Vice President, Budget & Financial Analysis

New York Botanical Garden•New York, NY

1d•$200,000 - $225,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Vice President, Budget & Financial Analysis is the Garden’s senior leader for enterprise financial strategy and analysis, institutional decision-making support, operating and capital budgeting, grants and contracts, and financial systems. Reporting to the CFO, the VP serves as a strategic financial leader and advisor to executive leadership, business units across the Garden, and the Board of Trustees. The VP helps shape organizational priorities and resource allocation decisions by providing rigorous financial analysis, evaluating strategic alternatives, and identifying risks and opportunities. The VP owns the annual and multi-year financial planning for the Garden’s $100 million operating budget. NYBG has multiple complex revenue and expense streams, including endowment income ($460 million endowment), earned income (retail, parking, admissions, membership, food services) and government funding (Federal, State and City). The VP leads the development and continuous refinement of the multi-year financial model; prepares business plans, scenario analyses, and profit-and-loss statements for existing operations and new operating and capital initiatives; identifies emerging risks and opportunities; and establishes disciplined processes for reporting and monitoring performance against budget. This highly collaborative leadership role has three direct reports: AVP for Grants and Contracts, Budget Director, and Director of Financial Systems & Reporting. Together, these teams oversee the operating and capital budgets, government reimbursements, grants and contracts, financial systems (NYBG’s ERP system is Unit4), management reporting, and related compliance. The VP provides leadership and professional development to their direct reports as well as additional team members through these direct reports.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree, ideally in finance, accounting, economics, business administration, public administration or a related field.
Minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible financial planning, analysis, budgeting, or related finance experience, including significant leadership responsibility in a complex organization.
Demonstrated expertise in strategic financial analysis, long-range modeling, scenario planning, operating budgeting, capital budgeting, business planning, and P&L development.
Significant experience in nonprofit or similarly complex fund environments, including government funding, endowment-supported activities, contracts and grants, and restricted resources.
Experience overseeing or partnering closely with financial systems and reporting teams, including ERP environments, data governance and process improvement.
Strong knowledge of compliance and internal controls.
Proven ability to advise senior executives and participate effectively in executive and Board-level decision-making, including presenting complex analyses, alternatives, and recommendations clearly and persuasively.
Advanced financial modeling and analytical skills, including expert-level Excel skills; strong proficiency with presentation and reporting tools.
Demonstrated success leading managers and professional teams, developing talent, setting priorities, managing through change, and fostering accountability across direct and indirect reporting relationships.
Exceptional judgment, intellectual curiosity, initiative, integrity, organization, communication, and relationship-building skills.
Ability to move effectively between strategy and execution, manage multiple high-priority workstreams, and deliver accurate work under deadlines.

Nice To Haves

MBA, MPA, or other relevant advanced degree.
Experience in a cultural institution, higher education, scientific or research organization, or other mission-driven nonprofit with diverse programs and revenue streams.
Experience with New York City and New York State operating and capital funding and reimbursement processes.
Experience with Federal grants for scientific research, particularly National Science Foundation grants.
Experience modernizing enterprise planning, financial systems, dashboards, reporting, and analytical practices.
Experience supporting a large endowment and integrating endowment spending and restrictions into institutional planning.

