Job Description

Cheekwood is a 55-acre American Country Place Era estate in Nashville, Tennessee. Built in 1929 by the Cheek family, the estate was gifted and opened as a public institution in 1960. Today it serves the public as a botanical garden, arboretum, and art museum. The property includes 13 distinct gardens, a 1.5-mile woodland trail featuring outdoor monumental sculpture, an 8,000-piece permanent art collection, and Georgian-style Mansion with historically furnished rooms and galleries.

Cheekwood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and nationally as a Level II Arboretum. It is a four-time voted USA Today Top 10 Botanical Garden, in 2024 received a Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Award, and in 2021 was named by Fodors as one of the 12 Most Beautiful Gardens in the American South. Cheekwood has a $17M budget and more than 200 full and part-time staff, presenting four seasons of family-oriented festivals, world-class exhibitions, and educational programs for approximately 375,000 visitors and 17,000 member families annually.

In this role, the CFO strengthens organizational financial planning and performance management, translating complex financial data into clear recommendations and actionable insights. The CFO works closely with department leaders to improve financial literacy, manage variances, optimize pricing and revenue strategies (including ticketing, memberships, and special events), and align resources with near- and long-term priorities.

Essential Responsibilities

The CFO serves as staff liaison to the Board Finance Committee and supports the Board of Trustees with transparent, relevant reporting and analysis. The CFO also cultivates strong relationships with auditors, banks, donors, vendors, and advisors, and ensures compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and debt or bond covenants. The ideal candidate is a collaborative, mission-aligned leader who brings sound judgment, a continuous-improvement mindset, and a commitment to strong stewardship and service.

Financial Strategy, Budgeting & Forecasting

• Develop and manage all operating and capital budgets, forecasts and internal financial plans and processes.
• Develop and maintain a rolling business plan, including long-range financial forecasts and scenario planning.
• Monitor KPIs and short and long-term goals to manage existing and projected financial resources needed.
• Project, monitor and analyze liquidity and cash flows.
• Perform regular benchmarking studies for annual operations, key special projects and strategic planning.
• Establish reserve fund goals, priorities for expenditure of reserve funds.
• Monitor compliance with the Investment Policy Statement regarding endowment investments and suggest how to invest reserves and resources to generate passive income.

Accounting, Reporting & Compliance

• Direct all accounting, general ledger and financial reporting functions.
• Drive the best financial practices within the organization and oversee the management and coordination of all fiscal reporting. including organizational revenue/expense and balance sheet reports, schedule of pledges/payments of campaign funds, reports to funding agencies, development and monitoring of organizational contracts and grant budgets.
• Oversee the coordination and activities of independent auditors ensuring no audit issues and the preparation of the annual financial statements is in accordance with U.S. GAAP and federal, state and other required supplementary schedules and information.
• Ensure filing of accurate tax returns and compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.
• Ensure compliance with bond and debt agreements, restrictive covenants, and reporting requirements.
• Develop and maintain systems of internal controls to safeguard financial assets.

Business Partnership & Organizational Financial Leadership

• Work with each department to analyze financial information, address budget variances, increase revenues and align resources, and enhance financial literacy across the organization.
• Participate in all internal planning for program and capital expansion to ensure alignment with financial projections.

Revenue Strategy, Pricing & Analytics

• Analyze and establish pricing for all ticketing and special events functions and membership levels.
• Utilize technology to optimize all reporting and analytical functions.
• Collaborate with the Development Team and the Director of Business Analytics regarding the institution’s donor database functions.

Board, Banking & External Relationships

• Serve as staff liaison to the finance committee and report on financial matters to the Board of Trustees
• Build and foster relationships with banks, donors, vendors, and outside consultants.

Operations, Payroll & Purchasing

• Oversee all purchasing and payroll activity for staff and participants.
• Assist in the design, implementation, and timely calculations of wage incentives and salaries for the staff.
• Oversee 403b plan operations and investment options and ensure 403(b) compliance issues are met.

Risk Management & Safety

• Manage the commercial insurance program to manage risks.
• Lead the risk management process and develop comprehensive strategies to mitigate financial and operational risk.
• Serve as an active member of the internal Safety Committee, developing and promoting compliance with internal safety policies and procedures.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting or Finance.
• Master’s Degree and/or Certified Public Accountant (CPA) preferred.
• Experience at the Chief Financial Officer level.
• Five to seven years financial management experience with the day-to-day financial operations of an organization of at least 75 staff persons.
• Knowledge and experience with not-for-profit and public accounting.
• Experience working with external auditors, compliance and regulatory oversight.
• Commitment to results; 'can-do" mindset; outstanding problem-solving ability.
• Excellent analytical, communication and presentation skills.
• Sense of humor, integrity, personal sense of accountability.
• Knowledge of applicable general ledger, ticketing and CRM software.

Benefits

The well-being of Cheekwood employees is essential. So, when it comes to our benefits package, we offer one of the best. We offer the following benefits to all full-time employees:

• Health Insurance
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance (100% paid by Cheekwood)
• Long Term Disability Insurance (100% paid by Cheekwood)
• Voluntary Life Insurance
• Short Term Disability Insurance
• 403b and Roth 403b with a generous employer match
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Time Off and 11 Paid Holidays
• Aflac products are offered.