Full-Time Senior Director of Finance

Senior Director Of Finance

Liberty Science Center (LSC) is on a mission to inspire a love for science and technology learning, and we're growing rapidly. We're seeking a visionary and entrepreneurial Senior Director of Finance to join our dynamic team and significantly impact our financial future. If you're a strategic financial leader with a passion for mission-driven work, this is an extraordinary opportunity to shape the financial landscape of a globally recognized science center.

As our Senior Director of Finance, you won't just oversee numbers; you'll be a vital strategic partner to LSC's senior leadership. You'll move beyond traditional financial management, delivering sophisticated modeling and strategic analysis that directly supports and scales our ambitious goals. You will lead and mentor our dedicated finance team, fostering their professional growth while ensuring impeccable financial reporting, compliance, and long-term sustainability. With an operating budget of approximately $30 million, you will be instrumental in managing our entire financial landscape, including the strategic growth of earned revenue. This influential position reports directly to LSC's Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer.

We're searching for a finance genius who is also an exceptional people leader with high emotional intelligence. You'll be a hands-on leader who builds immediate trust and confidence through sound judgment and unwavering discretion. You possess deep technical expertise in accounting and finance, complemented by a proven track record of successfully managing finance teams, overseeing diverse revenue streams (ideally in a high-attendance environment), and expertly handling both internal and external financial reporting. You are a truly collaborative team player with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, high initiative, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.

Your responsibilities will be dynamic and evolve with business needs, but will include :

• Strategic Financial Leadership : Partner with the EVP / CFO to strategically oversee LSC's entire financial landscape, including its approximately $30 million operating budget.
• Operational Excellence : Direct all facets of financial operations, ensuring excellence across accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, general ledger maintenance, and financial reporting. Oversee comprehensive monthly closing procedures for precise financial results.
• Strategic Analysis & Growth : Work closely with revenue owners to construct sophisticated financial models and perform strategic analyses to grow existing revenue initiatives. Also, empower revenue owners by clarifying financial and operational implications, and collaborate on innovative strategies for growth, including setting monthly and annual revenue goals and identifying new revenue sources.
• Budget & Forecasting : Collaborate with department heads and revenue owners to develop LSC's annual operating budget, encompassing all revenue streams (earned, contributed, and profit centers) and operating expenses. Consolidate institutional forecast and performance data, working across departments and with third-party vendors, to prepare holistic strategies for LSC's ongoing development.
• Compliance & Reporting : Ensure full compliance with all internal and external financial reporting requirements. Oversee the administration, financial reporting, and compliance of the organization's Endowment, Savings, and Retirement Plans.
• Process Improvement : Continuously enhance and rigorously enforce the organization's fiscal policies and procedures, and look for opportunities for improvement
• Performance Monitoring : Manage existing financial reporting systems and schedules, and enhance existing financial dashboards and key performance indicators (KPIs) for effective management use. Lead monthly variance analysis of actual financial performance versus budget / forecast, including spearheading monthly and quarterly internal reporting for senior management and quarterly board reporting.
• Audit & Tax Oversight : Oversee and collaborate with the finance team on preparations for the annual audit and annual tax return filings.
• External Representation : Represent the organization externally when necessary, particularly with LSC's financial institutions, insurance brokers, and auditors.
• Special Projects & Capital Initiatives : Work closely with the EVP & CFO on all aspects of financial reporting and modeling related to SciTech Scity, LSC's exciting new innovation campus. Partner on financing needs for major capital projects, including building renovations, exhibition enhancements, and SciTech Scity. Assist the EVP & CFO with other special projects as needed, contributing to LSC's strategic initiatives.
• Payroll : Collaborate cross-functionally with our Chief People Officer and Payroll Manager to ensure that our time and attendance, payroll, and benefits processes meet our current business needs and are compliant.

Desired Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities (KSAs)

Preferred Qualifications

This position leads our Finance Department, currently a dedicated team of three employees. This role requires minimal domestic travel. This is a full-time, exempt position. The typical work schedule is Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. A flexible work schedule or additional hours may be required to meet job demands, which could include early morning, evening, or weekend work based on business needs. Until further notice, this role is eligible for a hybrid work schedule, determined by the EVP & CFO. All staff must be onsite a minimum of three days per week (Tuesdays and Thursdays are mandatory "All In" days), but senior leaders are expected to be in the office as necessary to meet the needs of the business.

Liberty Science Center is conveniently located in a beautiful state park in Jersey City, New Jersey, offering easy access to free parking, the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail, and the NJ Path train. We are a pleasant 15-minute commute from lower Manhattan.

Compensation for this position is commensurate with your abilities, education, certifications, and experience and is expected to be in the range of $120,000 - $135,000. In addition to your salary, you will receive a generous benefits package, including but not limited to :

To apply : Please submit your resume and a personalized cover letter via LSC's careers page. Attach your cover letter and resume as a single PDF file. Your cover letter should clearly articulate how your background, experience