Associate Director of Museum Operations

Job Profile:

Finance Manager 3

Job Family:

Budget, Planning and Financial Analysis

Time Type:

Full time

Max Pay – Depends on experience:

$96,000.00 USD Annual

Apply before 11:59 PM Arizona time the day before the posted End Date.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree and nine (9) years of experience appropriate to the area of assignment/field including five (5) years managerial experience; OR, Any equivalent combination of experience and/or training from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.

Job Profile Summary:
Plans, develops, and implements financial strategic goals, priorities, policies, and procedures across multiple finance functional areas to ensure financial resource deployment. Coordinates with units across the University and leads development of budgets and forecasts. Provides consulting advice and recommendations on best practices in budget and planning.

Job Description:

The Associate Director of Museum Operations provides strategic and operational financial leadership for the ASU Art Museum. This role ensures the accuracy, integrity, and transparency of financial operations while supporting the museum’s mission and programming. The position combines ASU’s expectations for fiscal oversight with the specialized financial requirements of a museum environment, including the use of the museum’s customized internal financial systems.

The Associate Director collaborates closely with the Executive Director and department heads to manage

budgets, guide resource allocation, and provide actionable financial insights that support strategic decision-making.

Position Salary Range:

• $85,700- $96,000; depends on experience with the posted range.

Essential Duties:

• Financial Management & Accounting

• Oversee daily fiscal operations, including accounts payable/receivable, payroll, reconciliations, and internal reporting.
• Maintain accurate bookkeeping and financial records within ASU’s, HIDA’s & the Museum’s internal financial system, ensuring timely processing of transactions and journal entries.
• Prepare monthly and quarterly financial statements, cash flow projections, and budget-to-actual analyses for the Executive Director and relevant leadership.
• Ensure compliance with ASU policies, internal controls, and applicable accounting standards.
• Collaborate with auditors as needed to support internal and external financial reviews.

• Budgeting & Department Collaboration

• Partner with department heads (curatorial, education, exhibitions, development, visitor services, etc.) to develop annual budgets aligned with museum programs and strategic priorities.
• Provide financial guidance throughout the budgeting process, including historical analysis, forecasting, and allocation of resources.
• Conduct monthly budget-to-actual reviews, analyzing variances, clarifying trends, and recommending adjustments to optimize programmatic impact.
• Develop customized financial reports tailored to museum operations, programs, and internal funding requirements.
• Collaborate with Development staff to track grant and project budgets, supporting proposal preparation and internal reporting.
• Train and mentor staff to improve financial literacy and understanding of budget management.

• Strategic & Operational Leadership

• Advise the Executive Director and senior leadership on financial planning, risk management, and long-term sustainability strategies.
• Identify opportunities for cost savings, operational efficiencies, and strategic reallocation of resources.
• Support the museum in maintaining strong fiscal health and compliance within ASU’s financial framework.

• Other Duties

• Provide oversight for the Security & Facilities team, ensuring the safety, security, and operational efficiency of museum spaces.
• Provide indirect supervision and support to all museum staff, fostering collaboration, accountability, and professional development across departments.
• Oversee personnel-related functions, including hiring, training, professional development, performance management, and administration of personnel files
• Perform additional responsibilities as assigned by the Executive Director to support museum operations and strategic initiatives.

Desired Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related field (CPA or MBA preferred).
• Minimum of 5 years of financial management experience, preferably in higher education, museums, or cultural institutions.
• Strong proficiency with accounting systems and advanced Excel skills; familiarity with ASU’s internal financial systems, Workday, Adaptive & Salesforce is preferred.
• Knowledge of financial reporting, budgeting, and internal control practices; nonprofit 501(c)(3) experience helpful but not required.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate complex financial data for non-financial stakeholders.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and maintain attention to detail.
• Collaborative approach and experience supporting multidisciplinary teams.

Working Environment:

• Activities are performed in an environmentally controlled office setting subject to extended periods of sitting, keyboarding and manipulating a computer mouse 75 percent; required to stand for varying lengths of time and walk moderate distances to perform work 10 percent.
• Ability to clearly communicate to perform essential functions.
• Frequent bending, reaching, lifting, pushing and pulling up to 25 pounds 15 percent.
• Regular activities require ability to quickly change priorities, which may include or are subject to resolution of conflicts.

