Opportunities

Finance Director

Salary Range: $130,000–$150,000 annually

Type: Full-Time, Exempt

The Wende Museum seeks a strategic, collaborative, and mission-aligned Finance Director to lead the organization’s financial operations through its next phase of growth. This newly created, full-time leadership role will provide oversight, insight, and direction across all financial functions including budgeting, forecasting, grant and fund reporting, audit preparation, internal controls, and financial strategy. This position reports to the Deputy Director and serves as a key thought partner to the Executive Director, Board of Directors, and senior leadership team.

The ideal candidate is a big-picture thinker with strong analytical skills, deep nonprofit finance experience, and the ability to communicate clearly and persuasively across audiences. This is a hands-on role in a collaborative, fast-paced environment where initiative and integrity are valued.

Responsibilities

• Lead all financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and analysis (FP&A)
• Provide timely, clear, and accurate internal and external financial reports
• Serve as staff lead on audit preparation, compliance, and liaison with auditors
• Manage monthly financial close in collaboration with outsourced controller
• Oversee cash flow, grant budgeting/reporting, restricted fund tracking, and multi-year projections
• Build and maintain financial dashboards for leadership and board
• Support long-term capital planning and project-based financial modeling (including construction and expansion projects)
• Partner with Development and Programs teams to support grant proposals and reporting
• Develop and document finance processes, procedures, and internal controls
• Mentor and supervise a full-time finance associate
• Serve as financial liaison to the board Finance Committee

Qualifications

• 7+ years progressive experience in nonprofit finance
• Proven track record in FP&A, budgeting, and long-term financial modeling
• Strong understanding of nonprofit accounting principles and audit processes
• Experience with grants, restricted funds, and funder reporting
• Fluency with financial software and dashboards; QuickBooks experience preferred
• Excellent communicator with ability to distill complex financial information
• Committed to equity, integrity, and the mission of The Wende Museum
• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, or related field required; CPA or MBA preferred

Key Traits

• Strategic thinker with operational fluency
• Adept at building systems and processes
• Clear and confident communicator
• Collaborative and team-oriented
• Calm under pressure, detail-focused, and deadline-driven
• Values-driven and aligned with a mission-based, arts/culture environment
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, evolving organization

To apply, please fill send PDF copies of your cover letter outlining your interest and a current resume to opportunities@wendemuseum.org.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Wende Museum is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and diverse workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status.

Community Engagement Associate

Salary: $20 per hour

Status: Part Time/Non-Exempt

The Community Engagement Associate is a dynamic and dependable frontline role supporting public- facing programs at the Glorya Kaufman Community Center. This position specifically supports the educational classes and external community events ensuring smooth operations, participant support and a welcoming environment and helps create a welcoming, inclusive, and safe environment for all community members by supporting workshops, classes, meetings, and special events. Associates oversee setup and breakdown and help ensure community programs run smoothly.

Duties/Responsibilities:

– Serve as an on-site representative for the Community Center during programs, classes and events

– Open, close, and monitor the during event hours

– Set up institutional signs for events

– Welcome program partners, instructors, and guests; assist with check-in for classes

– Communicate with the Community Coordinator about supply needs, space use, or safety issues

– Help maintain a clean and organized environment throughout the day

– Ensure that the Community Center is a warm, respectful, and inclusive space for all

– Participate in periodic team meetings or training sessions

Education and Experience:

– High school diploma or equivalent

Essential Skills/Abilities:

– Friendly and professional demeanor with excellent interpersonal skills

– Basic computer literacy and ability to use Eventbrite check in or communication tools preferred.

– Comfortable engaging with diverse community members of all ages and backgrounds

– Reliability and punctuality are essential

– Strong communication and problem-solving skills

– Interest in community programming, arts, or nonprofit work a plus

– Prior experience in hospitality, museums, education, or community spaces preferred

– Evening and weekend availability required

Physical Requirements:

– This position requires on-site presence in a community-facing, high-traffic setting. It may involve
extended periods of standing, physical activity, and occasional outdoor duties.

– Ability to lift up to 25 lbs and move furniture or program equipment

To apply, please fill send PDF copies of your cover letter outlining your interest and a current resume to opportunities@wendemuseum.org.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Wende Museum is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and diverse workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status.

Collections Internship

“Wende” is a German word that means “transformation.” It is commonly used to describe the era of uncertainty and possibility leading up to and following the fall of the Berlin Wall. Headquartered in a renovated National Guard Armory in Culver City, the Wende Museum is a cultural laboratory that pairs unparalleled collections from the Cold War era with contemporary artists, filmmakers, musicians, scholars, and others. The Wende’s collection encompasses more than 100,000 holdings, ranging from consumer products to fine art, political symbols, audiovisual materials, spy equipment, posters, ephemera, commemoratives, books, archives, and personal histories.

The Wende Museum offers Collections Internships for currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate students, as well as recent graduates who are interested in gaining experience in collection management, collection development, and artifact research. Positions are part-time, paid at $18/hour for 120 hours, and available for course credit. Internships are offered year-round, typically beginning in January, June, and September.

The Collections Internship will focus on cataloging the Museum’s incoming acquisitions and existing backlog. Interns will gain experience in key areas of object handling, processing objects, and using a museum database (Mimsy XG). Interns will have the opportunity to directly work with artifacts from the Cold War and be exposed to a variety of museum activities. Potential interns must meet the following criteria for consideration:

• Be available to work part-time between Monday and Friday;
• Have completed at least one semester of college by the time of application;
• Possess an interest in museum studies, collections management, history, and/or material and visual culture of the Cold War;
• Be comfortable working with databases and computers;
• Be detail-oriented, self-motivated, and independent, with excellent communication skills;
• A reading knowledge of German, Russian, or an Eastern European Language is helpful but not required.

We are currently accepting applications for our Winter Internship, which is set to begin in January 2026, through November 2. To apply, please fill out this form and send PDF copies of your cover letter outlining your interest and a current resume to internships@wendemuseum.org.

Please indicate that you are applying for the Collections Internship, both in the email subject and cover letter.