Complex Staff Accountant

Highgate Hotels•Key West, FL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Staff Accountant assists the Director of Finance and Assistant Director of Finance in maintaining accurate, timely financial reporting; maintaining acceptable internal controls; ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations and Highgate Hotels Standard Operating Procedures; and safeguarding owners’ and investors’ assets. The role focuses on payroll, income audit, and accounts receivable processing and collections. The position also supports monthly close, reconciliations, revenue and ledger reporting, customer credit administration, and guest satisfaction. The accountant may cross-train in other Accounting Department functions, including accounts payable, and is expected to identify root causes of operational or guest issues and propose actionable solutions. The role is at Southernmost Beach Resort in Key West, Florida.

Requirements

College courses in an associated or related field and/or related experience in a hotel or hospitality environment.
Proficiency in Windows and Microsoft Office, including intermediate Excel and basic Word.
Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing, with employees and guests at all levels.
Ability to listen to, understand, and clarify concerns raised by employees and guests.
Ability to multitask and prioritize departmental functions to meet deadlines.
Ability to handle problems by anticipating, preventing, identifying, and solving them.
Ability to understand complex information and data from various sources and maintain confidentiality.
Ability to show initiative by anticipating guest or operational needs.
Maintain a warm, friendly, professional, attentive, courteous, and service-oriented demeanor.
Flexible and long hours may sometimes be required, especially during the first and last few days of the month.
Sedentary work involving exertion of up to 10 pounds occasionally and negligible force frequently or constantly to move objects.

Nice To Haves

Accounts receivable experience.
Payroll experience.
Hotel PMS Opera experience.

Responsibilities

Monitor, prepare, and communicate financial reports by Highgate Hotels’ required due dates.
Perform income audit, including entering information into BiPortal daily.
Maintain the time and attendance system and process daily, weekly, and bi-weekly payroll information, verifying payroll data and recording earnings and deductions.
Prepare and input required payroll journal entries.
Manage daily accounts receivable credit, billing, and collection processes.
Monitor payment requirements for groups and functions and process deposits.
Approve or decline credit requests.
Make collection calls on appropriate outstanding accounts and maintain collection files.
Review and approve City Ledger transfers daily and notify a supervisor of deviations from accounting policies and procedures.
Handle customer inquiries professionally and promptly, providing accurate invoices, statements, and schedules.
Process returned checks and credit card chargebacks.
Conduct monthly credit meetings and maintain meeting minutes and related logs and reports, including returned checks and chargebacks, credit trace reports, write-offs, and bad debt allowances.
Partner with Sales and Events to establish customer credit, including processing applications, checking references, setting credit limits, maintaining direct-billing lists, and determining deposit requirements.
Maintain an organized collection and tracing process, issue letters, monitor returned checks and chargebacks, make collection calls, and prepare bad-debt write-offs.
Update daily revenue reports for internal and corporate distribution.
Monitor the guest ledger, advance deposit ledger, and related ledgers to ensure proper internal control.
Keep management informed of unusual operational or financial occurrences and significant deviations.
Reconcile invoices against ledgers or schedules to ensure invoice accuracy.
Assist with monthly close by posting journal entries related to daily and monthly responsibilities.
Support guest satisfaction by listening attentively and resolving guest issues promptly or escalating them to the Director of Finance or General Manager.
Cross-train in other Accounting Department areas, including accounts payable.
Identify root causes of issues affecting staff or guests and provide actionable, measurable solutions to improve efficiency, the work environment, or guest experience.
Attend required hotel meetings and trainings; maintain regular attendance and personal appearance; comply with hotel standards and regulations; and perform other duties as requested by management.

Benefits

Medical insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Life insurance
Short-term and long-term disability insurance
401(k) retirement plan with employer matching contributions
Paid holidays
Paid vacation
Paid sick leave in accordance with applicable law
Employee assistance program
Educational opportunities and tuition reimbursement
Paid jury duty leave, personal leave, medical leave, and military leave in accordance with applicable law