ACG - Senior Vice President of Finance & Administration

Organization

Arts Consulting Group (ACG) is the leading provider of hands-on interim management, executive search, revenue enhancement, strategic planning & community engagement, facilities & program planning, and other capacity building services for the arts and culture industry. Founded in 1997, ACG is a full-service firm that effectively works with a wide range of nonprofit organizations, universities, government agencies, and for-profit entities that operate in the creative industries. The firm takes a contemporary approach to client challenges and opportunities focused on growing institutions, advancing arts and culture, and enhancing communities. ACG senior team members have leadership experience in every type of artistic and cultural discipline and they seamlessly adapt to clients’ rapidly changing strategies, business models, and operating environments.

The firm has approximately 14 full-time employees and numerous project consultants with locations in Boston, Calgary, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Portland, Raleigh, San Diego, Tampa, Toronto, Vancouver, and Washington DC. ACG employees and consultants are embedded in communities throughout North America to invigorate clients so that they can achieve the delicate balance between cultural impacts and business sustainability.

Position Summary

The Senior Vice President, Finance & Administration (SVP-FA) will be central to effective and timely budgeting, monitoring, reporting, planning, and forecasting. Focus in these areas will also include tracking and projecting consultant utilization and billable fees, contract management, firm operations, and monitoring organizational performance. Reporting to and advising the President, the SVP-FA will engage with the entire team, regularly collaborating with client-facing Senior Vice Presidents (Leadership Transitions, Revenue Enhancement, and Planning & Capacity Building) to develop, set, and monitor financial and operational standards that drive organizational results. This position will assess and implement technologies and human resource methodologies that enable smooth business operations. The SVP-FA will supervise the business office, which includes working closely with outside legal counsel and tax accounting firms to ensure accurate and timely internal reporting and external compliance with state, province, national, and international reporting.

Roles and Responsibilities

Financial Management and Team Utilization

• Produce and analyze timely and accurate financial statements and practice area profitability, including budgets, accruals, deferred revenue, and cash flow reports.

• Review, analyze, and report on employee and consultant overall time utilization related to employee and consultants’ client and administrative responsibilities.

• Develop a model that analyzes past staffing trends, considers active clients, estimates the sales pipeline, and projects total utilization forecasts.

• Advise the President and executive leadership team on options that meet current and anticipated staffing, organizational, and financial needs.

• Interact periodically with ACG’s bi-national legal and tax accounting firms, employee benefit providers, insurance carriers, and other outside service companies to ensure timely compliance and effective risk management.

• Engage in an adaptive strategy process and develop performance measures that focus on achieving the mutually established vision, mission, goals, and objectives of the firm and its team members.

• Embrace other financial management and team utilization roles and responsibilities as needed.

Business Office and Contract Management

• Ensure timely and accurate payroll processing, paid time off usage and accruals, and effective employee benefits administration through the firm’s multi-state professional employer organization (PEO).

• Oversee timely client invoicing, management of accounts receivable and accounts payable, and billing code creation.

• Maintain, monitor, and ensure compliance with legal contracts, billing milestones, and collection activities that meet established methodologies, processes, and project reporting guidelines.

• Confirm team configuration, budgeted hours, and contract specifics with practice area and project leaders and enter into time and project management system.

• Ensure clear, concise, current, correct, and coherent legal agreements that support contracted scopes of work and deliverables with executive leadership team members.

• Prepare and monitor employment and consulting agreements, as well as project addenda for independent contractors.

• Track and report proposal deadlines, progress, and delivery throughout the sales pipeline.

• Develop policies and budgets related to internal systems, processes, and methodologies with the executive leadership team.

• Embrace other business office and contract management roles and responsibilities as needed.

Internal Capacity and Operational Effectiveness

• Advise executive leadership team on best practices and changing trends related to time and contract management, key performance indicators, and technological systems.

• Maintain current position descriptions, human resource files, employment and consulting agreements, and employee manual and serve as the human resources liaison between employees and the PEO.

• Gather and analyze billable and time utilization data, advise the President on equitable employee compensation and bonus plans, and implement compensation adjustments with the PEO.

• Address technological and operational challenges of a distributed workforce to ensure that all employees and independent contractors are connected and fully supported by the firm’s resources.

• Lead the internal employment, technology, timekeeping, expense reporting, and other onboarding processes for new employees.

• Create synergy within geographically dispersed offices through regular calls, virtual meetings, conference participation, and annual team summits.

• Oversee annual performance evaluation process, including self-evaluations, supervisor performance reviews, and quantitative client billable metrics.

• Participate in ongoing educational programs, trainings, meetings, and other aspects of maintaining the highest level of intellectual capital within the firm.

• Embrace other internal capacity and operational effectiveness roles and responsibilities as needed.

Traits and Characteristics

The successful SVP-FA will be an effective and responsive communicator with a focus on speed and accuracy in addressing the needs of ACG’s distributed workforce. The SVP-FA will be motivated by a return on investment of time and financial, technological, and human resources in advancing organizational goals. This individual will be reliable and embody the highest ethical standards when interacting with ACG’s employees, clients, and consultants. An objective listener with superior financial planning and analytical skills, the SVP-FA will be a flexible team player motivated to identify, understand, and report operational trends.

Additionally, the SVP-FA should exhibit the following competencies:

• Planning and Organizing – The capacity to develop and utilize logical, systematic, and orderly procedures to meet organizational deadlines and objectives.

• Goal Achievement and Self-Management – The ability to identify and prioritize time and activities independently while guiding other team members toward positive results.

• Problem Solving – The skill to anticipate, analyze, diagnose, and resolve challenges and issues that arise in an expeditious manner.

• Professional Accountability – A commitment to being accountable for professional actions and associated outcomes that result from effective data collection, analysis, and recommendations.

• Flexibility and Resiliency – The agility to adapt, change, and recover quickly during challenging times and to celebrate success.

Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree in accounting or business administration or equivalent work experience with a minimum of seven years in a senior management role is required. Expertise in financial and operational reporting, analysis, and planning in a fast-paced environment is expected. Candidates must possess superior organizational and analytical skills as well as expertise in accounting, contracts, operations, technology, and human resource management. Professional service firm experience appreciated but not required. Multifaceted computer literacy (such as  QuickBooks, QuickBase, Expensify, Microsoft Office 365) and additional technological savvy are needed.

Compensation and Benefits

ACG offers competitive compensation, commensurate with experience, and a benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, and life insurance; 401(k) employer match; adoption and educational assistance; flexible spending and health saving accounts; paid time off and holidays; and other benefits provided by its PEO. This position will be based in the United States and offer a combination of in-office and virtual work options, as appropriate.

Applications and Inquiries

To submit a cover letter and resume with a summary of demonstrable accomplishments (electronic submissions preferred), please click here or visit artsconsulting.com/employment. For questions or general inquiries about this job opportunity, including anticipated salary range, please contact:

Bruce D. Thibodeau, DBA

President

Arts Consulting Group

292 Newbury Street, Suite 315

Boston, MA 02115-2801

Tel        (888) 234.4236 Ext. 201

Email    SVPFA@ArtsConsulting.com

Arts Consulting Group welcomes all qualified applicants and highly values

inclusion, diversity, equity, and access, which are embedded in the uniqueness

of the vibrant creative industries and the culture of the firm.