Controller

Highgate is a leading real estate investment and hospitality management company with over $15 billion of assets under management and a global portfolio of more than 400 hotels spanning North America, Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America. With a 30-year track record as an innovator in the hospitality industry, Highgate provides expert guidance through all stages of the property cycle, from planning and development through recapitalization or disposition.

About the role

The Controller is responsible for providing consistent leadership in the financial area of the hotel by supplying management with guidance and training. The role focuses on the profitability of the business, maintaining accurate and timely financial reporting, ensuring acceptable levels of internal control, complying with all federal, state, and local regulations, and safeguarding owners/investors assets.

Responsibilities

• Effectively manage and communicate cash flow related issues, including accurate and timely preparation of cash flow statements, management of receivables, payables, cash balances, control mechanisms, and timely deposits of all funds.
• Monitor hotel revenues and expenses and ensure accurate recording in accordance with Highgate Hotels’s established guidelines.
• Investigate and critique variances to budget or prior year and offer practical improvement methodologies to management.
• Monitor the capital planning process by assisting management with the calculation of return on capital improvements, gathering support, and monitoring the bid process, ensuring proper upkeep of the property by evaluating scope of work and specifications.
• Ensure hotels’ compliance on all regulatory licenses and permits, leases, contracts, legal agreements, and proper execution of all operational taxes. Provide assistance to management in enforcing compliance on these items.
• Analyze financial data and operations to assist and advise management in maintaining the hotels’ financial objectives.
• Ensure all balance sheet accounts, including bank reconciliations, are reconciled on a timely basis.
• Establish and continually audit all internal financial controls including purchasing, cash handling, disbursements, inventories, hotel assets, master keys, payroll, and employee records.
• Actively assist in recruiting, reviewing, recommending, and maintaining an inventory of Directors of Financial Services, Assistant Directors of Financial Services, Assistant Directors of Financial Services Trainees, Accounting Managers, Controllers, Assistant Controllers, and other managers for the organization.
• Focus on training and development programs for Accounting associates to cultivate the “brightest” and “best” talent within the industry.
• Ensure implementation and completion of all Accounting Key Competencies, both management and hourly.
• Hire, train, supervise, and develop staff, including coaching, counseling, and discipline.
• Maintain compliance with Highgate Hotels’ standards and regulations to ensure safe and efficient operation of the hotel.
• Ensure proper utilization, maintenance, and periodic upgrades of all equipment.
• Direct or prepare all financial reports in accordance with Highgate Hotels’s requirements, meeting various due dates and deadlines (e.g., Weekly: A/R & A/P Aging Flash Reports, Payroll Reports, Revenue Updates; Monthly: Financial Statements, Forecasting, Key Statistics Report, Cash Flow; Annual: Budgets, 5-Year Plans, 5-Year Capital Plans).
• Conduct and/or attend periodic meetings to maintain favorable working relationships among employees and promote maximum morale, productivity, and efficiency.
• Monitor hotels’ compliance in meeting required report deadlines and due dates and react accordingly.
• Monitor the accurate production of the hotel daily operating report.

Requirements

• A minimum of 6 years of related progressive experience in hotel Accounting or related field; or a 4-year college degree with an Accounting/Finance concentration and a minimum of 2 years of related progressive experience; or a 2-year college degree and a minimum of 4 years of related progressive experience.
• Must be proficient in Windows, company-approved spreadsheets and word processing, and in the operation of all hotel-specific systems.

Qualifications

Physical Requirements

• Long hours sometimes required.
• Sedentary work, exerting up to 25 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.

General Requirements

• Maintain a warm and friendly demeanor at all times.
• Must effectively communicate both verbally and in writing with all levels of employees and guests in an attentive, friendly, courteous, and service-oriented manner.
• Must be effective at listening to, understanding, and clarifying concerns raised by employees and guests.
• Must multitask and prioritize departmental functions to meet deadlines.
• Approach all encounters with guests and employees in an attentive, friendly, courteous, and service-oriented manner.
• Attend all hotel-required meetings and trainings.
• Participate in M.O.D. coverage as required.
• Maintain regular attendance in compliance with Highgate Hotels Standards, as required by scheduling, which will vary according to the needs of the hotel.
• Maintain high standards of personal appearance and grooming, including wearing nametags.
• Comply with Highgate Hotels Standards and regulations to encourage safe and efficient hotel operations.
• Maximize efforts toward productivity, identify problem areas, and assist in implementing solutions.
• Must effectively handle problems, including anticipating, preventing, identifying, and solving them as necessary.
• Must understand and evaluate complex information, data, etc., from various sources to meet appropriate objectives.
• Must maintain confidentiality of information.
• Perform other duties as requested by management.