Job Description

Busch Gardens is a place of thrills, fun and positive, lasting memories. And that's just what its like to work here! As a key member of our team, you'll play a major role in bringing happiness and excitement to people from around the world. If you're dedicated, dependable and driven to deliver exceptional guest service, this is a place for you!

The VP, Finance provides key leadership in overall park financial role and works closely with Park President to drive business performance and strategies. Provides financial support and strategic insights to all park departments in an effort to maximize the efficiency of the operation. Ensures SEA financial controls and procedures are followed, resulting in financial statements that accurately depict performance and safe guarding of SEA’s assets. Oversee important functions that support the parks such as IT, Cash Control, Internal Controls, Labor Scheduling and Labor Timekeeping.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develops and coordinates creation of park business strategy which is ultimately developed into a one year detailed business plan/budget.
• Lead a team to produce monthly financial forecasts and variance explanations.
• Provide well-thought out and analyzed responses to request for analysis from Tampa's Corporate Partners.
• Act as a financial business partner to departmental executives and management to analyze proposals to drive the business.
• Ensure labor is scheduled to match Guest volume and park operational needs through leadership of the scheduling team. Conduct frequent analysis to review opportunities for labor expense efficiency opportunities.
• Lead the Timekeeping Team, ensuring Tampa SEA Ambassadors have their labor hours accurately recorded as the input to Corporate Payroll.
• Lead the team tasked to minimize external and internal fraud and annual pass misuse using a variety of compliance tools.
• Oversee development of the Tampa parks’ annual capital plans to include the development of business cases for return generating projects. Track performance of the current year’s plan in partnership with the Corporate Capital Team.
• Provide for appropriate technology solutions to parks needs through leadership of the parks' Information Technology Team.
• Leadership, supervision and support of staff. Ensures daily functions are performed on a timely and accurate basis
• Working closely with Park President and park senior leadership team to ensure business operations are performing as required by parks' business plans by monitoring performance to plan and recommending adjustments to plan as necessary
• Partners with Marketing, Finance, and Revenue Management teams to identify product and promotional pricing strategies to maximize revenue
• Work closely with SEA financial leadership including Chief Financial Officer and Chief Accounting Officer on all aspects of financial operations, compliance, and business performance
• Responsible for overall workflow process and efficiencies
• Ensure compliance with company and legal guidelines.

Basic Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree required. Degree in Finance or Accounting preferred. MBA or CPA preferred.
• Seven (7) years progressive experience focused on Finance or Accounting, preferably in a service industry/theme park setting. Experience with revenue operations such as admissions, food or merchandise is a plus.
• Minimum of five (5) years of successful functional leadership; experience to include developing and driving strategic direction and alignment.
• Must have excellent leadership skills and analytical abilities, including experience leading forecasting, budgeting and financial statement review for an organization.
• Proven experience developing pro forma and financial return justifications for capital projects.
• Ability to work with all levels of an organization to influence and drive desired results.
• Demonstrates excellent capacity to communicate sophisticated Finance concepts and materials to a variety of audiences, from front-line employee to the Parks' executive teams.
• Good understanding of GAAP and internal controls.
• Must be able to embrace and model company culture.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications. Knowledge of SAP and Workday preferred.
• Working knowledge of fraud prevention tool use, such as Accertify and Emailage
• Must have knowledge of, and the ability to ensure compliance with, all federal, state and company guidelines related to industry and theme parks.
• Demonstrated initiative and appropriate judgment.
• Must be able to walk up to 1 mile uninterrupted and lift 25 pounds

The perks of the position:

• Paid Time Off
• Complimentary Park Tickets and Passes
• Park Discounts on Food and Merchandise
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401K Retirement plan
• Voluntary Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Disability Benefits
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Dependent and Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Legal Assistance Plan

EEO Employer:

SEAWORLD PARKS & ENTERTAINMENT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. ALL APPLICANTS WILL BE CONSIDERED WITHOUT REGARD TO AGE, RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, SEX, NATIONAL ORIGIN, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, PREGNANCY, GENDER IDENTITY OR EXPRESSION, DISABILITY OR COVERED VETERAN STATUS.