Director of Finance

The Director of Finance, a full-time, exempt member of Contemporary Art Museum Houston’s (CAMH) leadership team, plays a crucial role in tracking, monitoring, and reporting the Museum's overall financial health to executive leadership and the board. This position is instrumental in ensuring the financial and accounting matters related to the Museum’s operating budget, capital campaign, annual audit, and tax return are managed with transparency, quality, and compliance, thereby directly contributing to the museum's mission. 

In partnership with the Deputy Director, Director of Development, Executive Director, and Board Treasurer, the Director of Finance will develop and implement a multi-year financial plan, underpinned by feasible solutions, to support strategic and operational goals.

About the Museum

CAMH presents extraordinary, thought-provoking arts programming and exhibitions to educate and inspire audiences nationally and internationally.

Established in 1948, CAMH is one of the country's oldest non-collecting contemporary art museums and is internationally known for presenting pivotal and landmark work by artists recognized as the most important of the 20th and 21st centuries. CAMH’s mandate is to be present, to connect artists and audiences through the urgent issues of our time, and to adventurously promote the catalytic possibilities of contemporary art. CAMH’s programming, both in and beyond the Museum, is presented free to the public, and advocates for artists’ essential role in society.

In 2023, CAMH acquired property adjacent to the Museum and is in the early stages of planning an expansion and comprehensive capital campaign. This property acquisition is coupled with the recent completion of a five-year strategic plan, which emphasizes CAMH’s purposeful expansion to serve as a civic-minded organization with a dual, reinforcing focus on excellence in exhibitions and programming within the Museum and meaningful impact with communities through partnerships and public art.

Position Description

The Director of Finance brings experienced and enthusiastic management to CAMH’s Finance department, which encompasses diverse contributed and earned revenue sources to support the Museum's $5.5 million annual operating budget. The role offers a rich platform for a seasoned financial professional to support CAMH’s impactful exhibitions, direct engagement with communities, and initiatives that create new possibilities for artists to work at a civic scale. 

The ideal candidate works from a position of deep integrity, rigor, and collaboration. CAMH seeks a candidate who balances working in a creative environment with a disciplined approach to managing financial and institutional goals.  They will be a valued partner, collaborating with Museum leadership, staff, and board to conceptualize and analyze problems and solutions proactively, constructively, and collegially, driving improved performance across the Museum.

Title: Director of Finance

Reports to: Deputy Director

Status: Full-time, Exempt

Starting Salary Range: starting $90,000-110,000 annually, full benefits; relocation expenses,  as required

Schedule: M – F in-person with the option to work remotely one day per week

Principle Duties and Responsibilities

Responsibilities include but are not limited to the following:

Financial Reporting and Planning

• Prepare internal and external financial reports to management, the Finance Committee, and the Board of Trustees, including a statement of financial position, statement of activities, budget to actual analysis, cash flow projections, and other operational reports as needed for grant applications and reporting. Provide monthly reporting of all donor-restricted funds, including endowment and capital campaign funds.  
• Directs the annual budgeting process and the development of financial plans, including annual and multi-year fiscal forecasts.
• Constructs financial models and strategic analysis for proposed Museum activities and programs to support the strategic plan's goals and objectives and facilitate long-term direction-setting and operational decision-making.
• Supports department heads by providing an understanding of the financial and operational implications of programming decisions.
• Serve as the functional expert and staff liaison to the Board of Trustees Finance Committee.

Accounting Functions

• Performs the Museum’s accounting and financial functions accurately, timely, and effectively.
• Assures compliance with the Museum’s internal controls and recommends improvements.
• Optimizes accounting system technology, including effective utilization of Financial Edge.
• Processes semimonthly payroll and benefits and maintains all benefit and employee HR records for annual reporting needs utilizing the Paylocity payroll platform. 
• Processes daily cash disbursements in accordance with transactions approved through the Financial Edge expense management module 
• Ensure W-9s are obtained for all vendors to ensure proper 1099 reporting at the end of the year.
• Manage credit card usage and coordinate obtaining proper backup and coding of all credit card transactions through the Financial Edge expense management module.
• Process daily cash receipts in Financial Edge.
• Reconcile contributions to the Raiser’s Edge donor database daily, monthly, and annually.
• Perform monthly bank deposit and investment reconciliations
• Perform monthly reconciliation of all other asset and liability accounts.
• Ensure proper coding of transactions related to the Museum’s endowment funds, capital campaign funds, and other donor-restricted funds.
• Directs cash activities to maintain appropriate cash levels in line with cash management and banking policies, procedures, and protocols. Manage banking relationships to optimize service and minimize costs to the Museum.
• Assures timely completion of the annual audits of the financial and retirement plan and support for other audit activities, including year-end financial review. 
• Oversees the preparation of tax returns including but not limited to Federal 990 and 990T, CT-990T, 5500, and Single State Audit Act, etc.
• Stays current on changing rules, regulations, and best practices, ensuring the organization complies with existing standards and changes, such as the AICPA, FASB, GAAP, IRS, and Federal and State regulations.

