Description
Do you believe every child deserves the best start in life? Want to shape the financial strategy and systems that power an organization to do that work? At the Bay Area Discovery Museum, we’re seeking a strategic and collaborative Chief Financial Officer to ensure our long-term sustainability and impact.
As CFO, you’ll partner closely with our CEO, Board, and Leadership Team to shape long-range financial strategy, guide smart decisions, and steward the systems that keep the museum strong — from finance and forecasting to HR, IT, governance, and risk. You’ll translate numbers into insight, help leaders make thoughtful tradeoffs, and ensure the infrastructure behind the scenes is as thoughtful as the experiences on our campus.
If you’re energized by rigorous financial thinking, care deeply about people and culture, and want your work to support curiosity, play, and possibility for hundreds of thousands of children each year, we’d love to meet you.
Please apply on our website: Recruitment| Career Center
Position Summary
The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is a senior executive leader responsible for the financial health, people systems, and enabling infrastructure of the Bay Area Discovery Museum. Reporting to the CEO and serving on the Leadership Team, the CFO oversees Finance, Human Resources, and Information Technology, ensuring the Museum’s long-term sustainability, strong governance, and organizational effectiveness.
The CFO is a strategic partner to the CEO and Board of Trustees, leading multi-year financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and risk management, while translating complex financial and organizational information into clear insights that support decision-making across the organization.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead multi-year financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and scenario modeling
- Serve as primary staff partner to the Board’s Finance and Audit Committees
- Oversee audits, tax filings, compliance, internal controls, and financial risk management
- Provide executive oversight of Human Resources, including compensation strategy, benefits, performance frameworks, and workforce planning
- Lead Information Technology strategy, systems, data governance, and cybersecurity
- Oversee institutional insurance, major contracts, and serve as liaison with outside legal counsel
- Build financial literacy and decision-making capacity across the organization
- Partner closely with the Director of Operations to ensure financial alignment for operational and capital investments (without direct operational oversight)
Qualifications
- Minimum 5 years of senior nonprofit finance leadership experience
- Demonstrated success partnering with CEOs and Boards
- Strong expertise in budgeting, forecasting, audits, compliance, and financial systems
- Experience overseeing HR and IT at a strategic level
- Excellent communication, judgment, and collaboration skills
- Museum, cultural, or education sector experience a plus
Work Environment & Physical Requirements
This role is primarily based in an indoor office environment with standard office equipment and technology. The position requires regular on-site presence, use of computers and communication tools, and the ability to participate in meetings and presentations. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
