Corporate Director of Internal Audit

Hersha Hospitality Management LP•Philadelphia, PA

About The Position

The Corporate Director of Internal Audit leads the company’s internal audit, financial controls, and governance function across a multi-brand portfolio of more than 200 assets. Reporting to the CFO, this senior, highly visible role sets the structure and priorities for internal control oversight, certification, and risk management. The Director works closely with Corporate Accounting, Corporate Shared Services, Treasury, senior finance and operations leaders, and property teams to strengthen controls, reporting accuracy, and consistency across the portfolio. The Director advises executives, ownership groups, and the audit committee on significant financial, operational, and compliance risks and recommended actions. The role also leads the audit and controls organization, including hiring and developing the team, setting standards, and holding corporate and property teams accountable. It requires recurring travel and in-person time at the Philadelphia and Camp Hill, Pennsylvania corporate offices and at hotels.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, economics, or a related field.
10 or more years of experience in internal audit, financial controls, hospitality finance, or public accounting, including several years leading an audit, controls, or governance function.
Strong command of internal controls and audit methodology, with a track record of building and scaling control and governance programs at a large organization.
Experience owning risk assessment and audit planning across a large, multi-property or multi-entity portfolio.
Advanced Excel, AI, and data analytics skills, including hands-on use of tools such as Python, Power BI, or SQL to improve audit efficiency and detect fraud.
Experience with audit documentation and GRC tools.
Ability to advise and present to C-level executives, ownership groups, and the audit committee.
Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to build teams, manage competing priorities, and work independently at a senior level.

Nice To Haves

AuditBoard experience, including OpsAudit, CrossComply, Analytics, or Accelerate; BlackLine experience is also preferred.
Hospitality accounting and hotel operations background, including familiarity with USALI and GAAP.
Exposure to ERP, PMS, and procurement or payroll systems such as Oracle Cloud, M3, Opera, or Birchstreet.

Responsibilities

Own the direction and multi-year plan for the Internal Audit, Financial Controls, and Governance function across approximately 200 or more properties, including team structure and work priorities.
Advise the CFO and other senior executives on significant financial, operational, and compliance exposures, and represent the function to ownership groups and the audit committee.
Lead the annual risk assessment and audit plan, focusing coverage on the areas of greatest risk to the business and ownership.
Oversee an audit program producing more than 3,000 findings annually, with more than 80% remediation, and use analytics and automation to improve efficiency and detect fraud earlier.
Set control policy and design supporting frameworks, including certification and month-end close processes, and establish the teams and oversight needed to sustain them.
Report audit results, risk trends, and remediation progress to executive leadership, ownership, and the audit committee quarterly and at year end.
Partner with Corporate Accounting and Shared Services, regional finance teams, and property Directors of Finance to improve month-end close, balance sheet integrity, and ownership reporting accuracy.
Run the property review program and recurring finance and operations forums to standardize practices, expand audit coverage, and ensure SOPs are followed.
Manage recurring reporting, including monthly financial statement completion and certification, balance sheet scorecards, and self-assessments to address control gaps.
Identify and resolve financial exposure and establish lasting controls to prevent recurring issues.
Support improvements to financial systems and processes across ERP, PMS, and reporting platforms, including standards transitions such as USALI, and lead related training, onboarding, and rollout across properties.
Build and lead a geographically dispersed team, and develop Directors of Finance and audit leaders into stronger business partners.