Administration and Cross-Departmental Support

• Supports staff to ensure that the Museum’s financial condition is in accordance with the guidelines established by leadership and the Board. 
• Creates a supportive and collaborative cross-departmental work environment based on mutual respect, teamwork, and clear expectations and responsibilities. 
• Builds effective and streamlined administrative and financial systems.
• Works closely with the Director of Development and Development staff members, providing support, counsel, and significant assistance with grant applications and interim and final grant reports.
• Ensures that the financial records of the Museum agree with periodic and annual reports from the Development department.
• Ensures compliance with funder regulations and all applicable state and federal laws.
• Administers employee benefits program in coordination with the Deputy Director.
• Maintains accurate, up-to-date, and confidential personnel records for current employees.
• Manages all non-fine art insurance coverage.

Qualifications and Characteristics:

The ideal candidate possesses the following qualifications:

• B.B.A. or B.A. in Accounting
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license
• 5+ year’s experience as a Controller, in a non-profit organization, preferably a museum or other cultural institution
• Demonstrated ability to manage accounting activities for organizations with budgets greater than $4,000,000 annually
• Proven ability to manage fiscal non-profit Audits and 990 preparations
• Capital Campaign and endowment experience is highly valued but not required
• Proven ability to work collaboratively and closely with staff at all levels of the organization, inspiring and fostering external collaboration and partnerships
• Demonstrated initiative, autonomy, and strategic thinking
• Proficiency with Financial Edge

The ideal candidate possesses the following characteristics:

• Driven by values, and acts with integrity and purpose
• Acts in the best interest of the Museum
• Highly resilient and creatively adapts to challenges
• Able to self-manage and lead a team on multiple projects and priorities to ensure successful and timely delivery
• Strong will to advance ideas tempered by humility and curiosity in the ideas of others
• Embraces CAMH values of kindness, empathy, mutual respect, and trust in artists
• Strives to participate in and cultivate a workplace culture of equity and belonging
• Embraces working within a diverse environment with a high degree of cultural sensitivity and emotional intelligence, both within CAMH’s majority BIPOC staff and within the extraordinary diversity of Houston
• Seeks first to understand the position of their colleagues
• Pro-actively offers direct and constructive feedback and dissent in the spirit of improving the Museum and supporting the success of their colleagues
• Accepting of constructive feedback 
• High level of accuracy, attention to detail, and sensitivity to deadlines
• Must be willing to work primarily within our offices in the Museum District

Salary and Benefits 

The Director of Finance will be eligible to participate in CAMH’s health insurance benefit plans and contribute to a pre-tax health and childcare savings plan. You are eligible for 24 Paid Time Off (PTO) days annually. These benefits commence on the first day of the 3rd full month after your employment begins. You will be able to contribute to a 401(k)-retirement plan, including an employer match following two years of employment. The starting salary range is $90,000-110,000 annually, and compensation will be commensurate with experience.

Research shows that women and individuals from underrepresented backgrounds often apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. We recognize that an applicant is unlikely to meet 100% of the qualifications for a given role. Therefore, if much of this job description describes you, you are highly encouraged to apply for this role.

Submission Process

Please email a cover letter expressing interest in the role and a current CV to hr@camh.org. Initial interviews may occur virtually, but finalists will be interviewed in person in Houston.

Applicant review will continue until the position is filled. Please indicate your last name and Director of Finance in the subject line (e.g., “Last name | Director of Finance”). No phone calls, please. Candidates whose qualifications are best aligned with the components of this job description will receive a response. 

Contemporary Arts Museum Houston fully subscribes to the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity. It is our policy to provide employment, compensation, and other benefits related to employment based on qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, or local law. In accordance with requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is the Museum’s policy to provide reasonable accommodation upon request during the application process to eligible applicants in order that they may be given a full and fair opportunity to be considered for employment.