Responsibilities

Partner with the CFO, COO, and President, as well as other leaders across the Garden to evaluate budget priorities, develop strategic financial plans, allocate resources, and make informed decisions that advance the Garden’s mission and long-term financial sustainability.
Serve as a proactive thought-partner who frames key questions, identifies areas where deeper analysis can improve decisions, and develops actionable recommendations.
Lead analyses and recommendations that inform and influence strategic, operational, capital, and investment decisions across the Garden.
Develop and present executive- and Board-level materials that synthesize complex information, clarify key drivers and tradeoffs, and facilitate timely decisions.
In partnership with executive leadership, develop, monitor and adjust institutional financial models to support NYBG’s strategic initiatives.
Own and continuously enhance the Garden’s integrated multi-year financial model, incorporating components such as earned income, capital plans, restricted funding, and strategic initiatives.
Develop base-case, upside, and downside scenarios; evaluate sensitivities; identify structural gaps; and recommend actions that balance growth and financial sustainability.
Partner with the CFO and Controller to ensure forecasts and planning analyses reconcile appropriately to actual year-end results.
Lead the development of business plans and P&Ls for major areas of the Garden and proposed new initiatives.
Partner with unit leaders to define meaningful financial and operational performance measures and interpret results in the context of strategic goals.
Build decision tools and repeatable templates that improve consistency, speed, and quality of planning across the institution.
Provide executive oversight over the Budget team and their work developing and monitoring the Garden’s annual operating budget; this includes periodic reforecasts, quarterly variance analyses, and year-end projections.
Develop tools and models, as well as management strategies, to ensure the budget team accurately monitors all expenses (personnel, fringe and non-personnel costs) and revenues throughout the year.
Ensure leadership and units receive timely, accurate, and actionable budget reporting, with clear understanding of any material variances and recommended action steps to mitigate.
Promote financial accountability across the Garden through effective guidance, tools, training, and follow-through.
Collaborate closely with Controller’s Office at year end for budget adjustments and reconciliations.
Oversee Grants and Contracts team to ensure capital budgets are developed and tracked accurately and that government reimbursements are received in a timely fashion.
Working with CFO and Associate Controller, ensure capital budget informs operating forecasts, cash requirements, funding plans, and government reimbursement schedules.
Provide executive oversight and subject-matter guidance to the AVP for Grants and Contracts relating to City and State operating reimbursements, capital budget oversight and reimbursement, and research grants and contracts.
Maintain regular communication with Government Relations unit regarding incoming reimbursements and backup for government awards.
Ensure effective financial administration and compliance across government, endowment, contract and grant, and other restricted fund types, in coordination with the Controller.
Ensure grants and contracts budgeting, reporting, documentation, and closeout processes are accurate, timely, audit-ready, and consistent with award terms and applicable requirements.
Partner with the Controller to maintain appropriate segregation of duties and alignment among budgeting, grants administration, accounting, compliance, and financial reporting.
Provide executive oversight and strategic direction to the Director of Financial Systems & Reporting, including financial system governance, management reports, chart of accounts and chartfield design, data integrity, and user support.
Define a roadmap for financial systems and reporting that improves access to trusted information, reduces manual work, strengthens controls, and supports informed decision-making across the Garden.
Working with the Director of Financial Systems & Reporting, ensure all teams (Budget, Contracts and Grants, and Controller’s Office) are continually improving technology platforms for better reporting, testing and budgeting.
Champion Finance unit’s adoption of Artificial Intelligence tools, including appropriate use of automation, visualization, and analytical tools.
Maintain strong oversight of compliance within the VP’s areas, including government funding, grants and contracts, restricted resources, capital reimbursements, system access and governance, and planning documentation.
Collaborate with the Controller on internal controls, audit readiness, financial statement support, chart of accounts governance, fund restrictions, and consistent flow of accurate financial data across NYBG.
Ensure policies, procedures, training materials, and guidance within the VP’s areas are clear, current, practical, and accessible across the Garden.
Coordinate with Institutional Advancement, Human Resources, Information Technology, Legal, Facilities, Science, Education, Exhibitions, Visitor Services, and other units to support integrated planning and compliance.
Undertake special projects and analyses at the request of the CFO, COO, or President and CEO.
Lead, coach, and develop three direct reports and, through them, five additional team members, fostering accountability, collaboration, professional growth, continuous improvement, and excellent service to the Garden.
Develop team members through professional growth opportunities, succession planning, cross-training and documentation of practices.
Promote a culture of curiosity and proactive analysis in which the team anticipates questions, identifies opportunities, and brings forward solutions.