Controller, Accounting, Financial Reporting

Position:
Controller
Status:
Full Time; FLSA Salary Exempt
Department:
Finance

Reports to:

Chief Financial Officer

Located along the Space Coast in Melbourne, Florida, East Coast Zoological Foundation (ECZF) is an AZA‑accredited facility with a diverse collection of over 900 animals representing nearly 200 species. It is also home to the Sea Turtle Healing Center for rehabilitation of wild marine turtles. ECZF is well‑known for its strong conservation ethic and unique attractions such as kayaking through the Africa area, giraffe feeding, rhinoceros and various other animal encounters.

ECZF is actively developing its second campus — the Bowen Aquarium in Port Canaveral — and operates a third site through its Restore Our Shores program.

The Controller is a senior member of the Finance team and serves as the organization's primary steward of accounting integrity, financial controls, and reporting accuracy. Reporting directly to the Chief Financial Officer, the Controller ensures that all financial records comply with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), nonprofit accounting standards (including FASB ASC 958), and applicable regulatory requirements. This position provides critical hands‑on leadership of the day‑to‑day accounting function, month‑end and year‑end close, internal controls, audit readiness, and grant and capital project accounting.

As ECZF expands operations with the development of the Bowen Aquarium, the Controller will play a central role in ensuring the organization's financial infrastructure scales with its growth — maintaining the control environment, institutional knowledge, and reporting precision that ECZF's mission and financial stewardship require. The ideal candidate brings deep technical accounting expertise, a commitment to process and compliance, and the interpersonal skill to work as a collaborative partner across the organization.

They are mission‑driven, detail‑oriented, and energized by the opportunity to build and strengthen financial systems in a dynamic, purpose‑led nonprofit environment.

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a closely related field from an accredited institution.
• Minimum five (5) to seven (7) years of progressive accounting experience, including at least two (2) years in a supervisory or lead role with demonstrated responsibility for a broad accounting function.
• Advanced knowledge of accrual‑basis GAAP and nonprofit fund accounting standards (FASB ASC 958), including treatment of restricted, temporarily restricted, and unrestricted net assets.
• Demonstrated experience managing full‑cycle month‑end and year‑end close processes, financial statement preparation, and account reconciliations.
• Experience managing or supporting external audits and preparation of required filings such as IRS Form 990.
• Previous supervisory experience.

• CPA license (active or eligible).
• Experience in a nonprofit, zoo, aquarium, conservation organization, or comparable mission‑driven environment.
• Experience with restricted grant accounting, fund management, and capital project tracking.
• Experience with Sage Intacct and/or Paycor payroll systems.

• Oversee all day‑to‑day accounting functions including accounts payable, accounts receivable, general ledger maintenance, and bank reconciliations.
• Lead month‑end and year‑end close processes, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of all postings and financial entries.
• Prepare and distribute monthly financial reporting packages — including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements — with appropriate variance analysis.
• Prepare financial statement packets for CFO and leadership review.
• Maintain the chart of accounts and ensure proper classification of revenues, expenses, assets, and liabilities in accordance with GAAP and nonprofit fund accounting standards.
• Ensure accurate recording, tracking, and reporting of restricted, temporarily restricted, and unrestricted net assets in accordance with ASC 958.
• Manage daily cash activities across all bank and investment accounts, including cash flow…