Director of Finance and Business Planning

Straz Center for the Performing Arts•Tampa, FL

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Straz Center for the Performing Arts is seeking a Director of Finance and Business Planning to provide financial leadership for the Patel Conservatory. This role involves overseeing day-to-day financial operations, serving as the primary resource for budgeting, forecasting, financial analysis, and financial planning to support the Conservatory's growth. The Director will report to the Chief Arts Education Officer (CAEO) with an indirect report to the Straz Center's Finance Department. Key responsibilities include managing the Conservatory's annual budget, financial reporting, forecasting, revenue analysis, financial controls, and financial administration. The position also involves developing financial models to support leadership's planning for new programs, enrollment expansion, facility capacity increases, and other growth opportunities. The Director will collaborate with various Conservatory and Straz Center departments to understand financial drivers and translate them into actionable insights. The ideal candidate will possess strong finance, accounting, and FP&A skills, combined with experience in the performing arts, entertainment, arts education, theater, dance, music, or live-event industry. A solid understanding of how arts programs are created and delivered is crucial for developing realistic financial assumptions and models. This role focuses on financial partnership and does not determine artistic or programmatic direction. The Director ensures adherence to Center-wide financial policies, accounting standards, and closing calendars in partnership with the Straz Center's Finance Department.

Requirements

Strong financial planning, forecasting, budgeting, and financial analysis skills.
Demonstrated experience developing financial models, forecasts, and scenario analyses that support organizational or programmatic decisions.
Strong knowledge of GAAP, nonprofit fund accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting.
Experience with month-end close, reconciliations, and audit support, and knowledge of internal controls, including segregation of duties.
Knowledge of HR headcount and compensation reporting and analysis.
Meaningful professional experience in the performing arts, entertainment, arts education, theater, dance, music, or live-event industry.
Understanding of the operational and financial components involved in producing live performances, classes, workshops, camps, intensives, and other arts programming.
Ability to understand how enrollment, staffing, programming, facilities, production requirements, and pricing affect financial performance.
Advanced Excel skills, including complex formulas, pivot tables, financial modeling, forecasting, and data analysis.
Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to communicate financial information effectively to both finance professionals and creative/artistic colleagues.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a dynamic performing arts environment.
High level of professional judgment, discretion, accountability, and financial integrity.
Ability to uphold financial policies and controls while maintaining collaborative relationships with creative and artistic leaders.
Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Arts Administration, or a related field required.
Minimum seven years of progressive experience in finance, FP&A, accounting, financial analysis, or related fields.
Minimum three to five years of experience in or closely supporting a performing arts, entertainment, cultural, arts education, theater, dance, music, or live-event organization strongly preferred.
Demonstrated experience with financial modeling, forecasting, budgeting, and business analysis.
Experience supporting organizational growth, new program development, facility expansion, or other significant business initiatives preferred.
Nonprofit financial experience required.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Financial Edge NXT, Tessitura, ASAP, or comparable nonprofit financial, ticketing, enrollment, or CRM systems preferred.
An advanced degree or certification in Finance, Business, Arts Administration, or a related field are considered a plus.

