Director of Finance & Accounting - InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown

About Us

Do you see yourself as a Director of Finance & Accounting? What's your passion? At IHG we're interested in YOU. We employ people who apply the same amount of care and passion to their jobs as they do their hobbies - people who put our guests at the heart of everything they do. And we're looking for more people like this to join our friendly and professional team.

As the world’s largest family of luxury hotels, we all take great pride in being genuine ambassadors of the InterContinental® brand. Shaped by decades of international know-how and local insights, our passion for luxury travel spans cultures and customs. Inspiring us to create warm and sophisticated experiences for those seeking a richer perspective on the world.

Each of our hotels cultivates a distinctive style and ambience where we embrace every opportunity to give our guests a personal and enriching experience. If you’d like to embrace a wider world of experiences and opportunities, we’d like to welcome you to the world’s most international luxury hotel brand.

The InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown Hotel is located in the Wilshire Grand building, standing 73 stories tall in the core of Downtown’s historic, entertainment, financial, arts, and sports districts. Ideally placed at the heart of the revitalized, energy-charged urban center of the United States’ second-largest city, the hotel provides first-class hospitality that seamlessly intertwines with the fabric of the burgeoning Downtown area.

Your Day to Day

Direct the financial operations of the hotel to ensure the security of the assets of the company. This is the top Accounting job in a large full service, luxury hotel.  Typically supervises clerical accounting employees in a full range of functions such as Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Credit/Collections, Purchasing, Audit, Payroll, and/or Accounting Operations.

Financial Returns

• Manage receivables, payables, credit, payroll and cash handling functions with the accounting department.  Implement and maintain acceptable accounting practices and procedures as required by company policy and procedures, generally accepted accounting practices, and as effected by local conditions.
• Prepare financial analyses of hotel operations including variance explanation and make recommendations to ensure the achievement of business goals/targets.
• Use financial analysis, data trends and market information to anticipate needs, identify operating/financial issues, and recommend actions to maximize financial return. Highlight trends that are likely to shape the wants and needs of internal and external customers of the future; lead the organization in exploring business opportunities that create value for the customer while driving profit.
• Develop and implement financial control procedures and systems; ensure compliance to “internal Control Checkup”; maintain documents for audits of hotel accounts; ensure compliance with government regulations; federal, state and local laws; and contractual agreements. Independently comply with record retention requirements.
• Create the annual operating budget for the property and provide analytical support during budget reviews to identify cost saving and productivity opportunities for property managers.
• Analyze ROI capital projects prior to committing funds and upon completion determine if anticipated results were achieved. 
• Maximize cash flow performance of the hotel through controls on inventory, credit and collection, disbursements, deposits and remittances.
• Enforce, document and establish adequate controls for all revenue and expenses and protection of assets, and ensures controls will satisfy or improve the level of guest service.
• Review rates and recommends rate strategy to the General Manager; participates in sales strategy meetings.
• Review of operating equipment stores to avoid unnecessary/excessive purchases and to eliminate (or at least be aware) of obsolete slow moving items.
• Ensure all accounts are reconciled on monthly basis, review and approve those reconciliation’s.
• Ensure payments are made to IHG (All Fees and billings) as fast as possible.

People

• Serve as member of Executive Committee/Management Team, and work with other management personnel to establish and implement hotel service standards to achieve maximum profitability and efficiency.
• Ensure all staff are properly trained and have the tools and equipment needed to effectively carry out their job functions.
• Promote teamwork and quality service through daily communication and coordination with other departments.  Key departmental contacts include hotel department heads in all departments, and Regional Controller to obtain/provide information. Interact with outside contacts:
  • Guests – to provide service, send bills and collect payment
  • Vendors – to pay bills or discuss pricing or billing issues; to ensure proof of insurance
  • HMG accounting staff – to coordinate financial/accounting information, budget preparation, clarify issues and resolve problems.
  • Regulatory agencies – regarding compliance matters
  • Other contacts as needed (Professional organizations, community groups)

Guest Experience

• Respond quickly to guest requests in a friendly manner. Follow up to ensure guest satisfaction.

Responsible Business

• Manage day-to-day operations and assignments of hotel Accounting staff, plan and organize work, communicate goals, and schedule/assign work.  Advise staff of formal policies and procedures, identifying options and resolving issues.  Recommend and/or initiate salary, disciplinary, or other staffing-related actions in accordance with company rules and policies.  Alert management of potentially serious issues.
• Distribute outlook and forecast information as an up to date management tool for operating departments.
• Participate in local recognized professional and industry organizations.
• Conduct daily pre-shift meetings and departmental communication meetings.
• May serve as “manager on duty” as required.
• May perform additional accounting management duties such as negotiating hotel space and tenant leases; processing payroll in a decentralized environment; performing asset management duties; providing forecasting and business projections, displacement analysis, preparing government reports, filing tax returns, etc. as needed or requested.
• May assist with other duties as assigned.

What We Need From You

Minimum: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance or equivalent and 4-8 years in hotel accounting or audit with at least one year in an Assistant Controller or similar supervisory role, or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience.  CPA preferred.  Must speak fluent English.  Other languages preferred.

This job requires ability to perform the following:

• Carrying or lifting items weighing up to 25 pounds
• Communicating with other people

Other:

• Mathematical skills, including basic math, budgeting, profit/loss concepts, percentages, and variances are utilized frequently.
• Problem solving, reasoning, motivating, organizational and training abilities are used often. 
• Reading abilities are used often in reviewing financial analyses, budgets, and other related reports.  Writing abilities are used in compiling these financial reports, as well as to document. 
• May be required to work nights, weekends, and/or holidays.

What We Offer

The salary range for this role is $190,000 - $210,000 annually. This range is only applicable for jobs to be performed at the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown in Los Angeles, California. This is the lowest to highest pay scale we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee’s pay position within the pay range will be based on several factors including, but limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, shift, travel requirements, sales or revenue-based metrics, and business or organizational needs.

In return we'll give you a competitive financial and benefits package which can include healthcare and dental coverage, disability and life insurance, and a matched 401(k) program. Hotel discounts worldwide are available as well as the chance to work with a great team of people. Most importantly, we'll give you the room to be yourself.

So what's your passion? Please click "Apply" and tell us how you could bring your individual skills to IHG.

IHG is an equal opportunity employer Minorities / Females / Disabilities / Veterans