Controller

Position: Controller

Department: Finance

Reports to: Chief Financial Officer

FLSA Status: Full Time, Exempt

Location: New York, NY

Compensation: $130,000 – $150,000

About The Apollo

In December 2024, The Apollo Theater became the first organization honored by the Kennedy Center Awards, emphasizing The Apollo’s impact on the past, present, and future of American culture and the performing arts. From the longest-running talent show in America with Amateur Night at The Apollo, which launched the careers of icons like Ella Fitzgerald and Lauryn Hill, to performances from beloved legends like Smokey Robinson and Lil’ Kim and today’s biggest stars like Drake, The Apollo has always been a home for artists to create and a home for audiences to see incredible music and art from legendary artists.

The Apollo is an American cultural treasure. It is a vibrant non-profit organization rooted in the Harlem community that engages people from around New York, the nation, and the world. Since 1934, The Apollo has celebrated, created, and presented work that centers Black artists and voices from across the African Diaspora. It has also been a catalyst for social and civic advocacy. Today, The Apollo is the largest performing arts institution committed to Black culture and creativity.

Role Summary

The Controller is the Apollo Theater Foundation's senior hands-on accounting leader, responsible for executing the full month-end close, producing consolidated financial statements, and maintaining the integrity of the general ledger. Reporting to the CFO, this role owns the day-to-day accounting function so the CFO can focus on strategy, planning, and board relationships. The Controller is accountable for the accuracy of all financial information and serves as the primary coordinator for the annual audit.

The Controller works across organizational boundaries — partnering with program leaders on budget-to-actual reporting, coordinating with external auditors and tax advisors, and supporting the CFO in preparing materials for board and leadership review. This role requires the ability to build trust with non-financial stakeholders and translate accounting into language that informs decisions.

Core Responsibilities

Supervision and Team Leadership

• Directly supervise the Accountant, and oversee the AP / Accounting Clerk through that role
• Serve as the anchor of the finance team's reporting structure, establishing and maintaining segregation of duties across accounting, accounts payable, and payroll
• Set close-cycle priorities, review staff work product, and develop the accounting team's technical capability
• Provide coverage planning and cross-training to eliminate single-owner dependencies within the finance function

Consolidation and Financial Reporting

• Execute the consolidated month-end close, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and proper documentation
• Prepare multi-entity financial statements with full intercompany eliminations in accordance with GAAP
• Maintain the general ledger, chart of accounts, and annual approved budget across all accounting systems
• Own and enforce the close calendar; coordinate the monthly close process across departments
• Deliver monthly budget-to-actual reporting with narrative to the CFO on a timely basis

Treasury

• Oversee the monthly bank reconciliation process
• Review and approve all payments before final executive sign-off
• Monitor daily cash balances and maintain cash flow forecasts
• Maintain the debt covenant compliance framework and calendar across all active financing instruments
• Track financial and reporting covenants; escalating potential defaults or breaches to the CFO

Technical Accounting

• Oversee the accounting for donor-restricted net assets, ensuring proper classification, tracking, and release from restriction in accordance with donor intent and GAAP
• Supervise grant expenditure reporting and draw documentation in coordination with program teams
• Maintain lease accounting schedules, journal entries, and disclosures in accordance with applicable accounting standards
• Research and document accounting positions on complex or emerging issues
• Ensure GAAP compliance and identify areas of accounting risk across all consolidated entities

Internal Controls and SOPs

• Document, implement, and govern internal controls across all finance processes
• Develop and maintain standard operating procedures for the finance function
• Identify control gaps and implement remediation plans
• Ensure segregation of duties and appropriate authorization protocols are always maintained

External Audit and Compliance

• Serve as day-to-day audit coordinator with the external audit firm
• Manage the PBC list, auditor requests, and fieldwork timelines; ensure audit readiness throughout the year
• Own internal controls testing and serve as primary control owner of record
• Coordinate regulatory filings — including Form 990 and state registrations — with external advisors
• Coordinate entity-level tax compliance across all legal entities with external tax advisors

Systems and Process

• Serve as functional owner of the core accounting system — COA governance and system integrity
• Identify and drive process improvements that reduce manual error and increase efficiency
• Support the CFO with financial analysis and board reporting as needed

Other duties as reasonably assigned by the CFO in support of the Foundation's finance operations.

Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting or Finance; CPA strongly preferred
• 7+ years of progressive accounting experience, with at least 3 years in a Controller or senior accounting manager role
• Proven supervisory experience directly managing and developing accounting staff
• Experience managing consolidated financial statements with intercompany eliminations
• Direct experience with nonprofit accounting — fund accounting, restricted and unrestricted net assets, Form 990
• Demonstrated audit coordination experience, including PBC management and auditor relationship ownership
• Working knowledge of current lease accounting standards
• Hands-on experience with Blackbaud Financial Edge or a comparable nonprofit ERP
• Strong Excel skills; ability to build and maintain complex reconciliation schedules

Preferred

• CPA license
• Experience in a nonprofit or mission-driven organization
• Experience supporting a first-time or newly independent external audit
• Familiarity with multi-entity consolidations involving for-profit subsidiaries and pass-through LLCs
• Experience with debt covenant compliance and lender or funder reporting
• Prior experience in a finance function transformation or organizational turnaround context

The Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, pregnancy, disability, age, military or veteran status, marital status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected under federal, New York State, or New York City law. Reasonable accommodation is available upon request for applicants with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs.