Executive Vice President of Accounting - Hartford, CT

Want to hear something crazy? Cars only spend 5% of their time driving. Where do they spend the other 95%? PARKED!

LAZ Parking is one of the largest and fastest growing parking companies in the country. LAZ operates hundreds of thousands of parking spaces across the country. When it comes to parking, we're the experts!

We are also a PEOPLE FIRST company. We often say "parking is our industry but people are our passion." Our mission is to "create opportunities for our employees and value for our clients". If you're looking to join a growing company led by passionate people committed to being the best - contact us today!

The Spirit of the Position:

The Executive Vice President (EVP) of Accounting
reports to the Deputy Chief Financial Officer and holds enterprise-wide responsibility for the integrity, effectiveness, and continuous improvement of all internal financial controls and accounting processes at LAZ Parking and for the quality and timeliness of all financial reporting to stakeholders. This leader directs a team of over 100 professionals, championing a people-first, servant leadership culture. The EVP ensures that all financial reporting meets the highest standards of accuracy, compliance, and timeliness, while proactively addressing stakeholder and client needs through ongoing collaboration, innovation, and operational excellence.

Primary Responsibilities:

Leadership

• Champion a people-first, servant leadership culture, fostering engagement, trust, and collaboration across the accounting organization.
• Lead and inspire a team of 100+ professionals, ensuring regular team-building and rhythm meetings to reinforce culture and alignment.
• Set and communicate clear strategy and goals for the department, aligned with organizational objectives.
• Develop and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and measurement systems to monitor progress and drive accountability.
• Ensure accuracy, completeness, and timeliness in all deliverables and communications.
• Promote cross-team collaboration and operational partnership, breaking down silos and driving shared success.
• Drive efficiencies and process development, continuously seeking opportunities for improvement and innovation.
• Partner with operations and other departments to optimize workflows and resolve issues.
• Lead technology development and adoption, including leveraging AI and automation to enhance accounting processes.

Accounting and Reporting

• Oversee the financial close process, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and analytical rigor in all reporting.
• Make critical GAAP decisions and ensure compliance with all relevant standards.
• Lead consolidations and subsidiary accounting reviews, maintaining integrity across all entities.
• Design, implement, and monitor robust internal controls.
• Oversee all aspects of financial reporting, including banking relationships, GAAP financials, and regulatory filings.
• Oversee the external audit process and ensure annual audited financial statements are delivered timely and without significant adjustment or revision.
• Ensure there are no write-offs or financial exposures in the balance sheet.
• Support cashflow reporting and forecasting by Treasury, ensuring effective management of funds through projections of AP, AR, Payroll, and daily revenue disbursements and collections.

Client Reporting & Relations

• Oversee a team of professionals responsible for completing managed client reporting.
• Continuously streamline and optimize client reporting processes for accuracy and timeliness.
• Oversee critical client transitions, ensuring seamless onboarding and ongoing service.
• Serve as the escalation point for direct client interactions, resolving complex inquiries and issues.
• Ensure smooth processes for the transition of new clients, collaborating with cross-functional teams as needed.
• Lead initiatives to enhance client communication and transparency.
• Identify opportunities for new service offerings or value-added reporting for clients.
• Ensure compliance with client contractual obligations and SLAs.

Controls

• Ensure accurate and complete reconciliations across all accounts and processes.
• Develop, implement, and enforce strong SOPs and controls, maintaining compliance and mitigating risk.
• Oversee task management systems to ensure accountability and timely completion of critical activities.
• Oversee contract compliance function ensuring adherence to contractual obligations
• Conduct periodic risk assessments and internal control reviews
• Develop and maintain a fraud prevention and detection program
• Report control effectiveness and risk mitigation strategies to executive leadership.

Department Operations

• Collaborate with all departments to review balances and per financial controls.
• Communicate with Senior / Regional Vice Presidents, General Managers, and Regional Controllers to maintain best practices and introduce new processes/efficiencies.
• Identify high-risk areas and confirm adequacy of internal controls.
• Document areas of potential process improvement from month-end close
• Work with regional leadership teams to support the onboarding of new locations, primarily portfolios or major transitions.
• Assist the CFO and regional leadership teams as needed in annual budget preparations and quarterly updates.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Requirements:

Travel

• Up to 10%.

Education

• Bachelor's Degree in accounting, finance, business management or economics.

• Master's degree in accounting, business, management.

• CPA or equivalent experience required.

• Experience of systems implementation preferred.

Experience

• 15+ years in an accounting, financial analytics and/or reporting role, with at least five years of direct oversight / management of a sizeable team.
• At least 3 years in public accounting for a nationally recognized firm.
• Extensive experience in the design and implementation of internal controls and process improvements.
• Experience designing efficient and effective organizational structures and processes.
• Extensive experience with internal and operational audit and forensic background exposure.
• Experience with procurement and other internal cost saving initiatives.
• Microsoft Navision experience preferred.

• Experience in public accounting preferred.

Skills / Personal Qualities

• Impeccable integrity and professional ethics
• Ability to seek improvement and create an environment of idea-sharing and creative problem-solving.
• Strong communication skills, practical experience of driving change.
• Ability to be approachable and facilitate coaching conversations with employees and managers.
• Ability to mitigate and lead others to overcome challenges (Never Ever Give Up Attitude).
• Ability to encourage open expression of ideas and opinions.
• Excellent teambuilding and interpersonal skills. Fosters an environment of collaboration.
• Ability to work independently and multi-task.
• Ability to communicate professionally and effectively with all levels of the organization and with clients.
• Ability to interpret policies, procedures, and standard business practices.
• Demonstrates a sense of urgency and timeliness.

FLSA Status: Exempt

LAZ Parking is an equal opportunity employer. In all our employment practices, including hiring, we are firmly committed to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age, genetics, Vietnam era, special disabled, recently separated and other protected veterans, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. No question in our application process is used for the process of limiting or excluding any applicant's consideration for employment on such grounds.

This Employer participates in E-Verify.