Controller at New Jersey Economic Development Authority – Trenton, New Jersey

Controller

US-NJ-

Job ID: 2026-2242
Type: Regular Full-Time
# of Openings: 1
Category: Accounting & Financial Reporting
Various -Newark, Trenton, Camden, or North Brunswick

Overview

Job Summary

NJEDA Overview

• Join the NJEDA and help lead New Jersey to sustainable economic growth, fostering equitable opportunities and vibrant communities. We offer hybrid work, a supportive culture, and robust benefits, including health insurance, retirement plans, and extensive wellness programs. Make a tangible impact and shape New Jersey's future with innovative economic development at NJEDA.

Job Overview

• Responsible for all aspects of processing, recording, and reporting on the financial activity of NJEDA’s operations, working closely with the Chief Financial Officer. Provides leadership and coordination of accounting, financial reporting, treasury management, asset valuation, and adherence to internal controls. Manages and directs activities of the Accounting staff to ensure timely monthly closings, creation of reports and schedules, and preparation and distribution of accurate financial statements. Creates and maintains policies and procedures related to financial matters. Ensures budgetary spending controls are in alignment with the organization’s fiscal and strategic plans that support the Authority's mission.

Salaey Range- $173,600-$184,450

Responsibilities

Duties

Daily Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Manages the cash receipts and cash disbursement processes.
• Effectuates wire transfers, manages cash transfers and reserves, ensures restriction compliance, and maximizes return on investments. Approves disbursement transactions within delegated limits.
• Oversees integrity of data entered and retrieved from the Enable loan and grant system and proper recording in the general ledger.
• Reviews and approves significant journal entries.
• Ensures timely production of interim financial statements.
• Reviews interim financial statements for accuracy (and acts in a backup capacity to create the statements, when needed), provides updates on financial status to the Chief Financial Officer, and prepares reports for external government agencies.
• Ensures compliance with state and federal reporting requirements and that accounting records are continuously audit ready.
• Ensures relevant financial reporting consistent with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) through the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB).
• Monitors progress against financial policies and compliance requirements. Provides insight and support in the continuous evaluation of financial objectives.
• Establishes and oversees financial controls for business units to promote financial accountability across the organization. Ensures continual testing of processes for efficiency and effectiveness.
• Oversees the development and implementation of the accounting, billing, cash disbursements, and cash receipts policies and procedures that will improve efficiency and effectiveness and strengthen internal controls in order to safeguard assets and mitigate unnecessary risk or exposure. Recommends periodic updates to those policies and procedures.
• Oversees the valuation of assets (e.g. Notes, Venture Funds, Joint Ventures, Property Plant & Equipment, etc.) and current risk exposure (including General Obligations, Guarantees, etc.), exposure trends, and reserve levels. Ensures that risks are adequately identified and reported for any significant new program, project, financing, or initiative.
• Partners with the Chief Financial Officer to develop, implement and oversee the Authority’s investment, asset allocation, and compliance strategies and related policies and procedures.
• Actively supports and aligns work with NJEDA current strategic imperatives.
• Perform other duties and special projects, as assigned.

Projects:

• Prepares accurate and timely annual financial statements for audit, including management discussion and analysis (MD&A) section and accompanying footnotes; coordinates and liaises with independent auditors and responds to related inquiries.
• Supports development of the annual fiscal plan and supporting schedules with information compiled by the Accounting staff.
• Prepares reports for and presents to the Audit Committee, as appropriate.
• Participates in ad hoc committees established to address specific financial matters, such as financial risk and exposure, recapitalization, and fee income.
• Ensures the continued use of efficient technology tools and reporting functionality. Leads and directs projects to upgrade and enhance systems, integrated solutions, and data migration. Learns to use new systems and ensures staff are properly trained to maximize effectiveness.

Goals and Objectives:

• Develops and executes department goals to support NJEDA business objectives. Reviews and evaluates overall departmental performance. Establishes, communicates and tracks against key metrics.
• Ensures department practices and processes are in compliance with NJEDA policies and guidelines and are consistently applied.
• Promotes teamwork and communication to encourage an interactive, cooperative, collaborative, and customer focused work environment among divisions, NJEDA staff, and external customers.
• Builds, develops, mentors, and coaches direct reports to develop skills and behaviors to enhance performance. Sets staff goals and objectives, reviews staff semi-annually and annually against individual plans. Develops and implements training and succession plans for the team. Ensures that staff are cross trained to provide ongoing work product delivery and consistent service levels and customer support.
• Must complete annual self-assessment as required.

Collaboration and Cross-Divisional Interaction:

• Establishes and maintains strong relationships with program leaders to identify their needs and provide financial support, including relevant and timely reporting on funding source availability.
• Ensures that funding source limits are properly identified and established for new programs and products within the Enable loan and grant system. Oversees creation of ACH disbursement groups within Enable.
• Works closely with other State agency partners on data sharing, funding requests, and transaction support.