Responsibilities

Direct the day-to-day financial operations of the Patel Conservatory, ensuring accurate accounting, reconciliation, reporting, and analysis of financial activity.
Oversee daily, monthly, quarterly, and annual accounting activities, including general ledger reconciliations, financial transaction imports, and month-end and year-end close requirements.
Lead the development, management, and refinement of the Conservatory's annual operating budget, including departmental budgets for Dance, Music, Theater, and other programs and activities.
Prepare and present monthly financial reports, budget-to-actual analyses, variance reports, and financial forecasts for the CAEO and Straz Center Finance leadership.
Maintain accurate operating forecasts based on enrollment, tuition, ticket sales, payroll, teaching artist costs, production expenses, facility usage, and other key financial drivers.
Partner with department chairs and program leaders to establish budgets, evaluate financial performance, and support responsible management of approved departmental resources.
Oversee financial tracking and settlement for Conservatory productions, showcases, concerts, workshops, camps, intensives, and other activities.
Coordinate annual and external audit requests and responses through Straz Center Finance, maintain appropriate financial documentation, and ensure compliance with GAAP, nonprofit fund accounting principles, Straz Center financial policies, and applicable reporting requirements.
Serve as the Conservatory's primary resource for strategic financial planning and analysis related to organizational growth, program expansion, and long-term financial sustainability.
Develop and maintain multi-year financial forecasts and financial models incorporating enrollment, tuition, earned revenue, staffing, program expenses, facility costs, and other key operating assumptions.
Conduct break-even, sensitivity, and scenario analyses to evaluate proposed initiatives and model the financial impact of changes in enrollment, pricing, class size, program frequency, staffing, schedules, facility capacity, and production scale.
Develop financial projections for new and expanded classes, workshops, camps, intensives, productions, performances, master classes, and other educational programs, evaluating anticipated revenue, expenses, staffing, capacity, and financial sustainability.
Evaluate the financial and operational implications of Conservatory facility expansion and increased program capacity, including staffing, equipment, technology, maintenance, utilities, production infrastructure, and other ongoing costs.
Maintain historical financial benchmarks and planning assumptions to improve the accuracy of future forecasts, budgets, and strategic financial recommendations.
Provide financial analysis and recommendations to the CAEO regarding business trends, growth opportunities, resource allocation, and long-term financial performance.
Partner with department chairs, program leaders, and production staff to develop, review, and manage budgets and financial models for productions, showcases, concerts, recitals, classes, workshops, camps, intensives, master classes, and other Conservatory activities.
Apply knowledge of performing arts operations to evaluate program requirements and develop appropriate financial assumptions for teaching artists, guest artists, directors, choreographers, designers, technical labor, rehearsal and performance schedules, licensing, scenery, costumes, props, equipment, rentals, marketing, and other program expenses.
Review proposed program budgets with department and program leaders, assess financial assumptions, identify areas requiring additional analysis, and provide financial information to support responsible management of approved budgets.
Conduct post-program financial reviews comparing actual results with approved budgets and forecasts.
Route proposed budget amendments, reallocations, and overages through the Straz Center budget approval process.
Partner with Admissions and Conservatory leadership to oversee the financial administration and reconciliation of tuition, registration, and other enrollment-related transactions.
Monitor enrollment trends, registration activity, program capacity, seasonal revenue cycles, and earned revenue from tuition, tickets, camps, workshops, intensives, private lessons, and other Conservatory activities.
Develop enrollment, tuition, and revenue models to evaluate the financial implications of changes in class size, course offerings, pricing, schedules, scholarships, and capacity.
Establish and maintain payment, refund, and related financial risk-management policies in collaboration with Admissions and Straz Center Finance.
Coordinate the financial tracking and administration of Conservatory grants, sponsorships, scholarships, and restricted funds, ensuring accurate accounting, appropriate documentation, and compliance with applicable funding requirements.
Serve as the lead financial administrator for institutional scholarships, monitoring awards and related financial commitments and verifying that applied awards align with designated restricted donor funds.
Partner with Development and Conservatory leadership to evaluate the financial implications of proposed restricted funding, grant-funded initiatives, and associated program commitments.
Provide financial analysis to assess the sustainability of programs supported by grants, sponsorships, scholarships, or other temporary or restricted funding sources.
Develop, implement, and maintain Conservatory financial policies, procedures, workflows, and internal controls consistent with Straz Center's control framework, including appropriate segregation of duties.
Oversee financial reconciliations and control reviews, including monthly Balance Sheet and Profit & Loss account reconciliations and reconciliation of enrollment system activity to the general ledger.
Review payroll allocations to ensure accurate distribution of expenses across programs and departments.
Review budget availability and financial terms for teaching artists, guest instructors, designers, directors, choreographers, consultants, vendors, and other independent contractors before contract execution.
Support purchasing, vendor management, contract administration, expense management, and related financial controls in coordination with appropriate departments.
Partner with Straz Center Finance, Human Resources, IT, and other departments to maintain effective financial systems, strengthen cross-departmental processes, and improve financial reporting and administrative efficiency.
Lead the migration and implementation of new school management and enrollment systems in coordination with Straz Center Finance and IT.
Identify and implement improvements to financial, enrollment, ticketing, and reporting systems to strengthen data accuracy, financial oversight, internal controls, and operational effectiveness.