Controller — San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California | Pacific Executive Search

Controller

(Job ID: 2074)

San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, California

On-Site

Direct Hire

Entertainment

$225,000 – $325,000 base

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Overview

Stepping into a leadership role within a global river cruise operator, this position commands oversight of complex, multi-currency accounting and financial reporting across U.S., European, and offshore operations. Reporting directly to the CFO, the Controller will guide the finance team through a critical transformation from entrepreneurial practices to a disciplined, well-controlled environment, leveraging expertise in US GAAP, IFRS, and automation tools like NetSuite. This role demands a decisive, high-energy leader comfortable navigating imperfect data while driving rapid improvements in financial close and reporting quality.

Title: Controller
Industry: River Cruise Tourism
Location: San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles

Responsibilities

Manage the end-to-end monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes, establishing a rigorous calendar and continuously enhancing accuracy and efficiency.
Lead consolidated financial reporting across multiple entities and currencies, ensuring compliance with both US GAAP and IFRS for internal and external stakeholders.
Develop, implement, and monitor accounting policies and internal controls to support a transition toward a risk-based, well-controlled financial environment.
Oversee accounting functions including revenue recognition, cost accounting, capital projects, accounts payable, and offshore team coordination.
Review and provide guidance on complex transactions such as leases, charters, debt arrangements, and ship capital expenditures.
Coordinate audit activities with external auditors, managing preparation, inquiries, and remediation efforts.
Collaborate closely with Tax, Treasury, and FP&A teams to align financial planning, cash management, tax compliance, and reported results.

Qualifications

Must-Have:
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance with CPA certification.
- Over 10 years of progressive accounting experience, including at least 5 years in leadership roles.
- Proven expertise in US GAAP and IFRS financial reporting within a multi-currency, international context.
- Demonstrated ability to lead month-end close and manage external audits effectively.
- Hands-on experience with NetSuite and advanced Excel skills; familiarity with consolidation tools.
- Strong background in designing and implementing internal controls and process improvements.
- Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence senior leadership and manage cross-functional partnerships.
- Comfortable making sound decisions amid incomplete information and driving change in a fast-evolving environment.
Nice-to-Have:
- Experience in public accounting or within travel, hospitality, or consumer-facing industries.
- Exposure to AI-enabled finance processes and automation initiatives.
- Familiarity with international operations and multi-jurisdictional financial management.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do Accounting Manager hires fail?
Because companies hire for close execution when the real need is issue ownership and team leadership. Many candidates can manage a checklist. Far fewer can stabilize the function under pressure, improve weak processes, coach staff, and hold the line during audit, turnover, or reporting stress.
What are strong Accounting Manager candidates evaluating during the interview process?
They are usually trying to understand whether they are walking into a stable environment, a cleanup situation, or an under-resourced function. Strong candidates do not just evaluate title and compensation. They assess whether success is realistically achievable and whether leadership understands what the accounting team actually needs.
Why are finance and accounting roles in private equity-backed companies different?
Because the expectations are usually sharper. These environments often involve more pace, more visibility, more accountability, and more change than slower-moving businesses. Candidates are often expected to produce cleaner reporting, better discipline, and faster adaptation while operating under leadership that is highly focused on results. Pacific Executive Search's private equity insights explain why these environments require more specialized hiring.
Is the CPA really required for roles like this?
Sometimes yes, and often functionally yes even when the posting says "preferred." At leadership levels especially, the CPA frequently acts as a credibility signal for hiring managers, auditors, lenders, investors, or boards. There are exceptions, but in many accounting searches it remains one of the clearest markers of technical foundation.
How do strong candidates typically evaluate opportunities like this?
Strong candidates rarely evaluate a role based on title alone. They look at what the position actually owns, how the function is viewed internally, whether the environment is stable or in transition, and what success will realistically look like in the first 6 to 12 months. Many first discover a role through a posting, but the strongest career decisions usually come from understanding the context behind the opportunity, not just the job description. In accounting and finance hiring, that level of context is often what separates a lateral move from a meaningful one. Learn more about how strategic accounting and finance searches differ from transactional recruiting.
Is direct NetSuite experience actually necessary?
Not always. What matters more is whether the candidate has handled a similar level of system complexity and can adapt quickly. That said, in lean environments, cleanups, or fragile closes, direct NetSuite familiarity can materially reduce ramp risk.