Controller

The Controller is a key financial leader responsible for the accounting, financial reporting, cash management, and financial control functions across the Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass businesses.


Reporting directly to the CFO, this role leads the day-to-day accounting organization while ensuring timely, accurate, and insightful financial reporting. The Controller manages a team of four overseeing payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and general accounting activities.


This is a hands-on leadership role requiring strong technical accounting skills, operational understanding, and the ability to move beyond reporting results to clearly explain what is driving them. The successful candidate will be equally comfortable ensuring the integrity of the financial statements, managing core financial processes, developing the accounting team, and working with business leaders to understand financial performance.


Key Responsibilities:

Financial Reporting & Performance Analysis

• Lead the monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close and reporting processes across the combined businesses.
• Ensure timely and accurate preparation of financial statements, management reporting, and supporting schedules.
• Own the monthly analysis of financial results, including clear and actionable explanations of variances to budget, forecast, prior year, and prior periods.
• Identify the underlying business drivers of significant revenue, expense, labor, margin, and EBITDA variances rather than simply reporting numerical differences.
• Partner with operating and functional leaders to understand results, validate explanations, and improve financial accountability.
• Identify emerging trends, risks, and opportunities within financial results and proactively elevate them to the CFO and business leaders.
• Support preparation of financial reporting and analysis for senior leadership, the Finance Committee, Board of Directors, and shareholders as needed.

Accounting & Controls

• Maintain the integrity of the general ledger and ensure transactions are recorded accurately and in accordance with GAAP and company policies.
• Maintain appropriate accounting policies, procedures, internal controls, reconciliations, and documentation across the organization.
• Oversee balance sheet reconciliations, accruals, reserves, fixed assets, cash activity, intercompany activity, and other core accounting processes.
• Continuously improve the speed, accuracy, consistency, and efficiency of the monthly close.
• Lead the annual financial statement audit and serve as the primary day-to-day contact with external auditors.
• Ensure compliance with applicable tax, regulatory, lender, and financial reporting requirements.

Cash Management, Banking & Shareholder Distributions

• Oversee day-to-day cash management activities, including cash positioning, liquidity management, and related controls.
• Manage day-to-day banking relationships and administration, working closely with the CFO on broader banking and financing matters.
• Support cash forecasting and provide timely visibility into liquidity and significant cash requirements.
• Monitor compliance with applicable debt requirements and support lender reporting.
• Manage the administration and execution of shareholder distributions, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and appropriate controls.
• Support shareholder-related financial reporting and other ownership matters as needed.

Transactional Accounting & Payroll

• Provide leadership and oversight of payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and general accounting.
• Ensure appropriate controls, segregation of duties, approvals, and reconciliations are maintained across transactional processes.
• Drive improvements in processes and systems to reduce manual work and increase accuracy and efficiency.

Business Partnership

• Develop a strong understanding of the operating drivers of the Space Needle and Chihuly Garden and Glass, including attendance, ticket revenue, retail, food and beverage, events, labor, and other key revenue and expense drivers.
• Work closely with Finance and operating leaders to connect financial results to underlying business activity.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and other financial planning processes by providing historical analysis, accounting expertise, and insight into business trends.
• Help establish consistent financial reporting and performance-management practices across the businesses.
• Provide financial analysis and support for significant operating initiatives, capital investments, and other projects as needed.

Team Leadership

• Lead, develop, and hold accountable a team of four responsible for payroll, AP/AR, and general accounting.
• Establish clear responsibilities, deadlines, standards, and performance expectations across the accounting organization.
• Develop team capabilities while creating appropriate cross-training and backup coverage for critical processes.
• Build a culture of accuracy, responsiveness, continuous improvement, and ownership.
• Balance appropriate review and control with developing a team capable of operating independently and effectively.

What Success Looks Like:

• Accurate, timely financial reporting and a disciplined monthly close.
• Concise, credible explanations of what changed versus budget, forecast, and prior year - and why.
• Strong accounting controls without unnecessary bureaucracy.
• Effective management of cash, banking activities, and shareholder distributions.
• A well-managed and increasingly capable accounting team.
• Fewer manual processes and improved use of systems and data.
• Strong partnership with operating leaders and greater accountability for financial results.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• CPA strongly preferred.
• Approximately 8+ years of progressive accounting and financial management experience, including meaningful leadership responsibility.
• Strong knowledge of GAAP, financial reporting, internal controls, and accounting operations.
• Demonstrated experience leading monthly and annual close processes.
• Strong analytical skills with demonstrated ability to identify, investigate, and communicate the drivers of financial variances and business performance.
• Experience managing payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and general accounting functions.
• Experience with cash management, banking, and treasury-related activities.
• Experience managing and developing accounting professionals.
• Strong Excel skills and experience working with ERP and financial reporting systems.
• Experience in hospitality, attractions, entertainment, retail, food and beverage, or another transaction-intensive operating environment is helpful but not required.

Full time, Salaried position

Salary Range: $150K - $175K DOE + Bonus up to 20%

Benefits include:

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Long Term Disability, with optional supplemental coverage options available
• Optional Flexible Spending Account for Self and Dependents
• 401k plan, we will match 50% of the first 6% you contribute, equivalent to 3% of your wages
• Deferred compensation into 401(k) account at company Shareholder discretion. Eligible to begin participating after one year of service with an annual plan entry date of October 1st.
• Paid Personal Days (15 per year)
• Paid Time Off of 14 days / year
• Tuition reimbursement of 50%, up to $2500 / year
• New child family leave up to 4 weeks while on approved FLMA and enrolled in company sponsored medical plan
• 50% discount for many purchases at the Space Needle (Retail, Food and Beverage)
• Charitable Contributions / Matching Gift, up to $200 year
• Paid parking or up to $250 / month towards an orca card

The Space Needle symbolizes the innovative and forward-thinking spirit of Seattle. Our Team Members reflect our inclusive city, diverse country, and multicultural world. As an equal opportunity employer, we make all employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, the presence of any sensory, physical, or mental disability, military status, political ideology, genetic information, or any other status protected by local, state, or federal law. All Team Members and potential Team Members who apply for an opening will be considered without regard to these factors. We carefully screen applicants based on qualifications such as their training, education, skills, aptitude, experience, and previous work record.