Finance Officer
Status: Full Time (40 hours per week)
Supervisor: Executive Director
Salary Range: $52,000-$78,000
Application Deadline: October 7, 2025, open until filled
The Opportunity
The Thunder Bay Art Gallery is seeking a skilled and detail-oriented Finance Officer to join our senior leadership team. This pivotal role oversees the full scope of financial operations and compliance, including accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, payroll, accounts payable and receivable, inventory, capital assets, and banking and investment activities.
As a key member of the Management Team, the Finance Officer supports the Gallery’s financial integrity, sustainability, and strategic growth. The ideal candidate is a collaborative leader with a strong foundation in not-for-profit accounting, a commitment to rigorous financial management, and a passion for arts and culture in service to our community and region.
This is an exciting time to join the Thunder Bay Art Gallery! With nearly 50 years of steady growth, we are preparing to move into a new, purpose-built facility on Thunder Bay’s beautiful waterfront. This transformative project will more than triple our operating and programming space and marks a major milestone in our evolution as a leading cultural institution.
This position is part-time 35 hours a week, and offers the possibility of a hybrid work arrangement, depending on the needs and qualifications of the successful candidate.
Key Responsibilities
- Contribute to the development of workflows, strategic initiatives, and implementation of short- and long-term goals as part of the Management Team.
- Prepare accurate and timely financial reports, including monthly Executive reports, annual financial statements in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) for not-for-profit organizations, year-end working papers, and external financial reporting.
- Maintain complete and accurate books of account, including but not limited to cheque preparation, invoice coding and posting, deposits, reconciliation, charitable receipts, and petty cash. Complete monthly reconciliation for all accounts and maintain accurate and complete supporting documentation for all financial activities and transactions.
- Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, and grant reporting requirements; maintain appropriate insurance coverage and internal controls.
Qualifications
- University degree in business administration, commerce, or a related field with an accounting major.
- Professional accounting designation or relevant
- Minimum of three years of accounting experience in a computerized environment, including financial reporting and payroll.
Essential Skills
- Strong business and financial acumen, with experience in planning and human
- Proficiency in computerized accounting systems; advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office and experience with QuickBooks an asset.
- Knowledge of relevant legislation, GAAP, and accounting standards for not-for-profit
- Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication
- Ability to build strong relationships with internal and external partners/customers.
- Demonstrated leadership, time management, and organizational
- Experience in and passion for non-profit organizations, galleries or museums is an
Condition of Employment
- Successful completion of a Criminal Background
- Agreement to and compliance with the Gallery’s Employee Confidentiality
About the Thunder Bay Art Gallery:
The Thunder Bay Art Gallery gratefully acknowledges that we are located on the territory of the Anishinaabe peoples of Northwestern Ontario. We work and live on the lands of the Fort William First Nation who are signatory to the Robinson-Superior Treaty of 1850.
As the public art gallery for Thunder Bay and Northern Ontario, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery exhibits, collects, and interprets art with a focus on the work of contemporary Indigenous and Northern Ontario artists. The Gallery nurtures a life-long appreciation of the visual arts by:
- presenting exhibitions of artistic and educational value to cultivate a depth of visual arts experience for the public in Thunder Bay and the broader region of Northern Ontario;
- supporting and enhancing the development of contemporary Canadian artists with an emphasis on (but not limited to) contemporary Indigenous artists and artists from Northwestern Ontario;
- stewarding, conserving, and animating a permanent collection of art focused on the work of contemporary Indigenous artists and innovative cultural and artistic practice of Northwestern Ontario artists;
- and, presenting public programming and outreach activities in order to build audience, increase reception, and expand understanding of the visual arts.
For nearly 50 years the Thunder Bay Art Gallery has steadily grown and is now the largest art museum in Northern Ontario. Today, we have more than 1600 works of art in our world renowned permanent collection and welcome more than 30,000 people through our doors each year. Every day, the Gallery provides school tours, hosts free public programs, and shares our space with community groups. We are a bustling cultural hub committed to contemporary Indigenous, local, and regional art.
Finally, we are in the process of preparing for the transition to a new purposed designed facility on Thunder Bay’s waterfront in 2027. This new gallery will more than triple our exhibition and operating spaces. This significant addition to Ontario’s cultural infrastructure will provide $33 million in direct economic impact during construction. Once open, the Gallery’s operations will generate $2.2 million annually in direct and indirect impacts to the local and regional economy, as well as an estimated $7 million in annual visitor spending.
How to Apply
Applicants who are Deaf, have an exceptionality or disability, or who need support expressing interest or applying for this opportunity are encouraged to contact administration@theag.ca or call 807.577.6427 to allow for appropriate accommodation of your needs and to discuss alternate formats for submitting your application.
To apply for this position, please send via email to administration@theag.ca, a letter of intent, a current resume and the names of two references, under the subject line “Accountant” addressed to:
Mathew R. Hills, Executive Director
Thunder Bay Art Gallery PO Box 10193
Thunder Bay, ON, P7B 6T7
The Thunder Bay Art Gallery is committed to employment equity and diversity and encourage applications from all qualified candidates, including women, people of any sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression; Indigenous peoples; visible minorities and racialized people; and people with disabilities. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
Call for Applicants:
Thunder Bay Art Gallery Board of Directors
The Thunder Bay Art Gallery Board of Directors invites expressions of interest in serving as a member of the Gallery Board. The Thunder Bay Art Gallery has been a cornerstone of the arts in Northern Ontario for over 40 years, showcasing the works of talented artists and providing vital educational programs. Successful candidates will serve as ambassadors for the organization, and offer leadership, insight, and support as members of the Board of Directors over a 3 year term.
As a skill-based Board, we are seeking to fill 5 vacancies with qualified individuals who:
- share the Gallery’s Values
- support the Gallery’s Mission
- demonstrate teamwork, community leadership, multicultural awareness, and financial acumen
- have the time necessary to be productive Board and Committee members
- are willing to promote the Gallery and support efforts to complete the new Gallery at the waterfront
Applicants with an Accounting designation are encouraged to apply.
Apply through email with a resume and letter of interest:
Chair, Governance, Nominating & Human Resources Committee
c/o administration@theag.ca
Positions open until filled.
Board members are required to regularly attend a monthly meeting and to support the work of the Gallery.
Thunder Bay Art Gallery is committed to employment equity and to fostering a positive and diverse workforce that reflects the community. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds. Through our exhibition mandate, we work with Indigenous communities. We value Indigenous perspectives in the workplace and encourage Indigenous candidates to apply.
Upon request, suitable accommodations are available under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disability Act (AODA) to applicants invited to an interview.
We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
