Complex Staff Accountant

Compensation Type

Highgate Hotels

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.

Overview

The Complex Staff Accountant is responsible for assisting the Complex Director of Finance and staff in maintaining accurate and timely financial reporting; ensuring acceptable levels of internal control; ensuring compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations and Highgate Hotels Standard Operating Procedures; and safeguarding owners/investors assets. For this role, the emphasis is placed on Income Audit and Accounts Receivable processing and collections.

Responsibilities

• Monitor, prepare, and communicate financial reports in accordance with Highgate Hotels required due dates.
• Income Audit including entering information into the BiPortal on a daily basis.
• Maintain responsibility for the daily Accounts Receivable credit, billing, and collection process.
• Monitor payment requirements on groups or functions and process deposits.
• Approve or decline credit requests.
• 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.
• Handle customer inquiries in a professional and timely manner, provide customers with accurate invoices, statements, and schedules.
• 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.)
• Partner with the Sales and Events Team by establishing customer credit, including but no limited to application processing, reference checks, credit limitation, direct billing list, and deposit requirements.
• 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 occurrences 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.
• Ensure overall guest satisfaction by attentive listening and then immediately resolving guest issues or elevating to the Director of Finance or General Manager.
• Cross-Train in other areas within the Accounting Department.
• Ability to identify root causes of issues that may affect staff or guests and provide actionable and measurable solutions to improve efficiency, overall work environment, and/or guest experience.

Qualifications

• College courses in an associated or related field and/or related experience in an Hotel or Hospitality environment
• Must be proficient in Windows, Microsoft Office (Intermediate Excel and Basic Word)
• Accounts Receivable and Payable experience is preferred
• Hotel PMS OnQ is preferred
• Flexible and long hours sometimes required, especially during the last and first few days of the month
• Sedentary work - Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects.
• Maintain a warm and friendly demeanor at all times.
• 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 and guests.
• Must be able to multitask and prioritize departmental functions to meet deadlines.
• Approach all encounters with guests and employees in a professional, attentive, friendly, courteous and service-oriented manner.
• Attend all hotel required meeting and trainings.
• 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.
• Comply with Highgate Hotels 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 complex information, data, etc. from various sources to meet appropriate objectives.
• Must be able to maintain confidentiality of information.
• Must be able to show initiative, including anticipating guests or operational needs.
• Perform other duties as requested by management.