Chief Financial Officer

The Museum Association of New York; New York (NY); On-site; USD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

Medical coverage

403B

Life insurance

Paid holidays

Personal time off

Sick leave

Job summary

The Children's Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) is seeking an entrepreneurial Chief Financial Officer to guide financial strategy during a major expansion. Reporting to the CEO, the CFO will oversee a $300M capital project, scale operations, and provide transparent financial leadership to the Board during a high-growth period.

Key responsibilities include partnering with executive leadership, refining financial models, and ensuring robust internal controls and governance.

Qualifications

• Experience as CFO or senior financial leader in a complex nonprofit or cultural organization.
• Expertise in nonprofit GAAP, endowment management, and capital projects.
• Strong governance and reporting to CEO and board committees.

Responsibilities

• Serve as strategic partner to CEO and executive team for scalable, multi-site operations.
• Oversee a $300M capital project and alignment of budgets with institutional targets.
• Lead accounting operations, audits, forecasting, and compliance.
• Develop and refine financial models, cash flow, and long-term forecasts.
• Ensure risk management, internal controls, and finance team growth.

Skills

Non-profit GAAP

Endowment management

Capital projects

Grant compliance

Governance liaison

Strategic growth

Ethics & integrity

Education

CPA or MBA or equivalent

Job description

Children's Museum of Manhattan - New York, NY

Full-time

Salary: $200,000.00 - $250,000.00 Annually

Application Deadline: N/A

Nonprofit

POSITION: Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
REPORTS TO: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
LOCATION: 212 West 83rd Street, New York, NY 10024 (Transitioning to 361 Central Park West)
WEBSITE: www.CMOM.org

ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM

The Children's Museum of Manhattan is a steward of early childhood, helping all children grow and developinto their best selves. Through our programs on-site at the museum and throughout NYC, where children liveand learn, CMOM nurtures the next generation of creative global citizens as they learn through explorationand play. CMOM encourages empathy across differences by elevating and providing insight into diverse perspectives and inviting visitors of all backgrounds to join our community and create and learn alongsideeach other. The museum’s programs reflect the rich cultural diversity, energy, and resilience of New York Cityand have a special focus on ensuring that its programs are available to those families who might not otherwisehave access.

Founded in 1973, the Children's Museum of Manhattan (CMOM) is a premier NYC institution for children andfamilies. Currently operating in the Upper West Side with 250,000+ annual visitors, CMOM is undergoing amajor expansion. The institution is transitioning to a new home at 361 West 96th Street (scheduled for late2028/early 2029) and is doubling its operating budget, marking a period of unprecedented growth and strategic evolution.

ABOUT THE POSITION

CMOM seeks an entrepreneurial, visionary Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to drive financial strategy during this transformative, high-growth phase. Reporting directly to the CEO, the CFO will serve as a core strategic partner to executive leadership while providing essential stewardship, transparent reporting, and strategic support to the Board of Directors. This executive will manage a $300M capital project, oversee operational scaling from $8M to $18M, and ensure long-term financial sustainability. This leader will continue to modernize financial systems while cultivating a growth-oriented, collaborative culture.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Financial Partnership & Governance

• Serve as key strategic partner to the CEO and Executive Leadership Team, actively co-authoring the business models required to support a scaled multi-site operation and doubled budget.
• Act as an entrepreneurial strategist, seeking innovative financial solutions to align creative ambitionswith institutional resources.
• Act as a direct liaison and thought partner to the Board Chair and Finance & Audit Committee Chair, providing complete and transparent visibility into financial modeling, cash flow and cash balanceforecasting, debt compliance, and risk analysis. Work collaboratively with the Finance and Audit Board Committee, driving the meeting agendas and ensuring reporting, governance compliance, and immediate escalation of any potentially material financial or risk exposures to the Board Chair.
• Champion organizational systems maturity, professionalizing internal controls and reporting frameworks.
• Take ownership of the design, and continuous refinement of comprehensive financial models, operating budgets and annual forecast models, cash flow and cash balance models, and long-term forecasts for the scaled-up operation in the new building. Partner in an iterative, collaborative fashion with all department heads and executive leadership to build out, optimize, and align coordinated departmental budgets with strategic institutional targets.

Capital Project, Debt & Endowment Stewardship

• Provide rigorous financial oversight for the $300M capital campaign in close partnership with the Board Chair, Building Committee and Finance and Audit Committee, navigating complex funding, institutional grants, pledge agreements and sophisticated debt and cash management strategy, including active management of and compliance reporting for credit facilities and liquidity bridges tied to pledge realizations.
• Oversee and optimize the endowment portfolio in collaboration with the Finance and Audit Committee to ensure long-term growth.
• Direct cash flow management, ensuring financial stability during the transition to the new facility.

Fiscal Discipline & Departmental Alignment

• Instill cross-functional budget discipline, collaborating with program, advancement, and operations teams to monitor and evaluate financial practices.
• Lead core accounting operations, including audits, forecasting, and compliance.
• Evolve the finance team structure, promoting a collaborative and responsive culture.
• Champion equitable People Operations, focusing on competitive, transparent compensation and benefits for a growing staff.
• Manage risk and physical assets through contract reviews and insurance management.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience: Substantial experience as a CFO or senior financial leader in a complex non-profit, cultural, or similar organization.
• Financial Mastery: Expert in non-profit GAAP, endowment management, capital projects, and grant compliance.
• Governance Support: Demonstrated maturity in managing accountability to CEO while maintaining transparent, direct communication channels with Board and Audit Committee leadership on complex risk, strategic and capital matters.
• Growth Capabilities: Experience leading through major organizational scaling or capital transitions.
• Education: CPA, MBA, or equivalent advanced financial education.
• Mindset & Skills: Decisive, innovative, and skilled in analytical storytelling.
• Judgement, Integrity & Ethics: Highest standards of professional ethics, personal integrity, and sound judgment

COMPENSATION

$200,000-$250,000 annually

BENEFITS

Our company offers a comprehensive benefits package including vision, dental and medical (free medical coverage for employees, with premium plans available for dependents), 403B, life insurance, EAP, Paid Holidays, Personal Time Off, Vacation leave, and Sick leave. We also offer a range of voluntary benefits, such as FSA, critical illness, accident insurance, legal services, and pet insurance. As a CMOM employee, you are eligible for free admission to other New York City cultural institutions.

The Children's Museum of Manhattan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage people from all backgrounds, ages, abilities, and experiences to apply.