Staff Accountant

Staff Accountant

The Staff Accountant is responsible for assisting the Director of Finance and Assistant Director of Finance in maintaining accurate and timely financial reporting; ensuring acceptable levels of internal control; ensuring compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations and Highgate Hotels Standard Operating Procedures; and safeguarding owners / investors assets. For this role, the emphasis is placed on the management of Payroll, Income Audit, and Accounts Receivable processing and collections.

Responsibilities include :

• Monitor, prepare, and communicate financial reports in accordance with Highgate Hotels required due dates.
• Income Audit including entering information into the BiPortal on a daily basis.
• Utilize and maintain time and attendance system and process, daily, weekly, and bi-weekly payroll and related information to include verifying payroll information, recording earnings / deductions, etc.
• Prepare and input all required payroll journal entries.
• Maintain responsibility for the daily Accounts Receivable credit, billing, and collection process.
• Monitor payment requirements on groups or functions and process deposits.
• Approve or decline credit requests.
• Complete collection calls on each appropriate outstanding accounts and maintain collection files on each outstanding issue.
• Review and approve the City Ledger transfers daily and communicate to supervisor any deviation from established Accounting policies and procedures.
• Handle customer inquiries in a professional and timely manner, provide customers with accurate invoices, statements, and schedules.
• Process returned checks and credit card chargebacks.
• Conduct monthly credit meetings and maintain minutes (including returned checks / chargeback logs, credit trace reports, write-off, bad debt allowances, etc.)
• Partner with the Sales and Events Team by establishing customer credit, including but not limited to application processing, reference checks, credit limitation, direct billing list, and deposit requirements.
• Maintain an efficient collection process to include organized filing and tracing system, issuing letter, monitoring returned checks and charge backs, performing collection calls and preparing bad debt write-offs.
• Update daily revenue reports both for internal distribution and corporate distribution.
• Monitor guest ledger, advance deposit ledger and any other related ledgers to ensure proper internal control.
• Keep management aware of any unusual operation or financial occurrences and / or significant deviations.
• Reconcile invoices against ledgers or schedules to ensure accuracy of invoicing.
• Assist in the monthly close process by posting journal entries that are related to daily / monthly responsibilities.
• Ensure overall guest satisfaction by attentive listening and then immediately resolving guest issues or elevating to the Director of Finance or General Manager.
• Cross-Train in other areas within the Accounting Department including accounts payable.
• Ability to identify root causes of issues that may affect staff or guests and provide actionable and measurable solutions to improve efficiency, overall work environment, and / or guest experience

Qualifications include :