Chief Financial Officer

St. Louis Science Center; St. Louis (MO); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

St. Louis Science Center is seeking a Chief Financial Officer to lead financial strategy, oversee budgeting, and guide investments across funding streams. The role partners with the President and CEO and senior leaders to ensure a data-driven, financially sustainable future.

You will manage finance and IT, mentor staff, and serve as liaison to the Board while ensuring regulatory compliance and transparent reporting. A CPA or advanced degree with nonprofit finance experience is preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in finance required; master’s degree and/or CPA preferred; nonprofit finance experience.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience leading financial operations.
• Experience in growth-phase organizations and capital budgeting preferred.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Experience planning and managing financial investment strategies.
• Experience overseeing 457(b) retirement plans.
• Ability to use good judgment, and communicate with tact and diplomacy.
• Proven people management and collaboration skills.
• Ability to motivate and lead a high-performance management team.
• Proven skills in financial planning, budgeting, and analysis.
• Working knowledge of GASG, GAAP, and FASB.

Responsibilities

• Serve as strategic financial advisor to the President/CEO with analytics, financial modeling, and growth initiatives.
• Lead long-range financial planning, annual budgets for operations and capital projects, forecasting and scenario modeling.
• Provide daily leadership of finance and IT departments and model core organizational values.
• Lead and mentor the finance team, promoting accountability and professional growth.
• Serve as staff liaison to the Board, presenting monthly financial reports.
• Oversee preparation of annual audited financial statements with independent CPAs.
• Oversee timely IRS Form 990 and other regulatory filings.
• Collaborate with attorneys/consultants to ensure contract compliance and financial integrity.
• Oversee finance staff to support reporting for public and private funding.
• Oversee risk management and liability insurance coverage.
• Direct IT contractors and manage technology infrastructure.
• Coordinate with HR and departments during workforce planning to meet goals.
• Oversee retirement benefits administration.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Planning & organization

Attention to detail

Judgment & diplomacy

People management

Financial planning & budgeting

401(k)/retirement plans experience

Communication to leadership

Collaboration

Team leadership

Financial analysis & modeling

GAAP knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree in finance

Master’s degree or CPA (preferred)

Job description

Description

Job Title: Chief Financial Officer

Reports To: President and CEO

FLSA/Status: Exempt

Prepared By: Ray Vandiver

Prepared Date: June 2026

SUMMARY

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is responsible for leading the Saint Louis Science Center’s (the Science Center) financial strategies, providing operational oversight and strategic leadership across funding streams, investments, and budgetary processes. This position partners with leadership across the organization to align organizational strategy with financial goals to help achieve the Science Center’s mission and long‑term objectives. The role of CFO at the Science Center is key to ensuring a continued financially sustainable future that is data-driven and rooted in best practices; they will drive improved business acumen across the organization by providing actionable insights, operational transparency, and financial frameworks that support efficient, informed, and financially disciplined decision making across the organization.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as a strategic financial advisor to President/CEO by providing decision support analytics, financial modeling, operational insights, organizational performance analysis and strategy, and growth initiatives.
• Lead the Science Center’s long-range financial planning, annual budgeting for operations and capital projects, forecasting, scenario modeling, and multi-year financial planning processes.
• Provide day-to-day leadership and oversight of the Science Center’s finance and IT departments; modeling organizational and leadership values.
• Lead, mentor, and develop finance and accounting team, fostering a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and professional growth.
• Serve as Staff Liaison to the Board of Commissioners through designated committees, including Finance Committee and Audit Committee, attending all committee meetings, presenting monthly financial reports, and supporting committing in fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities.
• Responsible for the preparation of the annual audited financial statements. Work directly with independent certified public accountants to ensure compliance with AICPA standards.
• Oversee preparation and timely filling of IRS form 990 and any other local, state, or federal required regulatory filings.
• Work directly with attorneys or consultants to ensure compliance and the financial integrity of all applicable contracts and commitments.
• Oversee financial staff to ensure the general ledger is maintained to support reporting requirements for both a publicly and privately funded entity.
• Responsible for overall risk management and maintenance of adequate commercial liability insurance coverage.
• Directs and coordinates the Science Center’s IT contractors, managing the business partnership and is responsible for the short and long‑term technical infrastructure to meet the technological needs of the organization.
• Work with HR and departmental leaders during annual workforce planning to ensure the Science Center attains its financial goals.
• Oversee the administration of the Science Center’s retirement benefits.
• Perform other duties as requested.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in finance required, master’s degree and/or CPA preferred, with strong non‑profit finance experience
• Minimum 10 years’ experience leading financial operations
• Experience working in an organization in growth phase and planning capital budgets preferred
• Excellent planning and organizational skills
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Experience planning and managing financial investment strategies
• Experience overseeing 457 (b) retirement plans
• The ability to use good judgment, and communicate with tact, and diplomacy
• Proven people management and collaboration skills
• The ability to motivate and lead a high-performance management team
• Proven skills in financial planning, budgeting, and analysis
• Working knowledge of GASG, GAAP, and FASB

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times.
• Must be able to access and navigate each department at the organization's facilities.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The duties of this position are performed in a typical office environment. May be required to work some weekends and/or holidays.