Job Description
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is seeking a Finance & Development Assistant for the Farnsworth House, an iconic site designed by Mies van der Rohe. The role involves bookkeeping, managing day-to-day financial operations, and supporting development activities, including tracking donations and assisting with visitor center operations.
Responsibilities
- Serve as Bookkeeper for the site, setting up new vendors, assisting with contract procurement, processing invoices, processing financial transactions and preparing financial and statistical reports
- Assist in maintaining organized and up-to-date paper and digital Accounting files
- Assist with budget, grants management, processing of donation, and sponsorship program
- Assist Operations Manager and Retail Coordinator with purchasing, merchandising and inventory control for the museum shop and online museum shop including stocking and returns, controlling inventory and restocking
- Make trips to the bank and post office once or twice a week
- Assist Operations Manager with organizing and maintaining group tour schedules and Special Property Use agreements and scheduling
- Use and operate cash register POS system including credit card processing
- Provide a friendly, efficient and knowledgeable atmosphere that supports the needs of visitors
- Make sure staff and Visitor Center Associates have working knowledge of all finance and development operations with which they are involved
- Maintain open communications with Operations Manager, Retail Coordinator, and site team for museum shop and finance projects and procedures
- Conduct periodic inventory control, including manual count of merchandise and recommendations for re-orders
- Help receive, unpack, price and stock gift shop items if necessary
- Print Reports needed for daily tour operations, accounting, ticketing, donation, and other reporting as needed
- Address issues in theater area if they arise, including assuring the music and/or presentation are functioning properly
- Assist group tours and SPU guests as needed
- Assist with greeting tour groups and individuals as they arrive at the Visitor Center
- Answer visitor questions or collect contact information when needed to follow-up
- Deal skillfully with a diverse variety of groups under a wide array of circumstances
- Continually broaden knowledge of Mies van der Rohe and Modernism to better serve our visitors
- Work closely with Executive Director, Operations Manager and others, to receive, record and track donations
- Assist Executive Director with intermittent appeals, including letters, emails and text-to-donate campaigns
- Also assist with donor recognition emails, letters and panel in Visitor Center, updated annually
- Provide invoicing, collecting and tracking assistance for Sponsorship Program, run by Executive Director, Marketing & Events Manager, Exhibitions & Programs Senior Assistant, and other staff
- Assist Marketing & Events Manager and related staff as required by providing occasional event support including processing of new vendors, contracts, invoices and payments, profit & loss statements and final reports
- Assist with a variety of special projects as requested
- Answer visitor questions or collect contact information when needed to follow-up
- Deal skillfully with a diverse variety of groups under a wide array of circumstances
- Continually broaden knowledge of Mies van der Rohe and Modernism to better serve our visitors
- Answer telephones, take messages in a timely, effective manner
- Assist visitors and volunteers with transportation around the site (golf carts, van, occasional use of personal vehicle)
- Other duties as assigned
Skills
- At least 2 years of college or equivalent educational/work experience, with a demonstrated interest in historic preservation preferred
- Demonstrated successful experience in shop oversight, including leading teams and/or supervising other staff
- Work in a customer-service setting strongly preferred
- Demonstrated understanding of shop accounting principles; knowledge of point-of-sales software highly preferred
- Ability to manage budgets, scheduling and coordination for numerous projects at one time, i.e. multi-tasker
- General office and administration experience; able to learn and use MS Office, Fare Harbor ticketing and POS systems, as well as National Trust accounting and reporting software
- Experience in tourism promotions, marketing and fundraising a plus
- Excellent communicator with experience in accounting, retail sales and visitor services
- Basic analytical and problem-solving skills, including issue identification and prioritization
- Basic project-organization skills
- Ability to achieve results with moderate supervision
- Excellent attention to detail
- Strong organizational skills required
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Experience successfully interacting with key stakeholders
- Ability to collaborate and achieve results
- Public contact and ability to work successfully in close proximity to others required
- Demonstrated success in working with culturally diverse colleagues and stakeholders
- Bi-lingual language skills a plus
- Ability to prioritize, multi-task efficiently and respond to a high volume of ongoing requests in a timely fashion
- Ability to adapt and be flexible in a dynamic work environment
- Ability to work effectively with frequent interruptions required
- Able to handle frequently changing and/or unscheduled tasks with accuracy
- Entrepreneurial spirit and skill set a plus
- Ability to continually develop skills related to use of rapidly changing technology and communications best practices
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office products required, including Outlook, Word and Excel
- Experience with web site maintenance and other online promotional tools a plus
- Regular and reliable attendance required
- Enjoy interacting with a wide variety of people
- Personable, outgoing, courteous, reliable and responsible
- Able to work independently but accept supervision
- Physically able to stand for long periods of time
- Comfortable speaking in front of groups
- Able to work weekdays and some weekends
- Physically able to walk the site, move materials and endure several walks of 1 mile per day
- Ability to drive 15-passenger van (CDL not required) and golf carts
Benefits
- Health, dental and life insurance
- Retirement benefits
- Paid parental leave
- 3+ weeks of vacation
- Sick time
- Holidays
Company Overview
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