Highgate is a leading real estate investment and hospitality management company widely recognized as an innovator in the industry. Highgate is the dominant player in major U.S. gateway cities including New York, Boston, Miami, San Francisco and Honolulu, with a growing Caribbean and Latin America footprint. The hospitality forward company provides expert guidance through all stages of the property cycle, from planning and development through recapitalization or disposition. Highgate has a proven record of developing its diverse portfolio of bespoke lifestyle hotel brands, legacy brands, and independent hotels and resorts with contemporary programming and digital acumen. The company utilizes industry-leading revenue management tools that efficiently identify and predict evolving market dynamics to drive outperformance and maximize asset value. With an executive team consisting of some of the most experienced hotel management leaders, the company is a trusted partner for top ownership groups and major hotel brands. Highgate maintains corporate offices in New York, Chicago, Dallas, London, Miami, and Seattle. www.highgate.com.
Location
Highgate, in partnership with Major Food Group, has announced plans to open The Newbury Boston at One Newbury Street, located in the premier shopping and dining neighborhood of Boston's Back Bay. This iconic property originally opened in 1927 as one of the first Ritz-Carlton hotels in the U.S. and most recently was the Taj Boston. The building will be thoughtfully transformed into a 286-room luxury hotel with 16,000-sq-ft of stunning event spaces, signature dining experiences and a reimagined front entrance on Newbury Street.
Overview
The Controller is responsible for providing consistent leadership in the financial area of the hotel by supplying the accounting staff with guidance and training. This person will be reporting to the Director of Finance. He/she is also responsible for focusing on the profitability of the business, maintaining accurate and timely financial reporting, ensuring acceptable levels on internal control, ensuring compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations, and safeguarding owners/investors assets. Responsible for entering payroll data into the computer, auditing payroll data and maintaining files and records to produce accurate payroll period reports in accordance with hotel standards and procedures.
Responsibilities
Education & Experience:
At least 2 years of progressive supervisory experience in hotel accounting.
Bachelor's Degree, preferably in Accounting and/or Finance.
Strong PC skills including Excel, Word and financial accounting systems.
Strong organizational, analytical, verbal and written communication skills.
Hospitality related financial management and accounting experience desirable.
Experience with one or more of these systems: ADP, Oracle PBCS, Birchstreet, OPERA PMS is preferable but not a requirement.
Physical requirements:
Flexible and long hours sometimes required.
General Requirements:
Must be able to effectively communicate both verbally and written, with all level 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, guests and ownership.
Must be able to 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.
Support Highgate core values: passion, innovation, integrity, ownership and community.
Participate in M.O.D. coverage as required.
Maintain regular attendance in compliance with Highgate Hotel Standards which will vary according to the needs of the hotel as determined by the Director of Finance.
Maintain high standards of personal appearance and grooming, including wearing nametags.
Comply with Highgate Hotel Standards and regulations to encourage safe and efficient hotel operations.
Maximize efforts towards productivity, identify problem areas and assist in implementing solutions.
Must be effective in handling problems, including anticipating, preventing, identifying and solving problems as necessary.
Must be able to understand and evaluate complex information, data, etc. from various sources to meet appropriate objectives.
Must be able to maintain confidentiality of information.
Perform other duties as requested by management under the direction of the Director of Finance.
Maintain a warm and friendly demeanor at all times.
Qualifications
Assist Director of Finance in timely preparation of monthly financial statements for the property
Prepare, monitor, and accurately record hotel revenues daily by preparation of the Income Journal. Identify all variances to budget and last year.
Monitoring and control of hotel operations, cash flow and operating forecasts for the property
Under guidance of Director of Finance maintain timely interaction with Department Heads to assure that property operations are on track and under control at all times
Preparation of monthly bank reconciliations and general ledger account reconciliations for the property
Supervision of accounting department staff
Compliance with Highgate Accounting Policies and Procedures and internal controls for our finance and accounting operations
Effectively manage and communicate related issues related to management of receivables, payables, daily cash balances, and timely deposits of all funds.
