VP of Finance

Compensation Type

Yearly

Highgate Hotels

Highgate is a leading real estate investment and hospitality management company with over $15 billion of assets under management and a global portfolio of more than 400 hotels spanning North America, Europe, the Caribbean, and Latin America. With a 30-year track record as an innovator in the hospitality industry, this forward-thinking company provides expert guidance through all stages of the property cycle, from planning and development through recapitalization or disposition. Highgate continues to demonstrate success in developing a diverse portfolio of bespoke lifestyle hotel brands, legacy brands, and independent hotels and resorts, featuring contemporary programming and digital acumen. The company utilizes industry-leading revenue management tools that efficiently identify and predict evolving market dynamics to drive outperformance and maximize asset value. With an executive team of seasoned hospitality leaders and corporate offices worldwide, Highgate is a trusted partner for top ownership groups and major hotel brands.

Location

Overview

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.

Responsibilities

• 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 escalate 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 the 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, owners, and community partners for the long term.

Qualifications

• A minimum of 10 years of progressive hotel finance experience, including multi-property leadership as an Area Director of Finance, Regional Director, or equivalent; 4-year degree with an Accounting/Finance concentration preferred.
• Demonstrated experience as a strategic partner to General Managers and senior operations leaders, with the ability to influence commercial decisions, not just report on them.
• Proven owner-relations experience: presenting to ownership groups, managing owner reporting requirements, and navigating sensitive capital and cash conversations.
• Hawaii market experience strongly preferred, including familiarity with GET/TAT, resort operations, and the state's labor environment; experience managing finances under collective bargaining agreements is a significant plus.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills: approachable, patient, and relationship-first; able to build trust across long-tenured property teams and lead in a manner consistent with the spirit of ho'okipa (hospitality) and respect for local culture.
• Strong technical command of hotel finance systems; experience with Oracle, TM1 (or comparable planning tools), Birchstreet, and AuditBoard preferred, plus advanced Excel (pivot tables, complex formulas, financial modeling).
• Deep knowledge of USALI, GAAP, internal controls, and hotel management agreement structures, including incentive fee, reserve, and reporting provisions.
• Proven leadership and talent development track record: hiring, coaching, evaluating, and building succession pipelines for property finance leaders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with the judgment to calibrate messaging for owners, brand partners, executives, and line-level teams.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment on sensitive ownership, personnel, and transactional matters.
• Willingness to travel regularly between islands and periodically to the mainland; residence in, or relocation to, Hawaii required.
• CPA, CHAE, or equivalent certification a plus but not required.

Benefits

We are pleased to offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package designed to support your health, well-being, and financial future.

• Medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, life insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance
  401(k) Retirement Plan with employer matching contributions
• Paid holidays
• Paid vacation
• Paid sick leave (provided in accordance with applicable law)
• Employee assistance program (EAP)
• Educational opportunities / Tuition reimbursement
• Paid jury duty leave, personal leave, medical leave, and military leave in accordance with applicable law

For Employees Based in Washington:

• 8 paid holidays per year
• Up to 20 days of paid vacation per year, based on classification and length of service
• Paid Sick & Safe Time accrues at 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, with up to 72 hours of unused time carried over from one anniversary year to the next.

For Employees Based in Colorado:

• 8 paid holidays per year; employees working in the City of Denver receive 64 hours of designated holiday time per calendar year
• Up to 20 days of paid vacation per year, based on classification and length of service
• 6 days or 48 hours of Paid Sick Leave per year, accrued at 1 hour for every 30 hours worked.

For Employees Based in California:

• 8 paid holidays per year
• Up to 20 days of paid vacation per year, based on classification and length of service, capped at 1.5x annual accrual rate; non-supervisory employees working in the City of Los Angeles accrue up to 22 days of Compensated Time Off, based on length of service capped at 192 hours of combined PST and CTO.
• Paid Sick Time accrues at 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, unused time is carried over from one anniversary year to the next up to a maximum of 80 hours; employees working in the City of Los Angeles are provided 40 hours of Paid Sick Time annually on their anniversary, unused time is not carried over from one anniversary year to the next.

Please note that certain benefits described above for associates in Washington, Colorado, and California may vary for associates covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement ("CBA"). For such associates, eligibility for and the terms and conditions of benefits are governed by the applicable CBA and any applicable plan documents, and may differ from the benefits described above. In the event of any conflict or inconsistency, the terms of the applicable CBA and governing plan documents will control, as applicable.

Posting Date

This job opening was posted on August 12th, 2026 and will remain open for at least 75 days.