Vice President, Operational Finance

We’re looking for enthusiastic, fun, and energetic people who take the work seriously, but not themselves. Let’s see if we’re a fit. We hope so.
 Position Summary
The Vice President, Operational Finance is based in Tampa, Florida, and reports directly to the Chief Financial Officer. This executive leadership role provides strategic financial oversight for a diverse hospitality portfolio that includes branded hotels, including Autograph Collection, Tribute Portfolio, and Marriott, as well as independent and lifestyle properties and vacation rentals.
The Vice President, Operational Finance is responsible for leading the operational finance function across the portfolio, providing guidance, mentorship, and support to property-level finance leaders while partnering closely with Operations, Sales, and Marketing teams to drive business performance. The role focuses on strengthening financial results through forecasting, budgeting, financial analysis, process improvement, and performance management.
Key responsibilities include ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of financial reporting, identifying opportunities to improve profitability, supporting strategic decision-making, driving consistency in financial processes and controls, and helping hotel leadership teams achieve financial and operational objectives. The position also serves as a key liaison between property leadership, ownership groups, and corporate stakeholders, translating complex financial information into clear, actionable insights.
The ideal candidate is at the top of their game: internally motivated, highly collaborative, an exceptional communicator with the ability to explain complex financial matters to people with diverse backgrounds and at all levels of the organization and is results oriented. We are looking for someone with an energetic disposition and a passion for delivering superior service, whether to internal customers, guests, ownership groups, or business partners. Success in this role is measured by the ability to deliver accurate financial information, improve business performance, support operational excellence, and consistently achieve portfolio financial goals.
At Mainsail’s Home Office, you'll work alongside colleagues who are passionate about what they do and dedicated to the company's mission. This is a place where we work hard, have fun, and continuously strive to grow and improve. This role plays a critical part in supporting the continued growth and success of Mainsail's hospitality portfolio through financial leadership, operational partnership, and a commitment to excellence.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain positive, collaborative working relationships across all teams while providing strategic financial leadership related to short-term and long-term business goals, forecasting, budgeting, and variance analysis.
• Challenge existing strategies and recommend alternative approaches to continually improve property performance, profitability, and operational effectiveness.
• Identify and implement process improvement opportunities related to financial controls, expense management, reporting, and operational efficiency.
• Review financial reports and performance metrics to identify trends, competitive positioning, performance against strategic objectives, and changes in the business environment. Utilize analytical tools and key performance indicators to proactively identify and address risks and opportunities.
• Review monthly financial statements prior to distribution, questioning and challenging results where appropriate. Focus on labor costs, operating expenses, revenue trends, and profitability while providing recommendations to improve financial performance.
• Translate operating results into timely, actionable insights for hotel leadership teams, ownership groups, investors, and asset managers.
• Lead the annual budget process for managed hotels, including the development of budget guidelines, timelines, assumptions, and supporting processes.
• Oversee forecasting processes across the portfolio, ensuring accuracy, accountability, and alignment with business objectives.
• Conduct property visits and lead special projects to address operational challenges, identify best practices, and support hotel teams in achieving financial and operational goals.
• Champion and support the implementation of technology solutions, financial systems, and process improvements that enhance visibility, efficiency, reporting accuracy, and decision-making.
• Ensure consistency across the portfolio in financial reporting standards, reporting timelines, accounting practices, and operational finance processes.
• Perform and oversee balance sheet reconciliation reviews to ensure accounts are properly supported, reconciled, and cleared in a timely manner.
• Provide oversight of internal controls and financial governance processes to safeguard company assets and maintain compliance with corporate standards.
• Play a key leadership role in hotel transitions, acquisitions, openings, and conversions, ensuring all Finance and Accounting functions are properly established, documented, and operational.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with hotel owners, investors, lenders, asset managers, and business partners while serving as a trusted financial advisor and representative of Mainsail.
• Drive business performance by leveraging talent, organizational systems, and succession planning strategies to strengthen the finance leadership bench and support the evolving needs of the portfolio.
• Coach, mentor, and develop property finance leaders and team members, providing guidance on technical accounting matters, operational finance challenges, leadership development, and performance management.
• Support talent acquisition, onboarding, training, and development initiatives for finance and accounting professionals throughout the portfolio.
• Travel as required to support managed hotels, oversee financial operations, conduct audits and reviews, provide leadership support, and temporarily assist with coverage for open finance leadership positions when necessary.

What You Will Need to Succeed (Hey, That Rhymes!)

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Hospitality or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a multi-property finance leadership role within the hospitality industry.
• Experience overseeing both decentralized and centralized finance teams preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience working effectively across all levels of management, external partners, hotel owners, investors, and asset managers.
• Demonstrated ability to assess and understand a variety of internal and external economic and financial factors affecting business performance; analyze data; forecast future trends; and develop effective financial plans based on those assessments.
• Ability to foster trust and candor, navigate conflict constructively, and communicate ideas and concerns directly without damaging relationships.
• Proven problem solver with an entrepreneurial spirit.
• Ability to support, manage, and drive positive organizational change, removing barriers and helping accelerate progress when needed.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience with hospitality technology platforms is highly preferred. Mainsail is committed to implementing technology solutions that minimize the daily grind, so experience with systems such as Opera, Micros POS, Marriott International platforms, ProfitSword, Hotel Effectiveness, Data Plus, AvidXchange, Workday and similar technologies is highly valued.

Physical Demands

• Must be able to sit for extended periods of time.
• The ability to frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Mainsail is an Equal Opportunity Employer and it does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth and pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, military service and veteran status, political affiliation, physical or mental disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws and ordinances.