Senior Vice President, Finance & Shared Services

Highgate Hotels Corporate Office TX•Irving, TX

11d•Onsite

About The Position

In this role you will report to the Executive Vice President of Accounting and Shared Services. The Senior Vice President, Finance and Shared Services is a strategic enterprise leader responsible for the Select Service Accounting Division and the “Finance Forward Center” in designing, governing, and continuously transforming core finance shared services functions across the organization. This role oversees Financial Statement Preparation, Supplier Management (APEX analytics system), Centralized Accounts Payable, Daily Income Journal, Procurement Systems (BirchStreet), Global Accounting Support Team, Cash Management, Accounts Receivable and Bank Reconciliation functions, with a mandate to drive operational excellence, scalability, automation, and AI-enabled efficiency. The SVP serves as the architect of a high-performance shared services model, balancing strong governance and controls with speed, accuracy, and cost efficiency. This leader partners closely with Finance, Procurement, Operations, Technology, Internal Audit, and Executive Leadership to deliver measurable improvements in productivity, data quality, and insight. The role is critical to scaling the business efficiently, improving data quality and insight, reducing cost-to-operate, and enabling Finance and Operations to focus on higher-value activities — a cornerstone leader in the organization’s digital, AI, and process-optimization journey.

Requirements

15+ years of progressive leadership experience in Shared Services, Finance Operations, or Global Business Services, preferably in hospitality, real estate, or multi-unit environments.
Demonstrated experience leading large-scale process transformation, automation, and shared services optimization.
Strong working knowledge of AP, supplier management, procurement systems, daily revenue processes, and bank reconciliations.
Hands-on experience with analytics platforms (e.g., APEX), procurement systems (e.g., BirchStreet), and financial automation tools.
Proven ability to design and execute KPI frameworks and performance management models.
Experience operating in PE-backed or high-growth environments strongly preferred.
Strategic, enterprise mindset with the ability to translate vision into execution.
Data-driven decision-maker with a strong focus on outcomes and accountability.
Change agent with deep credibility in automation and AI-enabled transformation.
Collaborative leader who partners effectively across Finance, Operations, IT, and Audit.
Strong executive presence and communication skills.

Responsibilities

Define and execute the enterprise Shared Services strategy, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives, growth plans, and ownership expectations.
Design scalable operating models that support portfolio expansion, new property onboardings, and evolving business complexity.
Establish clear service catalogs, SLAs, and governance frameworks across all shared services functions.
Lead and oversee the preparation of accurate and timely monthly financial statements for all Select Service Hotels
Ensure completion of and review of all balance sheet reconciliations and other critical financial reporting components
Oversee all accounting aspects of hotel acquisitions and dispositions, including proration calculations, journal entries, system set up and deactivation, and due diligence support
Support the development and enforcement of internal controls, standard operating procedures and best practices
Lead supplier lifecycle management, spend analytics, performance tracking, and compliance using the APEX analytics platform.
Partner with Procurement and Finance to drive supplier optimization, cost transparency, and risk mitigation.
Oversee end-to-end AP operations, including invoice processing, approvals, payments, and vendor inquiries.
Drive automation, touchless processing, and straight-through workflows while maintaining strong controls and audit readiness.
Ensure accurate, timely, and automated daily revenue posting across properties.
Improve data integrity, exception handling, and integration with source systems (POS, PMS).
Lead standardized, automated bank reconciliation processes across all entities and accounts.
Ensure timely close support, visibility into cash positions, and strong control frameworks.
Lead the team in the timely, accurate posting of all global journal entries and global processes.
Implement process efficiencies and the expansion of the scope of global entries.
Develop and implement KPIs, monitoring tools, and periodic communication of balances for accounts receivable across the organization.
Lead efforts to monitor and assist in accounts receivable collections where necessary.
Ensure all accounts receivable payments that are received centrally are appropriately communicated and recorded.
Ensure the timely, accurate completion of cash forecasts for portfolios.
Ensure the timely processing of payables based on due dates and cash availability.
Provide centralized support for procurement operations within BirchStreet, including supplier enablement, catalog management, and user adoption.
Strengthen controls, purchasing compliance, and integration with AP and analytics tools.
Establish a KPI-driven culture, defining and monitoring metrics such as cycle times, cost-to-serve, accuracy, exception rates, and automation penetration.
Implement continuous improvement methodologies to improve end-to-end process effectiveness.
Build executive dashboards and reporting to provide transparency into performance, risks, and improvement opportunities.
Serve as a champion for automation and AI, identifying opportunities for RPA, machine learning, predictive analytics, and generative AI across shared services.
Partner with Technology, Finance Optimization, and AI governance teams to pilot and scale intelligent workflows (e.g., invoice coding, exception prediction, supplier insights).
Ensure AI solutions are deployed responsibly, securely, and in alignment with enterprise governance standards.
Maintain strong internal controls, segregation of duties, and compliance with SOC, audit, and regulatory requirements.
Partner with Internal Audit and Risk teams to proactively identify and remediate control gaps.
Ensure shared services processes are well-documented, standardized, and audit ready.
Build and lead a high-performing shared services organization, developing future leaders and succession pipelines.
Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous learning.
Act as a visible, trusted leader across the enterprise, driving change through influence and partnership.

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 (provided in accordance with applicable law)
Employee assistance program (EAP)
Educational opportunities / Tuition reimbursement
Paid jury duty leave, personal leave, medical leave, and military leave in accordance with applicable law