Interim Manager Revenue Accounting (12months FTC)

Department Overview

The HAFS organization manages the accounting and finance functions both on property and at a corporate level, enabling us to develop scalable, global processes that allow our team members the chance for growth and the ability to spend more time on strategic, high value work. This includes managing relationships with our critical business partners across our global activities with a key focus on driving finance process transformation to deliver sustainable benefit for our key customers.

Position Statement

The Manager will assume responsibility for leading various accounting processes in the Revenue Accounting function within Hilton’s UK Centre of Excellence. Working with the RA management team they will support the implementation of the Revenue Accounting strategy and goals surrounding the delivery of accurate and timely reporting for the portfolio of hotels.

The post holder will be expected to work closely with, advise and make recommendations to HAFS Leadership on optimum delivery solutions which can be expected from a progressive upper quartile accounting service. The ability to support & deliver successful Change Management programmes is considered essential to the success of the role, as is the effective management of the direct reports and relationships with customers.

Position Summary

Under the direction and guidance of the Senior Manager, the post holder will be responsible for the management and delivery of RA processes to the agreed timetable and Service Level Agreements. The Manager will ensure Hilton’s Centre of Excellence delivers a seamless, efficient and customer focused experience which maximises on output without compromising the quality of service. The ability to analyse team performance and suggest, manage, and deliver process efficiencies and effectiveness is considered essential. The Manager will support the delivery of change programmes, which will involve maximizing the benefits available to deliver best-in-class centralized accounting services.

Key to the success of the role is the:

• The ability to drive the team with a continuous improvement philosophy, providing proposals and feedback to Senior Management

• The ability to communicate and influence at all levels, both internally and with external stakeholders, and take the lead in building and maintaining strong business and customer relationships,

• Project participation skills, managing projects within team and significant contribution to large scale initiatives,

• Ability to simultaneously manage multiple tasks and deliver to tight deadlines.

• A strong customer-focused ethos

• Managing tasks whilst ensuring a robust control environment is maintained.

• Ability to analyse information quickly to assess accuracy taking a practical approach to resolving any queries.

The post holder will drive delivery of Revenue Accounting goals and objectives and tightly manage the team on a day-to-day basis; this will require a meticulous attention to detail, the ability to accurately interpret key business drivers within the Revenue Accounting arena and to take appropriate action where necessary. They will also take ownership of the Revenue Accounting Service Level Agreements (SLA’s) under their remit, assuming responsibility for development, refinement, and ongoing monitoring to ensure that agreed service delivery metrics are met or exceeded.

Essential Functions

• Under the guidance of team leadership, support the delivery of strategy, goals, key initiatives, and priorities for the function.

• Support the Senior Manager and provide direction to the team with the goal of ensuring all function tasks are performed in the most efficient and effective way.

• Support the team with the delivery of process efficiencies, ensuring that cost/FTE benefits are clearly tracked.

• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with key business stakeholders, including but not limited to Commercial Finance, Hotel Operations and General Managers, escalating any concerns to HAFS leadership as necessary.

• Provide input to team meetings, huddles, etc. supporting peers in the direction given to the team.

• Key point of contact for internal and external audit requests ensuring all necessary information is compiled, reviewed, and approved.

• Carry out and monitor team member performance reviews, providing feedback and supporting development through training, best practice sharing etc.

• Develop relationships with peers in other COE teams by identifying ways that RA can support their deliverables where possible.

• Review function processes and make recommendations to establish more efficient ways of performing the function on a global scale.

• Maintain all controls documentation in line with the organisation SOX compliance deliverables.

• Keep up to date with UK regulations, statutory requirements, and hotel accounting protocols to ensure Hilton’s compliance.

• Support the team in understanding and delivering guidance on revenue accounting policy and procedures.

• Oversee monthly closing activities and month-end reporting deliverables, ensuing delivery within agreed SLAs.

• Lead delivery of team activities including but not limited to, reconciliation of Conference & Events, Food & Beverage, Cash, VAT, Point of Sale system interfaces and other revenue transactions, motivating team to deliver efficient services, with a customer focused approach, ensuring all SLAs are achieved or exceeded.

• Where continuous issues arise with a process, propose potential solutions, and implement, upon agreement.

• Project Lead / Support for Revenue Accounting projects as required.

• Lead monthly balance sheet reconciliation processes providing direction and support to team with variance resolution, ensuring compliance with relevant accounting standards.

• Provide guidance and support to the business on operating best practice for revenue related processes.

• Oversee the efficient compilation and routing of the management packs ensuring the team have delivered accurate & meaningful information to hotel operation leaders.

• Analytical review and reconciliation of revenue and VAT data, validating the completeness and accuracy of the information to source information, ensuring adherence to applicable controls to mitigate the risk of material error or misstatement.

• Embrace change, encourage team to adopt a ‘continuous improvement’ approach and challenge the status quo.

• Explore automation opportunities for routine tasks, to establish more efficient ways of performing the function tasks on a global scale.

• Represent Revenue Accounting and wider CoE team on key projects .

Experience and Skills

• Proven ability to work to tight timelines whilst overseeing team performance and delivery.

• Excellent analytical and technical skills and a solid understanding of accounting principles

• Strong track record with suggestion & delivery of process refinements to enhance service offering.

• Able to handle multiple demands from various stakeholders prioritizing effectively & supporting team to do the same.

• Strong leadership skills with experience of performance management

• Ability to exercise sound judgment, critical thinking, quantitative & qualitative analytical and decision-making skills to consider the relative costs and benefits of potential actions and to provide recommendations for optimal solutions.

• Strong knowledge & experience of working in a SOX compliant controls environment.

• Committed to customer service with the ability to build, manage and maintain relationships at all levels within the organisation.

• Proven demonstration of excellent project skills, including the ability to manage details through to completion and ensure project deadlines are met taking a holistic view with structured outcomes.

• A motivated and enthusiastic team player with excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, as well as experience communicating and negotiating with all levels of management and external customers

• Ability to motivate team to provide a customer focused and responsive service.

• Proven ability to drive and adapt to change.

• Good knowledge of finance modules of an ERP system such as SAP, Oracle, PeopleSoft

• Advanced excel skills & working knowledge of Power BI tools would be advantageous.

• Language skills would be advantageous.

Direct reports

• Senior Analyst, Revenue Accounting

• Analyst, Revenue Accounting

Required Qualifications & Experience

Required

• Batchelor’s degree or extensive relevant experience in lieu thereof

• Extensive supervisory experience

• Proven track record of professional experience

Preferred

• Accounting Certification/Qualification or equivalent relevant experience in lieu thereof

• Management experience