Group Hotel Accountant in Newcastle upon Tyne

We have an exciting opportunity for a full-time Group Hotel Accountant to join our team on a permanent basis.

Based on the outskirts of Newcastle City Centre, the role will involve leading a small finance team and overseeing all finance-related matters across the group, with regular weekly visits to our two North Northumberland-based hotels.

We are looking for an experienced, hotel-focused accountant with a strong background in hospitality finance, together with a good understanding of hotel operations and HR processes.

Previous experience working in a hotel or hospitality environment is essential, as the successful candidate will need a detailed understanding of hotel accounting and how finance interacts with day-to-day hotel operations, staffing and commercial performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Take overall responsibility for the financial accounting function across the hotel group, ensuring accurate and timely financial information.
• Use previous hotel/hospitality accounting experience to oversee the financial operations of multiple hotel sites.
• Prepare monthly management accounts, financial reports and year-end accounts.
• Prepare and file VAT returns in accordance with Making Tax Digital (MTD).
• Manage accounts payable and procurement, including identifying and negotiating with suppliers to obtain the best value and pricing for each site.
• Work closely with General Managers and operational teams to monitor financial performance, costs and profitability.
• Maintain a strong understanding of hotel operations, including rooms, food and beverage, events, purchasing, stock control and revenue management.
• Oversee the monthly stock-taking process, liaising with the external stock-taker and investigating significant variances.
• Monitor key hotel financial controls, including stock, food and beverage costs, payroll, purchasing and revenue.
• Oversee the collation and checking of payroll data prior to submission to the external payroll bureau.
• Work closely with management on HR and staffing matters, including payroll, employee costs, starters and leavers, holiday information, sickness data and workforce planning.
• Develop a good working knowledge of HR policies and procedures and ensure finance-related HR processes are accurate and compliant.
• Support management with monitoring staffing levels, labour costs, overtime and agency costs against budgets and business requirements.
• Manage weekly site visits to our two North Northumberland hotels and work closely with hotel management teams.
• Lead, supervise and support the finance team, including mentoring junior members of staff.
• Ensure compliance with financial policies, procedures and internal controls.
• Provide support during external audits and year-end processes.
• Assist with the preparation and development of financial reports for management review.
• Identify opportunities to improve financial, HR and operational processes, controls and efficiencies across the group.
• Apply a sound working knowledge of taxation, with basic tax knowledge desirable.
• Proven experience in a hotel or hospitality accounting role is essential.
• Strong understanding of hotel finance and hospitality accounting practices, including stock, purchasing, payroll, food and beverage costs and management accounts.
• Good knowledge of hotel operations and how different departments contribute to financial performance.
• Practical understanding of HR processes within a hospitality environment, particularly payroll, staffing costs, employee records and workforce planning.
• Experience of managing accounts for multiple hotel or hospitality sites would be highly advantageous.
• Experience preparing and filing VAT returns under MTD.
• Strong knowledge of financial accounting principles and practices.
• Proficiency in Quick Books, MS Excel, Access and Guestline, together with other relevant accounting software.
• Experience working with hotel PMS/accounting systems and extracting financial information for reporting.
• Previous experience supervising, mentoring or managing junior finance staff is desirable.
• Part-qualified CIMA, ACCA or equivalent is desirable.
• Basic knowledge of taxation is preferred.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities and take ownership of your workload.
• A proactive approach to identifying and implementing improvements across finance, HR and hotel operations.
• Willingness to travel regularly between the group's hotel sites.

About You

You will be a commercially minded, hands-on accountant who understands that hotel finance requires more than traditional bookkeeping and reporting.

You will have a strong appreciation of the relationship between finance, hotel operations and HR, and be confident working with General Managers and department heads to improve financial performance and operational efficiency.

You will be comfortable analysing labour and departmental costs, monitoring payroll, challenging expenditure, reviewing operational performance and ensuring robust financial controls are maintained across multiple sites.

If you have a strong background in hospitality or hotel accounting, combined with a good understanding of HR and hotel operations, and are ready to take ownership of the finance function for an established hotel group, we would love to hear from you.

• Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
• Company pension
• On-site parking

Experience

• hotel based accounting: 5 years (required)
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