Zoo Knoxville seeks a strategic nonprofit CFO to lead finance, HR, and IT while supporting growth, modernization, and long-term sustainability.

About Zoo Knoxville

Zoo Knoxville is seeking a strategic, business-minded Chief Financial Officer to help lead the organization through an exciting period of growth, modernization, and increased organizational complexity.

Founded in 1948, Zoo Knoxville has grown into one of East Tennessee’s premier cultural and educational attractions. The 53-acre campus welcomes more than 585,000 guests annually and is home to more than 1,500 animals representing approximately 200 species. Accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums since 1984, the Zoo is internationally recognized for its leadership in conservation and animal care, including its renowned work with endangered red pandas.

Today, Zoo Knoxville is a thriving nonprofit with a strong financial foundation, an engaged Board, a dedicated team, and an ambitious vision for the future. The organization is actively advancing priorities related to modernization, guest experience, capital investment, earned revenue, public-private partnerships, and long-term sustainability.

The Opportunity

Reporting directly to the President & CEO, the Chief Financial Officer will serve as a senior member of Zoo Knoxville’s executive leadership team and provide strategic oversight of Finance, Human Resources, and Information Technology.

This is not a maintenance-oriented finance role. The CFO will be a key thought partner to the President & CEO, COO, senior leadership team, Board of Directors, and Finance Committee, helping translate ambitious ideas into financially sound and operationally achievable plans.

Zoo Knoxville combines the mission of a nonprofit conservation and educational organization with the complexity of a major guest-facing enterprise. Its revenue model includes admissions, memberships, food and beverage, retail, events and experiences, sponsorships, philanthropy, public partnerships, and capital investment. The CFO will help leadership evaluate these revenue streams, strengthen financial and organizational infrastructure, and make informed decisions about growth and long-term sustainability.

Key Responsibilities

The Chief Financial Officer will:

Lead financial strategy, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, audits, cash management, investments, internal controls, tax filings, compliance, and long-range financial planning.
Strengthen financial dashboards, analytics, and reporting tools to provide leaders and Board members with clear, actionable information.
Evaluate earned-revenue opportunities, pricing, attendance and membership trends, retail, food and beverage, events, sponsorships, vendor relationships, and other business drivers.
Conduct financial analyses for capital projects, revenue-generating investments, campaigns, and strategic initiatives.
Provide strategic oversight of Human Resources, including workforce planning, compensation and benefits, compliance, employee experience, performance management, recruitment, succession planning, and staff development.
Guide Information Technology strategy, cybersecurity, data integrity, systems integration, and modernization across Finance, HR, ticketing, reporting, and administrative operations.
Serve as a trusted advisor to the President & CEO and a primary financial liaison to the Board and Finance Committee.
Oversee organizational risk management, insurance, business continuity, policies, internal controls, and compliance.

Candidate Profile

The strongest candidates will bring:

Senior-level experience leading complex finance functions, including budgeting, forecasting, audits, reporting, internal controls, cash management, and long-range planning.
The ability to operate within a blended nonprofit and business model involving earned revenue, philanthropy, grants, public partnerships, and capital investment.
Experience advising a CEO, working with executive leadership teams, and presenting clear and credible financial information to Boards and Finance Committees.
Experience overseeing or partnering closely with Human Resources, Information Technology, data, cybersecurity, compensation and benefits, compliance, or organizational systems.
Demonstrated success evaluating capital investments, revenue opportunities, business risks, and long-term financial sustainability.
A collaborative, approachable, transparent, and resilient leadership style.
The ability to bring financial discipline and accountability while remaining practical, solutions-oriented, and supportive of organizational momentum.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business administration, or a closely related field required.
MBA, CPA, or comparable advanced credential strongly preferred.
At least ten years of progressively responsible senior-level financial leadership experience.
Experience working with Boards, Finance Committees, executive teams, and cross-functional department leaders.
Strong ability to communicate complex financial and operational information to both financial and non-financial audiences.
Nonprofit financial management experience or experience within a comparable mission-driven, revenue-generating organization strongly preferred.
Experience in a guest-facing, attendance-driven, capital-intensive, cultural, educational, conservation, hospitality, tourism, or entertainment environment is highly desirable.
Strong alignment with Zoo Knoxville’s commitment to conservation, education, animal care, guest experience, and community impact.

Leadership Style

Zoo Knoxville is seeking a CFO who can move comfortably between board-level strategy and hands-on operational problem-solving. The successful candidate will be an accessible and trusted colleague who can coach non-financial leaders, develop strong teams, ask thoughtful and sometimes difficult questions, and help the organization modernize without losing sight of its mission and culture.

Humility, curiosity, sound judgment, resilience, and the ability to build trust before driving significant change will be essential.

Compensation and Location

Zoo Knoxville offers an annual salary range of $150,000 to $200,000, depending on experience, qualifications, certifications, and prior performance, along with a competitive and comprehensive benefits package.

This is a full-time, exempt position based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Regular onsite presence and active engagement with the Zoo’s staff, operations, Board, and community partners are required. Occasional evening, weekend, or holiday availability may be necessary. Relocation Assistance is available.

The desired start date is Fall 2026.

For best consideration, candidates are encouraged to submit their materials by August 20th; applications will be reviewed as they are received and accepted until the position is filled.

Zoo Knoxville has retained ThinkingAhead Executive Search as its recruitment partner. The search is being led by Kay Linder, Partner in ThinkingAhead’s Nonprofit Division.

For questions or additional information, contact:

Kay Linder

Partner, Nonprofit Division

ThinkingAhead Executive Search

klinder@thinkingahead.com

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