What are the responsibilities and job description for the Vice President of Accounting position at Highgate Hotels?
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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.
Location
Highgate Corporate Offices Irving, TX
Overview
The Vice President of Accounting plays a key leadership role within the Select Service Hotel Accounting Division, overseeing all accounting operations for a diverse portfolio of properties. This position is responsible for ensuring the accuracy, timeliness, and compliance of financial reporting and internal controls, while providing strategic financial leadership across the organization.
The ideal candidate will bring deep hospitality accounting experience, a strong technical foundation in GAAP and USALI standards, and a proactive, solution-oriented leadership style.
Responsibilities
- Lead and oversee the preparation of accurate and timely monthly financial statements for all Select Service properties.
- Ensure completion and review of balance sheet reconciliations and other critical financial reporting components.
- Monitor and manage portfolio-wide cash balances, forecasts, and payment obligations.
- Direct the timely processing and posting of urgent payments related to legal, insurance, taxes, and accounts payable.
- Supervise the accurate deposit and posting of payments received at the corporate office.
- Oversee all accounting aspects of hotel acquisitions and dispositions, including proration calculations, journal entries, system setup and deactivation, and due diligence support.
- Enforce standardized night audit reporting procedures and ensure compliance with internal accounting policies at the property level.
- Monitor travel and purchasing card usage to ensure adherence to company policies.
- Ensure property-level accounts payable processes are properly followed and consistently applied.
- Monitor and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local tax filings, including sales and occupancy taxes.
- Develop and deliver training programs on accounting policies and procedures for both the corporate accounting team and field operations staff.
- Generate and review reports required by ownership groups and stakeholders, including portfolio-wide ancillary reports.
- Support the development and enforcement of internal controls, standard accounting procedures, and best practices.
- Coordinate internal and external audits, serving as the primary liaison with external auditors and ensuring timely delivery of audit requests.
- Ensure compliance with GAAP and the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI), 11th Edition or later.
- Prepare and present special financial reports and statements as required by senior leadership or ownership.
- Lead and contribute to special projects and strategic initiatives as assigned.
Qualifications
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required; CPA or MBA strongly preferred.
- Experience: Minimum of 10 years of progressive accounting experience within the hospitality industry, including both property-level and corporate-level leadership roles.
- Proven track record in a hotel management company setting is highly desirable.
- Deep knowledge of USALI (11th Edition) and GAAP.
- Proficiency with financial accounting systems and advanced Excel skills; experience with major ERP or hotel-specific accounting platforms is a plus.
- Exceptional analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment and meet critical deadlines.