Staff Accountant

Sonesta International Hotels Corporation•Sonesta NYC, NY

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Staff Accountant serves as a financial operator and analytical partner in a full-service hospitality environment covering Rooms, Restaurant, Bar, Catering, and Room Service. The role supports revenue integrity across PMS/POS systems, profitability analysis, daily income audit, cash controls, payroll, inventory compliance, financial reporting, and accounts payable and receivable. It aims to ensure complete revenue capture, audit readiness, and margin optimization, with a direct impact on Gross Operating Profit (GOP). The position requires onsite presence for daily cash handling, inventory oversight, and coordination with hotel, restaurant, and event operations. The accountant works with finance and operational leaders on reconciliations, cost controls, budgeting, forecasting, vendor payments, financial close, and process improvements. Responsibilities span daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual accounting activities across multiple properties and entities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
2–4 years of specific accounting experience, including general ledger and chart-of-accounts experience.
Advanced Excel skills.
Strong analytical mindset and attention to detail.
Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
Strong communication skills with finance and operations teams.
Ability to multitask across daily operations and month-end responsibilities.
Willingness to proactively take on additional responsibilities and projects that contribute to individual, departmental, and company growth.

Nice To Haves

CPA track or hospitality focus.
Experience in hospitality, restaurants, or multi-unit operations.
Familiarity with POS/PMS systems such as Micros and Opera.
Familiarity with accounting systems such as QuickBooks and Sage.

Responsibilities

Reconcile daily PMS and POS activity across restaurant, bar, catering, and room service outlets; validate event orders, house accounts, discounts, and third-party integrations; investigate chargebacks and revenue discrepancies; and ensure complete revenue capture.
Perform daily income audits, prepare and post income journals, monitor revenue trends, produce flash reports, and audit cashiering and cash-handling procedures.
Analyze menu and recipe costs, food and beverage costs, waste, spoilage, and variances; support pricing and yield strategies; and work with operations leaders to improve profitability and identify cost inefficiencies.
Conduct and support food, beverage, and liquor inventory counts; perform bottle-for-bottle liquor controls, spot audits, and variance analysis; report obsolete inventory, shrinkage, potential fraud, and control weaknesses; and support compliance with sales tax and liquor requirements.
Prepare and reconcile cash deposits, credit card settlements, and bank accounts; support timely close processes and monitor cash flow trends related to receivables and operations.
Manage catering deposits, event billing, corporate accounts, and receivables aging; coordinate with Sales and Catering to prevent billing delays and revenue leakage.
Process and code vendor invoices across properties and entities using EPRO, ADP, and Yardi General Ledger; ensure appropriate approvals and supporting documentation; monitor invoice channels and aging; respond to vendor inquiries; and reconcile receiving reports to invoices.
Reconcile associate timesheets, audit and complete payroll cycles, and reconcile payroll deductions and compliance reporting on weekly, monthly, and annual schedules.
Coordinate weekly check runs and electronic payments with corporate Shared Services; prioritize payments, reconcile vendor statements, review accounts payable aging, resolve disputes, forecast weekly accounts payable cash needs for the CFO/DOF, maintain vendor onboarding documentation, and audit invoices.
Perform monthly accounts payable close procedures, accrue received but uninvoiced expenses, ensure invoices are recorded in the correct period, reconcile subledger and general ledger balances, analyze expenses, and provide accounts payable schedules and vendor analysis for financial reporting.
Support quarterly close, validate 1099 vendor classifications and payments, prepare audit schedules and supporting documents, test accounts payable controls, and coordinate cash-flow planning and working-capital management with DOF/ADOF.
Support annual 1099 preparation, year-end audit and close, budgeting, vendor-file maintenance, contract and payment-term reviews, and improvements to accounts payable automation and workflows.
Work with the DOF or assistant to generate weekly and monthly financial reports and departmental dashboards; support budgeting, forecasting, GOP and margin analysis; and respond to requests from the DOF, GM, and ownership.
Identify and escalate control weaknesses and process inefficiencies, assist with improved accounting and operational workflows, and support a shift from reactive bookkeeping to proactive financial partnership.