Vice President, Finance & Operations

Responsibilities

• 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.
• 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 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.
• Able to initiate, analyze, monitor, evaluate, and advance strategic development plans.

Qualifications

• 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.
• 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.
• Demonstrated experience with process improvement.
• Possesses an understanding of accounting, economics, finance, leadership, human resources, and marketing.
• 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.

Company Information

The National Aquarium is a non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire conservation of the world’s aquatic treasures. The National Aquarium protects and preserves this blue planet and all of its animal and habitats through its engaging living collections in our ground-breaking Baltimore attraction; our science-based education programs and our hands-on experiences in the field from the Chesapeake Bay to Costa Rica; and partnerships and alliances with like-minded organizations around the world.

Company Specialties:
Conservation, Education, Green Business, Sustainable Seafood, and Green Volunteering

How to Apply

Interested and engaged applicants should apply through our website . Requests for reasonable accommodation can be made by e-mailing .