What are the responsibilities and job description for the Executive Director, Corporate Finance position at Simon Wiesenthal Center?
About Us
Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) is a global Jewish human rights organization that confronts antisemitism and hate, defends the safety of Israel and Jews worldwide, and teaches the lessons of the Holocaust through awareness, advocacy, justice, education, and its Museums of Tolerance. With a constituency of over 400,000 member families since its founding in 1977, the SWC has an international footprint through its Museums of Tolerance, Moriah Films, and the Digital Terrorism and Hate Project.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, it maintains operations in New York, Chicago, Miami, Toronto, Paris, Berlin, Jerusalem, and Buenos Aires. It is an accredited Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) at the United Nations, UNESCO, the Organization of American States, the Latin American Parliament, and the Council of Europe and maintains relationships with the highest levels of governments throughout the world.
In 1993, the Center opened the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles to worldwide acclaim. The Museum has served as the Centers flagship educational arm, challenging visitors to confront bigotry and racism, and to understand the Holocaust in both historical and contemporary contexts. In addition, the Center developed Moriah Media to produce theatrical documentaries to educate global audiences. Moriah has produced 17 documentaries to date, two of which have received the Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary, The Long Way Home and Genocide.
About The Position
The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC), a leading international human rights organization, is seeking a seasoned and strategic Executive Director, Corporate Finance to provide enterprise wide financial leadership during a period of organizational growth and increasing complexity. As SWCs lead executive for corporate finance, this role will work on financing transactions; analyze and structure deals; lead contract negotiations; partner closely with legal counsel to prepare and refine deal structures; identify strategic partners, including potential integrations within SWCs corporate structure; and develop the organizations long term strategic plan to address capital needs. The Executive Director also supports mission aligned entities, including the Museum of Tolerance (MOT), Moriah Media, and SWC Social Action initiatives. Reporting to senior executive leadership, this leader will serve as a key financial steward, ensuring fiscal responsibility and sustainability.
The ideal candidate combines strategic perspective with operational rigor and can translate complex financial information into clear, actionable guidance for executive leadership. This role will strengthen financial planning, assess capital needs, advance short and long term growth initiatives, and provide financial leadership across programs and partnerships.
Key Responsibilities
Corporate Finance and Strategic Development
Qualifications and Experience
We value our people and offer a collaborative and engaging culture. As a SWC employee, you will enjoy work/life balance, generous time off and comprehensive benefits and programs. The Simon Wiesenthal Center embraces inclusivity and values our diverse community. We are committed to building a team based on qualifications, merit, and business need. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC) is a global Jewish human rights organization that confronts antisemitism and hate, defends the safety of Israel and Jews worldwide, and teaches the lessons of the Holocaust through awareness, advocacy, justice, education, and its Museums of Tolerance. With a constituency of over 400,000 member families since its founding in 1977, the SWC has an international footprint through its Museums of Tolerance, Moriah Films, and the Digital Terrorism and Hate Project.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, it maintains operations in New York, Chicago, Miami, Toronto, Paris, Berlin, Jerusalem, and Buenos Aires. It is an accredited Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) at the United Nations, UNESCO, the Organization of American States, the Latin American Parliament, and the Council of Europe and maintains relationships with the highest levels of governments throughout the world.
In 1993, the Center opened the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles to worldwide acclaim. The Museum has served as the Centers flagship educational arm, challenging visitors to confront bigotry and racism, and to understand the Holocaust in both historical and contemporary contexts. In addition, the Center developed Moriah Media to produce theatrical documentaries to educate global audiences. Moriah has produced 17 documentaries to date, two of which have received the Academy Award for Best Feature Documentary, The Long Way Home and Genocide.
About The Position
The Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC), a leading international human rights organization, is seeking a seasoned and strategic Executive Director, Corporate Finance to provide enterprise wide financial leadership during a period of organizational growth and increasing complexity. As SWCs lead executive for corporate finance, this role will work on financing transactions; analyze and structure deals; lead contract negotiations; partner closely with legal counsel to prepare and refine deal structures; identify strategic partners, including potential integrations within SWCs corporate structure; and develop the organizations long term strategic plan to address capital needs. The Executive Director also supports mission aligned entities, including the Museum of Tolerance (MOT), Moriah Media, and SWC Social Action initiatives. Reporting to senior executive leadership, this leader will serve as a key financial steward, ensuring fiscal responsibility and sustainability.
The ideal candidate combines strategic perspective with operational rigor and can translate complex financial information into clear, actionable guidance for executive leadership. This role will strengthen financial planning, assess capital needs, advance short and long term growth initiatives, and provide financial leadership across programs and partnerships.
Key Responsibilities
Corporate Finance and Strategic Development
- Establish and lead a deal evaluation framework (mission fit, financial modeling, and risk).
- Prepare and analyze media and entertainment collaborations and opportunities (film and TV productions, educational content, distribution, co productions), cause marketing and sponsorships, events and benefits, licensing, strategic vendor agreements, and strategic partnerships and joint ventures.
- Serve as the lead finance partner in term sheet and contract negotiations; quantify trade offs and value levers (pricing, tiers and benefits, revenue shares, minimum guarantees, performance triggers, editorial control, intellectual property and usage rights, indemnities).
- Identify corporate development opportunities, including new programs, strategic partnerships, acquisitions, and other growth opportunities.
- Evaluate the financial viability and impact of new initiatives, ensuring responsible stewardship of donor and organizational resources.
- Perform special projects as assigned by senior management.
- Lead near and long term capital needs assessments to support growth across SWC, MOT, Moriah Media, and Social Action (facilities, technology, content, exhibitions, and impact initiatives).
- Evaluate and execute financing transactions (credit facilities, program related investments, impact financing, structured sponsorships, restricted capital, and potential real estate and lease structures).
- Partner with Development on major gifts, grants, and restricted funding structures; optimize unrestricted cash and liquidity.
- Operational and Analytical Leadership
- Maintain a detailed understanding of organizational financial performance, ensuring accuracy, transparency, and compliance.
- Oversee the financial aspects of vendor agreements, contracts, and cost structures in partnership with Legal and Operations.
- Review internal and external inquiries, proposals, and business cases; develop financial models and provide recommendations to leadership.
- Strengthen financial processes and controls appropriate for a multi entity nonprofit operating in a dynamic environment.
- Lead financial planning and analysis for capital projects and property expansion, including due diligence and long term financial impact assessments.
- Assess financial sustainability and risk for growth initiatives across MOT, Moriah Media, and Social Action programs.
- Ensure compliance with nonprofit financial standards, donor restrictions, and applicable regulatory requirements.
Qualifications and Experience
- MBA required.
- 7 years of progressive experience in strategic and corporate finance, nonprofit finance, or media and entertainment finance, with substantive deal evaluation and structuring exposure.
- Strong analytical and executive communication skills; able to distill complex financial information into clear, actionable guidance.
- Experience in nonprofit, higher education, cultural, or other mission driven organizations strongly preferred.
- Proven ability to operate effectively within complex, multi entity organizations.
We value our people and offer a collaborative and engaging culture. As a SWC employee, you will enjoy work/life balance, generous time off and comprehensive benefits and programs. The Simon Wiesenthal Center embraces inclusivity and values our diverse community. We are committed to building a team based on qualifications, merit, and business need. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.