Monitor hotel revenues and expenses and ensure the accurate recording in accordance with Highgate Hotel's established guidelines. Investigate and critique variances to budget or to prior year and offer practical improvement methodologies to management.
Analyze financial data and operations in order to assist Director of Finance and advise Department Heads in maintaining the hotels' financial objectives.
Manage Account Payables and Accounts Recieveables as supported by Metriqe (upload and verify accurancy)
Income Audit including entering information into the ProfitSage on a daily basis.
Monitor payment requirements on groups or functions and process deposits.
Complete collection calls on each appropriate outstanding accounts and maintain collection files on each outstanding issue.
Review and approve the City Ledger transfers daily and communicate to supervisor any deviation from established Accounting policies and procedures.
Process returned checks and credit card chargebacks.
Conduct monthly credit meetings and maintain minutes (including returned checks/chargeback logs, credit trace reports, write-off, bad debt allowances, etc.)
Maintain an efficient collection process to include organized filing and tracing system, issuing letter, monitoring returned checks and charge backs, performing collection calls and preparing bad debt write-offs.
Update daily revenue reports both for internal distribution and corporate distribution.
Monitor guest ledger, advance deposit ledger and any other related ledgers to ensure proper internal control.
Keep management aware of any unusual operation or financial occurances and/or significant deviations.
Reconcile invoices against ledgers or schedules to ensure accuracy of invoicing.
Assist in the monthly close process by posting journal entries that are related to daily/monthly responsibilities.
Handle general cashier duties (count banks, order cash, investigate discrepancies)
Handle employee inquiries regarding paychecks according to department procedures.
Enter new employee records in payroll system from information received from Human Resources, create a file and include all designated forms and data.
Check whether terminated employees are deleted from payroll system after yearly purge by ADP.
Enter authorized status changes (rate, job, exemptions, etc.) and terminations as received from Human Resources.
Maintain vacation accrual and sick pay records and authorize requests when applicable and approved by Human Resources.
Input payroll from weekly summaries and pay request for, balancing to each department's total.
Input or update employee deductions (i.e. garnishments, advances, insurance, 401(k), etc.). Review for accuracy. Make necessary corrections.
Input balanced banquet gratuities weekly.
Calculate tip allocations for all tipped employees.
Process rate changes and transfers following hotel standards and file within one week of receipt.
Back up transaction files and transmit to ADP by the time and date according to Finance procedures.
Review payroll register from ADP for accuracy.
Copy/print reports as directed and distribute to Human Resources and Director of Finance.
Prepare weekly variance report and overtime report.
Deliver checks to Human Resources for sorting by 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday of pay weeks.
Process authorized manual checks, as needed following manual check procedures.
Maintain accurate record of all issued checks and ensure security of all unused checks.
Process paycheck adjustments after reconciling discrepancy and post adjustment in payroll system using designated code. Generate new check according to Finance procedures.
Successfully complete the training process for this position.
Maintain confidentiality of all information regarding all financial and payroll records.
With supervision of Director of Finance hire, train, supervise and develop staff, including coaching, counseling and discipline.
Preparation of any special reports, statements, etc., as requested.
Other special projects and responsibilities as assigned.
For California Applicants Only
Highgate Hotels, L.P. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and maintains the policy of recruiting and retaining the best-qualified personnel who demonstrate the ability to perform competently and work well with others. It is the policy of Highgate Hotels to provide equal employment opportunity regardless of race (including traits historically or culturally associated with race, such as hair texture and protective hairstyles), religion (including religious dress and religious grooming), color, age (40 and over), genetic information, disability (mental and physical), medical condition (as defined under state law), national origin (including language use restrictions and possession of a driver's license issued under section 12801.9 of the California Vehicle Code), ancestry, sex (including gender, gender identity, gender expression), sexual orientation, marital status, familial status, parental status, domestic partner status, citizenship status, pregnancy (including perceived pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, or pregnancy-related conditions), military caregiver status, military status, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law. This policy of nondiscrimination is applied to all aspects of the employment relationship. The Company complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable state and local laws in ensuring equal opportunity and employment for qualified persons with disabilities. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.
