Accounting and Receiving Manager

Accounting And Receiving Manager

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.

The Accounting and Receiving Manager is responsible for the financial oversight of the hotel's accounts payable and receiving control functions. The position's primary responsibility is to evaluate financial activity, resolve significant accounting and vendor issues, assess internal controls, and develop recommendations that support accurate financial reporting, effective cash management, and sound purchasing and receiving practices.

The manager exercises discretion and independent judgment in evaluating financial risks, comparing potential courses of action, and determining appropriate resolutions within delegated authority. The position serves as an advisor to hotel leadership on payment obligations, accounting treatment, vendor disputes, and purchasing and receiving controls.

This role is accountable for the effectiveness of the AP and receiving control processes rather than serving as the primary invoice processor or regularly scheduled receiving attendant. Routine invoice entry, filing, delivery acceptance, and goods distribution are assigned to designated processing and receiving resources. The manager may assist with individual transactions or receiving issues when needed to investigate a problem, evaluate a control, or address an unusual operational circumstance.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Financial Analysis and Accounting Oversight

• Analyze AP balances, aging, accruals, purchasing activity, and receiving variances to identify material reporting issues, financial exposure, and unusual transaction patterns.
• Investigate complex or significant discrepancies, evaluate their causes and financial implications, and determine corrective action within delegated authority.
• Evaluate the appropriate treatment of nonroutine AP transactions, accruals, reclassifications, and adjustments, documenting the accounting rationale and presenting substantive recommendations to the Director of Finance or Controller when approval is required.
• Lead the AP component of the monthly and annual close by establishing review priorities, evaluating completeness and cutoff, resolving material exceptions, and communicating outstanding financial risks.
• Assess recurring errors and exceptions to determine whether they reflect isolated processing issues or weaknesses requiring changes to controls, training, or operating practices.
• Prepare financial analyses and recommendations for leadership that explain the issue, available alternatives, anticipated consequences, and proposed action.

Accounts Payable and Cash Management

• Oversee the effectiveness of the AP process, including vendor onboarding controls, invoice approval practices, payment preparation, reconciliations, and supporting documentation.
• Evaluate payment obligations, contractual terms, early payment opportunities, disputed balances, and operational needs to recommend payment priorities in coordination with the Director of Finance or Controller.
• Establish AP review procedures and exception handling practices within approved financial policies, including criteria for escalation and supporting documentation.
• Review significant or unusual payment items for business purpose, contractual compliance, accounting treatment, and financial risk.
• Investigate and resolve significant vendor disputes on behalf of the hotel, negotiating proposed adjustments, credits, or payment arrangements within delegated authority and obtaining approval when required.
• Assess vendor account trends and recurring service or billing issues, and recommend changes to payment terms, vendor practices, or internal processes.
• Advise department leaders on the financial implications of purchasing decisions, outstanding commitments, and exceptions to established payment practices.

Internal Controls and Process Improvement

• Evaluate the design and effectiveness of AP and receiving controls, including authorization requirements, segregation of duties, vendor record changes, invoice matching, and payment verification.
• Develop and recommend substantive changes to financial policies and operating procedures based on identified risks, operational needs, and accounting requirements.
• Implement approved control changes and evaluate whether they address the underlying issue without creating unnecessary operational barriers.
• Investigate significant control exceptions and suspected irregularities, document findings, and recommend corrective action or escalation.
• Establish risk based review priorities and conduct targeted reviews of transactions, vendor activity, and receiving practices.
• Provide guidance to hotel leaders and designated processing staff on the interpretation and application of financial controls.
• Evaluate proposed systems or workflow changes affecting AP and receiving, including their impact on reporting accuracy, control effectiveness, and operating efficiency.

Receiving and Purchasing Control Oversight

• Evaluate receiving and purchasing information to identify significant inventory variances, pricing discrepancies, delivery issues, and control failures.
• Partner with Purchasing, Food and Beverage, Operations, and Finance to determine the causes and financial consequences of significant receiving exceptions.
• Recommend and implement approved improvements to delivery verification, discrepancy resolution, documentation, and inventory control practices.
• Assess recurring shortages, damaged goods, substitutions, and vendor performance issues, and recommend corrective measures or commercial resolutions.
• Evaluate whether receiving practices provide reliable information for inventory valuation, expense recognition, and financial reporting.
• Review significant exceptions to purchasing and receiving requirements and determine appropriate resolution within delegated authority, escalating matters outside that authority with a supported recommendation.
• Coordinate with the Purchasing Manager to establish reliable operational coverage without relying on this position as a regularly scheduled receiving attendant.

Business Partnership

• Serve as a financial advisor to department leaders on AP, purchasing, and receiving issues with meaningful operational or financial consequences.
• Present findings and recommendations to the Director of Finance or Controller, including alternatives, risks, and anticipated financial effects.
• Lead cross departmental efforts to resolve significant process failures and improve financial accountability.
• Provide functional guidance and training to employees responsible for transaction processing and receiving activities.
• Support audits by analyzing exceptions, explaining control design, and developing corrective action recommendations.

Decision Authority and Accountability

Within the hotel's approved financial policies and documented delegation of authority, the manager:

• Determines the scope and approach of investigations into significant AP and receiving discrepancies.
• Evaluates alternative accounting, payment, control, and dispute resolution approaches and selects an appropriate course of action within delegated authority.
• Develops substantive recommendations on matters requiring leadership approval, supported by financial analysis and an assessment of business consequences.
• Establishes review priorities and directs corrective process work within the assigned function.
• Escalates suspected fraud, significant control failures, and matters exceeding delegated authority.

Qualifications

• Significant progressive experience in accounting or financial operations, including responsibility for financial analysis, internal controls, complex issue resolution, and process improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate accounting issues, compare alternatives, and make supported recommendations on matters with meaningful financial or operational consequences.
• Strong working knowledge of accounting principles, accruals, account reconciliations, financial reporting, and internal control practices.
• Experience evaluating AP, purchasing, or receiving controls in a hotel, hospitality business, or comparable operating environment.
• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of relevant education and progressively responsible experience.
• Ability to communicate financial findings and recommendations clearly to operational leaders and finance leadership.
• Sound judgment, professional integrity, and appropriate handling of confidential financial and business information.

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 insurance401(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