Department Statement:

The Herberger Institute comprises six schools: ASU FIDM; the School of Art; the School of Arts, Media and Engineering; The Design School; The Sidney Poitier New American Film School; and the School of Music, Dance and Theatre; and two museums: ASU Art Museum and the ASU FIDM Museum. With programs ranked top 20 and more than 125 degree and certificate options in art, dance, design, fashion, film, media arts and sciences, and more, plus a top university art museum, a leading immersive media facility, and national and international partnerships, the Herberger Institute is a powerhouse of art, culture and design and a model of inclusive excellence.

Our mission is to position designers, artists, scholars and educators at the center of public life and prepare them to use their creative capacities to advance culture, build community and imaginatively address today’s most pressing challenges.

The vision of the Herberger Institute is to advance the New American University by embedding designers, artists and arts-based inquiry at its core and throughout the communities it serves locally, nationally and internationally. With almost 9,000 students and more than 750 faculty members, the Herberger Institute is committed to redefining the 21st-century design and arts school.

As part of Arizona State University, the most innovative university in the nation, the Herberger Institute seeks to drive and scale new ways for arts and design to have impact in our world. We invite you to join our work.

Values:

• Creativity as a core 21st-century competency
• Design and the arts as critical resources for transforming our society
• Innovation, enterprise and entrepreneurship
• Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration and research
• Social embeddedness
• Projecting all voices
• Excellence

https://herbergerinstitute.asu.edu/

Why work @ASU - https://cfo.asu.edu/why-work-asu : Total compensation at ASU is defined as more than the salary paid for the valuable work performed to support the success of our ASU students. It includes:

• Salary and wages paid
• Comprehensive package of affordable benefit plans and programs
• Access to world-class educational opportunities at deeply discounted rates
• ASU's total compensation estimator shows the approximate value of your overall compensation

ASU is a diverse enterprise with a wide variety of work and learning modes, locations and a commitment to sustainability, innovation and employee work-life balance. We are determined to maintain our position as an employer of choice in a competitive labor market.

Flexible work options

• Alternative work schedules can include four, 10-hour workdays in a workweek; a nine-day, 80-hour schedule over two workweeks for exempt employees only; and staggered start and stop times.
• Hybrid work is an arrangement where employees spend a minimum of 60% of their regular workweek at their primary ASU work location. Dean or vice president-level approval is required.

Driving Requirement:

Driving is not required for this position.

Location:

Campus: Tempe

Funding:

No Federal Funding

Instructions to Apply:

Current Employees and Students should apply directly within Workday using the Jobs Hub. Use this link and log in using SSO:

https://www.myworkday.com/asu/d/inst/1$9925/9925$14008.htmld

To be considered, your application must include all of the following attachments:

• Cover letter
• Resume/CV

Note: Multiple documents can be submitted into the attachment box. Alternatively, merge all documents into one PDF for submission.

Please include all employment information in month/year format (e.g., 6/88 to 8/94), job title, job duties and name of employer for each position. Resume should clearly illustrate how prior knowledge and experience meets the Minimum and Desired qualifications of this position. NOTE: GA and Intern positions are counted as .5 for job experience (ie. 1 year equals 6 months experience equivalency). Only electronic applications are accepted for this position.

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ASU Statement:

Arizona State University is a new model for American higher education, an unprecedented combination of academic excellence, entrepreneurial energy and broad access. This New American University is a single, unified institution comprising four differentiated campuses positively impacting the economic, social, cultural and environmental health of the communities it serves. Its research is inspired by real world application blurring the boundaries that traditionally separate academic disciplines. ASU serves more than 100,000 students in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, the nation's fifth largest city. ASU champions inclusive excellence, and welcomes students from all fifty states and more than one hundred nations across the globe.

ASU is a tobacco-free university. For details visit https://wellness.asu.edu/explore-wellness/body/alcohol-and-drugs/tobacco

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.

Notice of Availability of the ASU Annual Security and Fire Safety Report:

In compliance with federal law, ASU prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and resources. ASU’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://www.asu.edu/police/PDFs/ASU-Clery-Report.pdf . You may request a hard copy of the report by contacting the ASU Police Department at 480-965-3456.

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Employment Verification Statement:

ASU conducts pre-employment screening which may include verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses, and certifications.

Background Check Statement:

ASU conducts pre-employment screening for all positions which includes a criminal background check, verification of work history, academic credentials, licenses, and certifications. Employment is contingent upon successful passing of the background check.

Fingerprint Check Statement:

This position is considered safety/security sensitive and will include a fingerprint check. Employment is contingent upon successful passing of the fingerprint check.