Reporting Structure:

• Reports to the Chief Financial Officer
• Supervises the Director of Accounting
• Has decision making authority for the entire Accounting & Financial Reporting team

Qualifications

Skills and Qualifications

Technical Skills:

• Excellent knowledge and application of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) requirements, and internal controls
• Must possess excellent budgeting and cash management skills
• Demonstrates ability to develop a thorough knowledge and understanding of NJEDA programs and services
• Demonstrates general knowledge of financing and incentive products in economic and community development
• Provides sound financial stewardship of the organization’s assets and controls expenses whenever possible

Soft Skills:

• Energetic, flexible, collaborative and proactive; a leader who can positively and productively impact both strategic and tactical initiatives
• Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills and the ability to effectively communicate with a broad range of audiences including senior management, NJEDA Board of Directors, staff, government officials, business and industry partners, as well as individual customers
• Proficient in grammar, spelling, and editing
• Adapts to changes in the work environment and manages competing demands
• Initiates procedures, guidelines and programs; prioritizes and develops realistic action plans
• Ability to prioritize workload, must be highly organized, detail-oriented, handle various tasks simultaneously, and work independently within limited time constraints with little or no supervision
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality and deal effectively and diplomatically with business professionals and NJEDA staff
• Demonstrates respectful behavior and promotes teamwork and communication to encourage an interactive, cooperative, collaborative, and customer-focused work environment among division, NJEDA staff, and external customers
• EDA Leadership Profile
  • Talent Management: Acquires, develops, and manages high-performing teams.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partners effectively across boundaries and functions.
  • Vision-Driven Results: Drives a clear vision and strategic thinking for achieving results.
  • Innovation and Change: Encourages new ideas, opportunities for change, and motivates team members.

Certifications:

• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

Experience:

• Five years senior-level management experience
• Background in government, economic development, or banking preferred
• Extensive professional, high-level experience, leadership, and training
• Fifteen years combined experience in government, private, and/or public accounting

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance
• MBA preferred
• Advanced degree or industry specific certification may be substituted for 1 year of experience

Software/Tools Proficiency:

• Standard general ledger accounting and reporting systems with the ability to learn new software packages
• NJEDA utilizes Microsoft as the core application platform and proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite is preferred (with excellent Excel skills)

Additional Information

• Minimal physical demands and ability to work out normal business hours
• Travel expected when necessary for business operations

Certificates and Licenses Required

• Staff are required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essentials duties of the position.

Note

The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job description. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed. This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope, general nature and level of work performed by job holders within this job. This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of qualifications, skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with the position.

Your employment at NJEDA is voluntary and subject to termination by you or NJEDA at will, with or without cause, or with or without notice, at any time. Nothing in this job description shall be interpreted to conflict, eliminate or modify the employment-at-will status of NJEDA employees.

This position is considered exempt and is excluded from minimum wage, overtime regulations, and other rights and protections afforded nonexempt workers under the FLSA.

NJEDA reserves the right to amend/revise this job description as necessary to meet current and changing business needs.

NJ SAME Program

In accordance with P.L. 2021, c. 465 and P.L. 2021, 466, the SAME program was established to enable New Jersey State agencies to hire, promote, retain, and advance qualified individuals whose physical or mental impairments impact their abilities to participate in the hiring and promotion process for non-competitive and unclassified titles within the State workforce.

The SAME program allows candidates, who identify as having a significant disability, to apply for non-competitive and unclassified positions through a fast track hiring process. This program uses a fast-track process that permits people who are eligible for the program to request that the State appointing authority schedule with them a good faith interview. For more information about the SAME program and the Fast Track Hiring program, please Click Here. If you have any questions, please email, or call the contact as indicated on the job vacancy announcement.

This posting is open to eligible applicants regardless of SAME eligibility.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Position Requirements

• Foreign degrees/transcripts must be evaluated by a reputable evaluation service at your own expense and must be submitted prior to a start date. If this cannot be provided within 21 days of an offer the offer will be rescinded.
• Must comply with the “New Jersey First Act” which requires employees hired after September 1, 2011, to reside in New Jersey. Non-New Jersey resident employees must relocate to New Jersey within one year of their date of hire and provide proof of residency to Human Resources.
• Must complete an Outside Activity Questionnaire (disclosure of outside office or employment) on an annual basis.
• Must review the required NJ State Ethics Guidelines found on the state website.
• Selected candidates must be authorized to work in the United States per the Department of Homeland Security, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services regulations. Note: The State of New Jersey does not provide sponsorship for citizenship to the United States.