Director of Finance & Business Support

Do you see yourself as a Director of Finance & Business Support? What's your passion? At IHG we're interested in YOU. We employ people who apply the same amount of care and passion to their jobs as they do their hobbies - people who put our guests at the heart of everything they do. And we're looking for more people like this to join our friendly and professional team.

As the world’s largest family of luxury hotels, we all take great pride in being genuine ambassadors of the InterContinental® brand. Shaped by decades of international know-how and local insights, our passion for luxury travel spans cultures and customs. Inspiring us to create warm and sophisticated experiences for those seeking a richer perspective on the world.

Each of our hotels cultivates a distinctive style and ambience where we embrace every opportunity to give our guests a personal and enriching experience. If you’d like to embrace a wider world of experiences and opportunities, we’d like to welcome you to the world’s most international luxury hotel brand

Your Day to Day

Direct the financial operations of the hotel to ensure the security of the assets of the company.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Financial Returns

• Manage receivables, payables, credit, payroll and cash handling functions with the accounting department.  Implement and maintain acceptable accounting practices and procedures as required by company policy and procedures, generally accepted accounting practices, and as effected by local conditions.
• Prepare financial analyses of hotel operations including variance explanation and make recommendations to ensure the achievement of business goals/targets.
• Use financial analysis, data trends and market information to anticipate needs, identify operating/financial issues, and recommend actions to maximize financial return. Highlight trends that are likely to shape the wants and needs of internal and external customers of the future; lead the organization in exploring business opportunities that create value for the customer while driving profit.
• Develop and implement financial control procedures and systems; ensure compliance to “internal Control Checkup”; maintain documents for audits of hotel accounts; ensure compliance with government regulations and local laws; and contractual agreements. Independently comply with record retention requirements.
• Create the annual operating budget for the property and provide analytical support during budget reviews to identify cost saving and productivity opportunities for property managers.
• Analyze ROI capital projects prior to committing funds and upon completion determine if anticipated results were achieved. 
• Maximize cash flow performance of the hotel through controls on inventory, credit and collection, disbursements, deposits and remittances.
• Enforce, document and establish adequate controls for all revenue and expenses and protection of assets, and ensures controls will satisfy or improve the level of guest service.
• Review rates and recommends rate strategy to the General Manager; participates in sales strategy meetings.
• Review of operating equipment stores to avoid unnecessary/excessive purchases and to eliminate (or at least be aware) of obsolete slow moving items.
• Ensure all accounts are reconciled on monthly basis, review and approve those reconciliations.
• Ensure payments are made to IHG (All Fees and billings) as fast as possible.

People

• Serve as member of Executive Committee/Management Team, and work with other management personnel to establish and implement hotel service standards to achieve maximum profitability and efficiency.
• Ensure all staff are properly trained and have the tools and equipment needed to effectively carry out their job functions.
• Promote teamwork and quality service through daily communication and coordination with other departments.  Key departmental contacts include hotel department heads in all departments, and Regional Controller to obtain/provide information. Interact with outside contacts:
  • Guests – to provide service, send bills and collect payment
  • Vendors – to pay bills or discuss pricing or billing issues; to ensure proof of insurance
  • Regulatory agencies – regarding compliance matters
  • Other contacts as needed (Professional organizations, community groups)

Guest Experience

• Respond quickly to guest requests in a friendly manner. Follow up to ensure guest satisfaction.

Responsible Business

• Manage day-to-day operations and assignments of hotel accounting staff, plan and organize work, communicate goals, and schedule/assign work.  Advise staff of formal policies and procedures, identifying options and resolving issues.  Recommend and/or initiate salary, disciplinary, or other staffing-related actions in accordance with company rules and policies.  Alert management of potentially serious issues.
• Distribute outlook and forecast information as an up-to-date management tool for operating departments.
• Participate in local recognized professional and industry organizations.
• Conduct daily pre-shift meetings and departmental communication meetings.
• May serve as “manager on duty” as required.
• May perform additional accounting management duties such as negotiating hotel space and tenant leases; processing payroll in a decentralized environment; performing asset management duties; providing forecasting and business projections, displacement analysis, preparing government reports, filing tax returns, etc. as needed or requested.
• May assist with other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s degree / higher education qualification / equivalent in Accounting and Finance  
• 4-8 years’ experience in hotel accounting or auditing with at least one year in an Assistant Controller or similar supervisory role, or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience  
• Knowledge of accounting management duties e.g., negotiating hotel space and tenant leases, processing payroll, performing asset management duties, providing business projections, displacement analysis, preparing government reports, filing tax returns etc  
• Professional accounting or finance designation or certification preferred 
• Experience managing Hotel renovation 
• Must speak local language (Arabic)
• Other languages beneficial