Staff Accountant

Highgate is a premier real estate investment and hospitality management company widely recognized as an innovator in the industry. Highgate is the dominant player in U.S. gateway markets including New York, Boston, Miami, San Francisco and Honolulu, with a rapidly expanding presence in Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Highgate’s portfolio of global properties represents an aggregate asset value exceeding $20B and generates over $5B in cumulative revenues. The company provides expert guidance through all stages of the hospitality property cycle, from planning and development through recapitalization or disposition.  Highgate also has the creativity and bandwidth to develop bespoke hotel brands and utilizes industry-leading proprietary revenue management tools that identify and predict evolving market dynamics to drive out performance and maximize asset value. With an executive team consisting of some of the industry’s most experienced hotel management leaders, the company is a trusted partner for top ownership groups and major hotel brands. Highgate maintains corporate offices in London, New York, Dallas, and Seattle.

The Westin Arlington Gateway is perfectly located two blocks from the Ballston Metro Station, offering guests the convenience of reaching the nation’s Capital in just minutes. See historic monuments and museums, shop trendy Georgetown, slip in a round of golf after your meetings, or enjoy a day in DuPont Circle just a metro ride away. The hotel features 338 modern guestrooms (including 14 suites) with modern amenities.

The Staff Accountant is responsible for assisting the Director of Finance and Assistant Director of Finance in maintaining accurate and timely financial resporting; 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 emphais is placed on the management of Payroll, Income Audit and Accounts Receivable processing and collections

• 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 Reconciliation, Invoice processing and supplier management process.
• Conduct a monthly cash surprise audit for all cashiers bank to ensure compliance with the cash handling requirement
• Reconcile the daily cash drops, prepare bank deposits, and communicate cash variances to Director of Finance
• Review Purchase order, and conduct a three way matching for invoices, goods receipts, and Purchase Order to ensure accuracy and compliance Accounting policies and procedures.
• Handle customer inquries in a professional and timely manner, provide customers with accurate invoices, statements, and schedules.
• Participate on monthly inventory counts
• Partner with the department leaders by establishing a process for purchase order cutoff date, timely invoice processing, and compliance with vendor payment and process.
• Maintain an efficient supplier statement reconciliation process to include organized filing, tracing payments, monitoring unclaimed checks and return payments   
• Update daily revenue reports both for internal distribution and corporate distribution.
• Conduct monthly credit meetings and maintain minutes (including returned checks/chargeback logs, credit trace reports, write-off, bad debt allowances, etc.)
• Monitor guest ledger, advance deposit ledger and any other related ledgers to ensure proper internal control.
• Complete collection calls on each appropriate outstanding accounts and maintain collection files on each outstanding issue.
• 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.
• Ensure overall guest satisfaction by attentive listening and then immediately resolving guest issues or elevation to the Director of Finance or General Manager.
• Cross-Train in other areas within the Accounting Department including Accounts  receivable.
• 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

• 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 Payroll experience is preferred
• Hotel PMS Opera 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 managment.