Director, Internal Audit - Americas

About Four Seasons:

Four Seasons is powered by our people. We are a collective of individuals who crave to become better, to push ourselves to new heights and to treat each other as we wish to be treated in return. Our team members around the world create amazing experiences for our guests, residents, and partners through a commitment to luxury with genuine heart. We know that the best way to enable our people to deliver these exceptional guest experiences is through a world-class employee experience and company culture.         
At Four Seasons, we believe in recognizing a familiar face, welcoming a new one and treating everyone we meet the way we would want to be treated ourselves. Whether you work with us, stay with us, live with us or discover with us, we believe our purpose is to create impressions that will stay with you for a lifetime. It comes from our belief that life is richer when we truly connect to the people and the world around us.

About the location:

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is a global, luxury hotel management company. We manage over 120 hotels and resorts and 50 private residences in 47 countries around the world and growing. Central to Four Seasons employee experience and social impact programming is the company’s commitment to supporting cancer research, and the advancement of diversity, inclusion, equality and belonging at Four Seasons corporate offices and properties worldwide. At Four Seasons, we are powered by people and our culture enables everything we do.

Director, Internal Audit - Americas

The successful candidate will be responsible for the execution of hotel internal audits and to assist with fraud investigations. The role will also lead or assist with various internal control projects and fraud data analytics.

What You’ll Be Doing:

Hotel Audit

• Execution of test procedures.
• Provide training and assign work to guest auditor.
• Supervise and review guest auditor work.
• Providing recommendations for strengthening internal controls at properties.
• Complete administrative functions for hotel audits including scheduling, communications with properties, tracking results and securing resourcing.

Properly plan hotel audits

• Send out information requests in a timely manner.
• Secure assistance from other hotel properties to provide resources.
• Prepare working papers ahead of field visits.

Perform detailed testing

• Gain audit evidence to support internal control effectiveness conclusions by: inquiry, vouching to source documents, observation, recalculation, verifying to independent sources and analysis.

Provide written reports at the close of audit engagements

• Complete reports in format designated by the Internal Audit function including headline statement, criteria, condition, cause, impact and recommendation.

• Bring exposure items or significant control weakness to the attention of the hotel Director of Finance, General Manager, Regional Director of Finance and Four Seasons Corporate Management as appropriate.
• Lead or assist Senior Director Internal Audit or VP Internal Audit in implementing enhancements to the internal audit programs (corporate and properties) based upon risk assessments, changes in business models, processes and systems, and operational issues.
• Provide support to the field on operational and internal control issues and questions by hotel Asset Managers and External Auditors.
• Coordinate activities with external auditors to support their audit and review procedures.
• Provide information on results of hotel audits or corporate audits to support quarterly board reporting.

Fraud Investigations

• Lead or provide support to the Senior Director and VP Internal Audit during fraud investigations.
• Assist with the development of fraud analytics to monitor and detect fraud.
• Periodically run fraud exception reports to detect fraudulent behavior.
• Work with IT and other stakeholders to develop fraud analytics.
• Using various tools including Avero, ACL, Microsoft Power BI and reporting from various systems, develop fraud scripts that should be run periodically to detect fraud.
• Conduct fraud investigation techniques to gain evidence of fraudulent or unethical activities.
• Recommend internal control and procedural improvements to prevent fraud.
• Track and report on fraud cases and data mining activities.

What You Bring:

• Certified Professional Accountant (CPA); Certified Internal Auditor (CIA).  Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) would also be an asset.
• Established credentials and proven track record as a leader in finance and audit.
• University degree in Business/Accounting/Finance.
• Seven (7) years or more of industry experience within finance and audit with a track record of taking on progressively broader and more senior responsibilities.
• External audit experience with Big 4 accounting firms would be an asset.
• Fluent in English and Spanish would be an asset.
• Thorough knowledge of financial matters including IFSR/GAAP.
• Detailed knowledge of auditing practices – both internal and external.
• Strong written skills especially in documenting controls and policies.
• Hospitality background would be an asset.
• Professional skepticism for information provided by auditees.
• Ability to quickly adapt audit focus and strategies to changes in the industry, legislation or business risks.

Key Skills/ Who You Are:

• Strong technical skills, including superior knowledge of Microsoft Office, Power Point, Excel.
• Strong IT skills, particularly in the area of application and system controls and data analytics.
• Hands-on experience and knowledge of financial reporting.
• Ability to work independently and with limited supervision
• Must be organized, with the ability to handle multiple priorities.
• Must have excellent communication skills both verbal and written.
• Must have the highest degree of professional integrity, and be able to work in a safe, prudent and organized manner.
• The ability to liaison professionally with multiple stakeholders including senior executives, external auditors, consultants, property owners and asset managers, General Managers and Directors of Finance.
• Strong relationship and negotiation skills with the ability to influence behavior.
• Excellent project management skills and the ability to motivate team members to produce high quality audits under tight deadlines.
• Commitment to follow all local and corporate policies and procedures.
• Must be able to assess various financial and operational risks at corporate and properties.
• Willingness to travel and interact appropriately in different cultures / geographies.

Travel:

• 30% to 35%

This role will be a Hybrid working model, which will require 3 days per week in the Four Seasons Corporate Office located at 1165 Leslie Street, Toronto, Ontario #LI-Hybrid

Four Seasons is committed to providing employment accommodation in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. If contacted for an employment opportunity, please advise Human Resources if you require accommodation.