Director of Finance

We’re Sonesta International Hotels.
The 8th largest hotel company in the U.S.—and growing fast.

An epic blend of full-service and focused hotels in major cities, Sonesta’s uniquely diverse portfolio of owned, managed, and franchised properties makes us everywhere you want to be. Driven by the human side of hospitality, we deliver service with passion, loyalty with purpose, and experiences that truly connect.

Together We Thrive—bringing quality, value, and amazing hospitality to every guest, every stay, across 1000+ properties in eight countries and counting.

Job Description Summary

As the properties’ strategic financial business leader, the Director of Finance is responsible for creating and executing business plans that are aligned with the property’s and brand’s business strategy. Functions include planning, organizing, directing, and controlling the financial operations of the hotel while ensuring the security of hotel assets, maximizing the return on investment, and providing timely and accurate reporting and analysis of results and integrity of the management information systems in a decentralized accounting environment. The Director of Finance reports directly to the General Manager of the assigned home hotel. As a member of the hotels’ Executive Committee, the Area Director of Finance is a highly visible role with exposure to Senior Corporate leaders and Asset Managers of owning entities.

Job Description

Principal duties and responsibilities (Essential Functions) include:
•    Ensure compliance with Company policies, plus local and standard operating procedures.

•    Recruit and manage qualified hotel Accounting staff, communicate goals, recommend and/or initiate salary, disciplinary, or other staffing-related actions in accordance with company rules and policies, and applicable federal, state, and local laws.
•    Identify and promote high-potential staff members through a customized Personal Development Program, cross-training, and task force opportunities.

•    Lead in the completion, review, and presentation of monthly forecasts, annual operating and capital budgets, and business plans prepared by hotel management teams to provide stakeholders with reasonable and achievable guidelines of performance aligned with the Company’s and brand’s strategic direction.

•    Prepare accurate, timely, and complete monthly financial statements with detailed work papers and schedules in accordance with the Company’s policies and procedures, applicable hotel management agreements, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI).

•    Develop and implement local accounting and financial control procedures and systems to ensure Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) 404 key controls compliance, safeguard assets, improve operations, and profitability.

• Develop strong business relationships with owners by understanding the priorities and strategic focus, attending and participating in meetings, addressing owner requests and initiatives, and demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the terms and provisions of hotel management agreements.

•    Responsible for risk management to preserve hotel property and reduce potential liability claims.

•    Ensure the hotel complies with all federal, state, and local laws and fiscal regulations, including license and permit requirements.

Operational/Functional:

•    Manage and control receivables, payables, credit, payroll, cash handling, and treasury functions with the staff of the assigned hotels’ Accounting departments.
•    Develop, implement, and monitor hotel-specific A/R Responsibility Matrix and credit and collection practices in compliance with Company-level policies and procedures.

•    Complete all formal performance appraisals and provide staff with coaching, timely constructive feedback, and utilize both counseling and progressive discipline when needed to recognize and enhance staff performance.

•    Provide analytical support to identify cost-saving and productivity opportunities for the properties’ managers.
• Distribute Outlook and forecast information as an up-to-date management tool for operating departments; review and analyze variance versus actual results to measure and improve accuracy.

• Provide leadership by clearly communicating financial concepts when rolling out initiatives and projects, and measure and report on actual versus anticipated results. 
•    Monitor economic, social, and governmental trends and policies to keep stakeholders fully apprised of any impact on meeting the hotel’s financial objectives.
•    Collaborate with department managers to provide stakeholders with meaningful explanations for variances to budget.
•    Use financial and operational performance analysis, including benchmarking, to maximize each assigned hotel’s revenue, GOP flow-through, and bottom-line financial return.

•    Assist operations to improve the accuracy of work schedules and set labor standards to maximize productivity. Monitor and accurately measure actual labor usage versus labor standards to ensure timely reporting and decision-making.

•    Ensure adequate communication and compliance of hotel personnel with the Company Code of Ethics.
•    Comply with record retention as required for internal and external audits, coordinate audit visits, and respond to auditor requests. Ensure compliance with government regulations, federal, state, and local laws and contractual agreements, including CBA’s.
•    Monitor purchasing /ordering/delivery compliance and analyze reports from Company-mandated buying programs.

•    Ensure adequate insurance coverage and COI’s provided by third-party contractors.
•    Ensure timely and accurate reporting to insurance carriers of all incidents with potential liability or property claims.

• Ensure timely and accurate sales, use, and occupancy tax returns, and compliance form filing preparation as required.
•    Serve as a member of assigned hotels’ Executive Committees.
•    Demonstrated ability to effectively interact with people of varying abilities and diverse cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

•    Promote teamwork and quality service to all stakeholders including guests, vendors, Accounting staff, regulatory agencies, and owners.
•    Perform additional administrative duties as needed or requested such as negotiating, monitoring, and tracking expiration and renewal dates of hotel contracts, space and tenant leases, etc.

•    May assist with other duties as required.

Qualifications and Skills Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to satisfy each essential duty. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience

Minimum: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or equivalent and 10+ years in hotel accounting for a large complex hotel operation, or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience.  CPA or MBA preferred.  For newly opening hotels, previous hotel pre-opening experience preferred. Must speak English fluently. Other languages preferred.

Additional Job Information/Anticipated

Pay Range

Benefits

Sonesta recognizes that benefits play a vital role in helping ensure the health and financial security of employees and their families. We offer a variety of benefits to our employees including:

• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Health Savings Account with Company Match
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company Match
• Paid Vacation and Sick Days
• Sonesta Hotel Discounts
• Educational Assistance
• Paid Parental Leave
• Company Paid Life Insurance
• Company Paid Short Term and Long Term Disability Insurance
• Various Employee Perks and Discounts
• Hospital Indemnity
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Accident Insurance

Sonesta is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

Upon submitting your application, please ensure you complete a full application in addition to attaching a resume. Incomplete applications received will not be considered.