Vice President of Finance and Administration

ROCHESTER PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Vice President of Finance and Administration 255 East Avenue, LL02 · Rochester, NY 14604 Classification: Full time, salaried FLSA status: Exempt Compensation: $120,000-$130,000, commensurate with experience Reports to: President & CEO Direct reports: Two: one in finance, one in human resources Location: Onsite, RPO administrative offices ABOUT RPO The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra has enriched lives through the art of music since 1922. Under Music Director Andreas Delfs and Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik, the Orchestra performs at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre and in venues and neighborhoods across the region, and its education and community engagement programs serve students and families throughout Rochester. This is a consequential moment to join. RPO has a new President & CEO, a strategic planning process underway, and a transition to Sage accounting in progress with Insero providing interim support. The next Vice President of Finance and Administration will help shape what comes next rather than only report on it. SUMMARY The Vice President of Finance and Administration is a member of the executive team and is responsible for financial strategy, accounting and reporting, cash and treasury, human resources, and business systems. The role works directly with the President & CEO, the Board Treasurer, the Finance and Audit Committees, auditors, lenders, and department leaders. This is a partner role, not simply a reporting function. RPO needs a finance leader who can model the long term, participate in decisions about the business model, and bring the board a recommendation rather than only a report. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Financial Strategy ▸ Provide the President & CEO, the executive team, and board leadership with financial guidance on organizational strategy. ▸ Build and maintain a long-range financial model reflecting revenue and expense trends and use it to test strategic choices. ▸ Partner with the executive team on the business model — pricing, program-level contribution, earned and contributed revenue mix, and the economics of new initiatives. ▸ Align the financial plan with the strategic plan as it is adopted and keep the two connected as it is implemented. ▸ Keep key stakeholders current on financial health through regular updates and forecasts. 1 Cash and Treasury ▸ Responsible for cash management, forecasting, and related controls. ▸ Develop and maintain short-term and long-term cash flow forecasts and recommend strategies to manage liquidity, debt obligations, and working capital needs. ▸ Manage relationships with lenders and financial institutions, including lines of credit. ▸ Work with the President & CEO, the Board Chair, and the Finance Committee on capital structure and long-range financial strategy. ▸ Coordinate management of internal endowment funds and investments in accordance with Finance and Investment Committee policies and oversee accounting for the external endowment. ▸ Determine and coordinate the organization's insurance program — property, liability, cyber security, and workers' compensation — with the Finance Committee. Accounting, Reporting, and Controls ▸ Direct the timely preparation and maintenance of all accounting records and reports, including the general ledger, financial statements, and forecasts, in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles and statutory requirements. ▸ Responsible for the monthly close, including the profit and loss statement, balance sheet, concert reporting, and variance analysis. ▸ Design and maintain internal controls appropriate to the organization's size, including segregation of duties across cash receipts, recording, and deposit. ▸ Direct audit preparation, coordinate the 990 for RPO and RPO Fund, Inc., and serve as liaison to outside auditors. ▸ Oversee accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll. ▸ With the President & CEO and department leaders, direct development and monitoring of the annual operating budget. ▸ Provide financial information for grants, reports, and surveys. Human Resources ▸ Provide executive oversight of the human resources function, supported by the organization's HR Director, including the current revision of the staff handbook. ▸ Responsible for compensation practice, benefits administration, and the annual benefits renewal. ▸ Ensure wage and hour compliance, including overtime authorization, time recording, and classification. ▸ Support recruitment, onboarding, and the annual goal-setting and review cycle across the organization. ▸ Partner with the President & CEO on organizational culture, working norms, and the policies that support them. ▸ Work with counsel on employment matters. Technology and Systems ▸ Lead the continued implementation and optimization of Sage Intacct and related systems, improving workflows, reporting, internal controls, and user adoption in partnership with Insero and internal stakeholders. 2 ▸ Retire the manual workarounds carried over from the prior system and restore program- and concert-level reporting. ▸ Direct strategic planning for technology in support of organizational goals. ▸ Work with the IT consultant on data security and monitor developments in cybersecurity. ▸ Oversee system-related policies, procedures, and training. ▸ Oversee acquisition and maintenance of office equipment. Board and Governance ▸ Serve as staff liaison to the Finance and Audit Committees. ▸ Prepare concise, decision-ready board materials designed to be read in advance, with clear recommendations where board action or direction is required. ▸ Maintain official corporate records, including the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, and IRS exemption certificate, and ensure that board and committee actions on financial matters fall within the Bylaws. ▸ Act as a representative in work with the organization's legal counsel. Management Team ▸ Demonstrate proactive communication regarding organizational risks, challenges, and opportunities, along with recommended solutions. ▸ Professional demeanor, independent judgment, and the confidence to engage in candid, constructive disagreement with colleagues and the President & CEO. ▸ Set annual goals in writing tied to the strategic plan, reviewed at midyear and again before the fiscal year closes. ▸ Serve in the senior leadership concert duty rotation. ▸ Other duties as assigned. SCHEDULE AND WORK EXPECTATIONS This position works onsite. Regular evening and occasional weekend work is required, including board and committee meetings and a share of the concert duty rotation across the subscription season. Schedules are published in advance wherever possible. SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES This position supervises two direct reports, one in finance and one in human resources, with hiring and termination authority in coordination with the President & CEO. QUALIFICATIONS Analysis and judgment Ability to define problems, establish facts, and reach defensible conclusions from incomplete information. Comfort building and defending a multi-year financial model. Sound judgment about which decisions belong to the board, which to the executive team, and which are this role's alone. 3 Communication Ability to write clearly for people with varying degrees of financial fluency, and to present to the Board, committees, and staff. Ability to prepare concise, decision-ready board materials that stand on their own without requiring narration. Current Systems ▸ Accounting: Sage Intacct ▸ Payroll: Paychex Flex ▸ CRM: Tessitura ▸ Microsoft Office, with advanced Excel Education and Experience Bachelor's degree required; CPA or MBA preferred. Seven to ten years of progressive financial leadership experience preferred, including experience presenting to boards, managing cash flow, overseeing audits, and leading organizational budgeting processes. Experience improving accounting systems, workflows, and reporting capabilities is important. Nonprofit or performing arts experience is valuable but not required. Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES ▸ Strategic outlook paired with willingness to work in detail. ▸ Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities. ▸ Discretion with confidential financial and personnel information. ▸ Collaborative disposition across departments with different priorities and pressures. ▸ Professional demeanor and the confidence to disagree with the President & CEO in the room rather than after it. WORK ENVIRONMENT This position primarily operates in an office environment and requires regular use of a computer and other standard office equipment. The role occasionally requires lifting or moving items weighing up to 25 pounds and includes attendance at orchestral performances, where noise levels may be high. Reasonable accommodations will be made for qualified individuals with disabilities. TO APPLY Please send a resume and a brief cover letter to kzimmer@rpo.org. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, familial status, military or veteran status, domestic violence victim status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. This policy applies to all employment practices, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and internships. RPO makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs. For more information, see our EEO Policy on the employment opportunities page on our website. Position updated 09.14.26 4