Vice President Finance

Lead the financial strategy for Highgate’s Hawaii portfolio. Partnering with hotel leaders and ownership groups to drive performance, strengthen operations, and create long-term value. Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Finance and working closely with the Group President – Hawaii, you will play a key role in shaping the portfolio's continued success.

Success in this role requires more than financial expertise. It calls for a collaborative leader who builds lasting relationships, develops local talent, leads with humility and integrity, and embraces the values of aloha in supporting both people and performance.

• Serve as the strategic finance partner to General Managers and Executive Committees across the Hawaii portfolio, functioning as a co-owner of each hotel's commercial results rather than a reporting function; participate in property strategy, pricing, and profitability decisions.
• Partner directly with the Group President – Hawaii on regional strategy, portfolio performance reviews, ownership relations, and market positioning; act as the finance voice in regional leadership discussions and translate portfolio results into actionable direction for property teams.
• Report to and partner with the SVP Finance on company and regional initiatives, portfolio-level risk management, and finance talent strategy; serve as the SVP's extension in the Hawaii market, ensuring corporate standards, priorities, and reporting expectations are executed consistently across the region. Maintain a no-surprises standard: proactively elevate cash, control, ownership, and operational risks – including labor, safety, systems, and property-condition issues with financial impact – as they emerge, not after they mature.
• Work with ownership groups and asset managers on cash requirements, distributions, ROI initiatives, capital planning, and bespoke reporting needs; represent Highgate credibly in owner meetings and build durable, trust-based ownership relationships.
• Provide financial leadership, guidance, and training to Area Directors of Finance, property Directors of Finance, and Controllers; build succession readiness and cross-property consistency in standards across the islands.
• Own the accuracy and timeliness of financial reporting across the region, including month-end close, balance sheet and bank reconciliations, forecasting, budgeting, and 5-year operating and capital plans.
• Drive adherence to USALI, GAAP, internal audit standards, and Highgate accounting policies; lead property teams through internal audits, self-audits, and external reviews with minimal control deficiencies.
• Ensure compliance with Hawaii-specific tax and regulatory requirements, including General Excise Tax (GET), state and county Transient Accommodations Tax (TAT), licenses, permits, leases, and contractual obligations.
• Oversee treasury and working capital across the portfolio: cash flow forecasting and projections, credit card reconciliations, deposit controls, and corporate cash management protocols, with training provided to property teams.
• Oversee purchasing, vendor compliance, inventory, and expense classification controls, with particular focus on cost and logistics realities of an island market (freight, lead times, limited vendor pools).
• Support financial management of properties operating under collective bargaining agreements, including payroll, benefits, and labor cost forecasting in a heavily unionized market.
• Monitor revenues and expenses across the region; investigate and critique variances to budget and prior year and offer practical improvement strategies to management.
• Coordinate with the centralized taskforce team to cover leadership gaps, providing interim oversight, training, and mentorship during transitions or open-seat periods.
• Recruit, develop, evaluate, and retain finance talent across the region, with emphasis on cultivating local talent and long‑tenured teams consistent with Hawaii's relationship-driven hospitality culture.
• Maintain a visible, in‑person presence at properties across the islands; lead with humility, listening, and respect for the host culture, building relationships with property teams,…