal Care and Welfare teams participate in important research efforts to confront pressing ocean conservation issues and advocate for smarter policies at local, state and federal levels. Through education, research, conservation action and advocacy, the National Aquarium is pursuing a vision to change the way humanity cares for our ocean planet.