Scion Executive Search has been retained to identify the next Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP), a nonprofit museum dedicated to activating the world-shaping power of pop culture through participative experiences, discovery, and play.
MOPOP is seeking a strategic, entrepreneurial, and highly collaborative financial leader who will serve as more than a traditional financial steward. The CFO will be a commercially minded, mission-driven business partner who understands the financial drivers behind attendance, pricing, consumer behavior, philanthropy, and organizational growth.
ABOUT MOPOP:
Located in the heart of Seattle, MOPOP brings together music, film, fashion, gaming, science fiction, sports, and more to explore the stories, people, and creative movements that shape our world. Through immersive exhibitions, iconic collections, live programs, education, and participatory experiences, MOPOP creates opportunities for curiosity, discovery, joy, and connection.
MOPOP is committed to building an organization where diverse perspectives, identities, experiences, and ways of thinking are valued and strengthen our work and impact. To learn more, visit https://www.MOPOP.org/.
POSITION OVERVIEW:
The CFO serves as a strategic thought partner to the CEO, Executive Leadership Team, and Board of Directors, providing visionary financial leadership that supports organizational sustainability, innovation, and growth.
The CFO oversees Finance and Information Technology, leading through two direct reports: the Controller and Director of Information Technology. The role also provides executive oversight of enterprise risk management, compliance, legal coordination, financial systems, and organizational infrastructure.
As MOPOP continues to diversify revenue, grow philanthropy, modernize systems, strengthen infrastructure, and pursue new opportunities for innovation and growth, the CFO will play a central role in building the financial models, systems, and decision-making capabilities necessary for the museum's future.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
Financial + Organizational Leadership
- Lead and develop a high-performing team across Finance, Information Technology, legal, compliance, and other key infrastructure functions.
- Partner with the CEO and Executive Leadership Team to develop and execute short- and long-term financial strategies, including budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling, scenario planning, cash management, and long-range financial planning.
- Oversee accounting, financial planning, monthly, quarterly, and year-end close, internal and external reporting, and compliance with GAAP and applicable requirements.
- Drive financial performance and long-term sustainability through strategic pricing, revenue diversification, investment, cash flow, expense management, and earned revenue strategies.
- Serve as a strategic partner for earned revenue activities, evaluating attendance forecasting, pricing, channel performance, consumer behavior, and new revenue opportunities.
- Develop driver-based models and scenario plans that enable timely decision-making while balancing growth, mission, access, and long-term sustainability.
- Lead financial and liquidity planning for a seasonal, attractions-based organization, including strategies to manage fluctuations in attendance, earned revenue, and off-season cash needs.
- Modernize and optimize financial systems while strengthening business intelligence, reporting, analytics, data management, and knowledge management capabilities.
- Provide executive leadership for Information Technology, including strategic planning, staffing, budgeting, vendor management, cybersecurity, data integrity, technology investments, and the long-term technology roadmap.
- Partner with organizational leaders on capital planning, long-term facility needs, and financially sustainable funding strategies.
- Build financial literacy and accountability across the organization by translating complex information into practical, actionable insights.
Compliance + Risk Management
- Oversee annual external audits, Form 990 preparation, insurance renewals, and relationships with external auditors, financial institutions, legal counsel, investment advisors, and other external partners.
- Partner with the CEO, COO, VP of People + Culture, and organizational leaders to maintain effective systems and processes that support legal, regulatory, and organizational compliance.
- Provide executive oversight of contract governance, including financial and risk review, internal approval processes, and coordination with outside counsel on complex or high-risk agreements.
- Oversee staff managing federal and state contracts to ensure contracts are appropriately secured, budgeted, tracked, and maintained in compliance.
- Lead organization-wide oversight of legal affairs, insurance, enterprise risk management, and related compliance strategies.
Board & Governance
- Serve as the primary staff liaison to the Finance Committee and Audit Committee.
- Prepare and present financial reports, forecasts, scenario analyses, organizational risks, and strategic recommendations to the Board of Directors.
- Build financial literacy among Board members and ensure trustees have a clear understanding of organizational performance, financial risk, and long-term sustainability.
- Partner with the CEO, Board, Investment Committee, and external advisors on investment strategy, reserve management, endowment planning, and the financial stewardship of major and transformational gifts.
- Ensure the Board and its committees receive timely, accurate, and strategically useful information to support strong financial governance.
Executive Leadership + MOPOP Community
- Serve as an active and collaborative member of the Executive Leadership Team, connecting financial strategy to MOPOP's mission, operations, earned revenue, philanthropy, and long-term growth.
- Lead and develop Finance and IT leadership through coaching, performance management, succession planning, and professional development.
- Empower functional leaders and subject matter experts while maintaining clear expectations, accountability, strategic alignment, and appropriate financial discipline.
- Foster a collaborative leadership environment that balances autonomy, transparency, sound judgment, and organizational accountability.
- Provide on-site support during select evenings, weekends, fundraisers, programming, and other high-visibility events as identified by the CEO.
- Ensure a strong customer-service mindset is embedded within the Finance and IT teams and reflected in interactions with colleagues and guests.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- 10+ years of progressive financial leadership experience, including senior executive-level responsibility within a complex nonprofit, mission-driven organization, or comparably sophisticated business environment.
- Experience supporting organizations with annual operating budgets of approximately $10 million or greater preferred.
- Deep expertise in financial modeling, budgeting, forecasting, scenario planning, cash management, and long-term financial planning.
- Experience supporting complex and diversified revenue models, including earned revenue, admissions or consumer-facing revenue, memberships, philanthropy, sponsorships, partnerships, and other recurring or variable revenue streams.
- Strong nonprofit financial expertise, including restricted funds, grants, endowments, investments, reserve management, and charitable organizations preferred.
- Experience with investment strategy, endowment planning, major gifts, capital planning, or other long-term financial stewardship initiatives.
- Experience leading organizational change, financial transformation, systems implementation, modernization, or significant growth.
- Experience overseeing or serving as an executive sponsor for IT, technology strategy, financial systems, business intelligence, or enterprise systems.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate complex financial information to executives, Boards, committees, and non-finance stakeholders.
- Strong leadership, emotional intelligence, coaching, and team development skills.
- A highly collaborative, transparent, decisive, and accountable leadership style with strong strategic thinking and creative problem-solving abilities.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
MOPOP provides a competitive base salary of $220,000 to $235,000, plus a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance; HSA and Dependent Care FSA; EAP; life and disability insurance; a 401(k) with a 4% vested employer match once eligible; subsidized transportation or parking; vacation; Seattle Sick/Safe leave; floating holidays; and company holidays.
APPLICATIONS AND NOMINATIONS:
MOPOP has retained the services of Scion Executive Search, a national executive search firm specializing in nonprofit recruitment, to assist in conducting this important search. For immediate consideration, please apply with your resume and cover letter, formatted in Microsoft Word, via: https://scionretainedsearch.com/job/15223
