Finance Manager

Location: Somerset West

Hotel & Spa based close to Somerset West is seeking to appoint an experienced and detail-oriented Finance Manager to lead and oversee the full finance function of the hotel.

This is an excellent opportunity for a hands-on finance professional with strong hospitality finance experience, sound commercial acumen, and the ability to work closely with operational departments to support financial performance, controls, reporting, budgeting and compliance.

Duties:

Financial Management & Reporting:

Prepare, review and submit monthly management accounts and financial reports within agreed deadlines
Monitor revenue, expenses, departmental performance, profitability and key financial results
Review financial performance against budget, forecast and prior year, and provide meaningful variance analysis and commentary
Ensure that all financial records are accurate, complete, properly supported and processed in the correct accounting period
Maintain strong financial controls across all areas of the finance function

Accounts Payable, Cashbook & Petty Cash Oversight:

Oversee the daily processing, reconciliation and timeous payment of creditors
Review supplier reconciliations, payment batches and supporting documentation before approval
Oversee weekly electronic supplier payments
Monitor creditor balances and supplier payment terms in line with cash flow requirements
Oversee cashbook processing, bank reconciliations and petty cash controls

Debtors & Payroll Review:

Oversee debtor collections and monitor outstanding accounts
Review debtor age analyses and assist with overdue account follow-up
Review payroll information prior to final processing, including salary journals, deductions, overtime, leave pay and payroll allocations
Ensure payroll-related transactions are accurately recorded and allocated

Month-End, Journals & Reconciliations:

Prepare and process month-end journals including accruals, prepayments, provisions, salary journals, stock journals and depreciation
Review general ledger accounts and ensure month-end reconciliations are completed accurately and on time
Investigate unusual variances or incorrect allocations

Stock, Cost Control & Revenue Oversight:

Monitor stock movement, cost of sales and stock variances across relevant departments
Prepare monthly stock and trading summaries and distribute relevant reports within deadlines
Support Heads of Departments with cost control, stock losses and gross profit improvement
Review weekly revenue reporting and ensure revenue is accurately recorded and reconciled between operating systems and accounting records

Budgets, Forecasting & Cash Flow:

Lead and coordinate the annual budgeting process in conjunction with the Hotel Director and Heads of Departments
Consolidate departmental budgets into the overall hotel budget and provide financial analysis and commentary
Monitor actual results against budget and highlight risks, overspending and underperformance
Manage cash flow requirements and support financial forecasting and planning
Assist Heads of Departments in understanding and managing their budgets effectively

Statutory Compliance, Audit & Fixed Assets:

Ensure VAT and statutory submissions are completed accurately and timeously
Manage year-end audit preparation, including audit schedules, reconciliations and supporting documentation
Maintain and review the fixed asset register and ensure capital expenditure is properly approved and recorded
Ensure compliance with company policies, internal controls and relevant legislation

Operational & Departmental Support:

Work closely with operational departments including Front Office, Reservations, Food & Beverage, Kitchen, Housekeeping, Spa, Sales and Revenue Management
Provide financial guidance on budgets, supplier accounts, stock, cost allocations, expenditure and profitability
Identify financial risks, control weaknesses and opportunities for improvement
Support the Hotel Director with financial and operational decision-making

Requirements:

Relevant finance, accounting or bookkeeping qualification
Previous experience in a Finance Manager, Assistant Financial Manager, Management Accountant or similar finance role
Hospitality industry experience is essential / highly advantageous, preferably within a hotel environment
Strong experience in management accounts, budgeting, forecasting and cash flow management
Good understanding of creditors, debtors, cashbook, reconciliations, payroll review, VAT, stock control and month-end processes
Strong Excel skills and good general systems knowledge
Knowledge of hotel and accounting systems such as Protel Air, Opera, Lightspeed, Micros, Pastel, Xero, Chi Desk or similar will be advantageous
Strong attention to detail, accuracy and ability to meet deadlines
Ability to work effectively with both finance and non-finance team members
High levels of integrity, professionalism and confidentiality