Financial Controller, Paris Airport – Position Filled

This position has now been filled. Please check our latest job opportunities here

Our client is an upscale/lifestyle branded property which offers a sleek contemporary design and modern interior. Along with over 100 rooms they offer meeting facilities, contemporary French restaurant, wellness area with a magnificent swimming pool and a panoramic bar which gives a breath-taking view of Paris and the runways of the private international airport of Le Bourget.

They are now seeking to hire a Financial Controller to join the hotel. Under the direction of the General Manager and member of the Executive Committee, the successful candidate will be responsible for achieving the quantitative and qualitative objectives of the finance department and in particular, they will be responsible for monitoring the accounts of all departments and complying with the company’s administrative and tax regulations.

Duties include:

  • Accounting Management
  • Cost control and forecast management
  • Cash management and bank relations
  • Responsible for internal controls, legal security (administrative and tax), cash and assets
  • Management of the Accounting Team

A full job description will be shared upon application.

Candidate Requirements:

  • Graduated from Accounting/Management school or Business school
  • Experience as a Financial Controller in a smaller property or Deputy Director of Finance for at least 3 to 5 years
  • Responsive, organised, rigorous, analytical, available and attentive, with hands-on management approach with active involvement in daily business
  • A master of financial analysis and be familiar with Opera, Oracle, Micros Symphony and Birchstreet software
  • Fluent in both French and English

For more information or to apply, please contact Tairona at fm@fmrecruitment.co.uk or call on +44 20 8600 1164

Director of Finance, New York – Position Filled

This position has now been filled. Please check our latest job opportunities here

Located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, our client taken over a luxury boutique hotel that is currently undergoing a refurbishment and rebranding. Scheduled to open at the end of 2023 / early January 2024, they are seeking to hire a Director of Finance to join the team.

Reporting into the General Manager as well as Corporate Office including CFO and owners of the group, the Director of Finance will be responsible for overseeing all accounting and financial aspects of the company in line with strategic objectives. They represent the financial authority in the company, upholding the integrity of fiscal data, ensuring transparency and accountability. They collaborate closely with the General Manager and the hotel team, providing financial information and advice with the aim of maximizing value. They work proactively with the GM and management to shape the overall strategy of the company. Their main responsibilities include managing the accounting records and financial reports, providing an effective control, developing best practice financial accounting and control procedures, as well as advising and developing their team. They coordinate activities with external parties and financial services hired or contracted by the company.

Direct reports in to this position include Accounts, Cost control, Purchasing, They will also  work closely with other departments on issues relating to costs, revenues and cash flow, particularly Sales & Marketing, Food & Beverage, Housekeeping, Front Office and HR.

This role would suit someone who has excellent leadership skills, is analytical and has excellent problem solving skills

Candidate Experience:

  • Significant experience in finance with at least 5 years at senior management level
  • Excellent finance, accounting and analytical skills, including experience with cash management, forecasting, revenue management strategies, capital expenditure planning, budgeting and project management
  • Experience in managing professional staff
  • Previous experience working in finance and accounting within the hospitality, hotel or service industry
  • Previously held position as Director of Finance or Assistant Director of Finance

 Education/Qualifications:

  • Degree-level education in a relevant discipline
  • Certified member of an accountancy body or holder of an equivalent qualification
  • Postgraduate qualification/ MBA in a relevant field

 Additional Requirements:

  • Technical savvy with strong Microsoft Office skills, in particular Excel
  • Excellent verbal, writing and presentation skills
  • Firm knowledge of internal controls that are in line with the group
  • Excellent project management skills
  • Experience with accounting system software (desirable)
  • Willingness to travel (desirable)

For more information or to apply, please contact Andrea at fm@fmrecruitment.co.uk or call on +44 20 8600 1161

Is Hospitality really the most stressful industry in the UK?

April is Stress Awareness Month, and after a number of publications last year reported that 57% of hospitality employees regularly experience high levels of stress, we want to ask if hospitality really is the most stressful industry in the UK? 

The most stressful industry in the UK? 

In July last year, a report from addiction and rehab specialist Delamere, on the toxicity of the hustle culture, gave a breakdown on stress in various industries. This report was picked up in a number of other articles at the time, and presented hospitality as the most stressful industry in the UK. According to the report, 57.1% of “Accommodation and Food Service” workers reported poor mental health, more than Health and Social Care and Manufacturing which rounded out the top three places. The data to back this up were attributed to Lifeworks’ monthly Mental Health Index. These figures tend to vary by month and while Hospitality is no longer considered the worst offender in terms of workplace stress, it still rates consistently low in areas such as Average Hours Worked and Work-Life Balance.  

The impact of stress on retention rates 

Long Hours and Work-Life Balance, contribute highly towards levels of stress, which can eventually lead to burnout, especially if the level of commitment to the business and its culture begins to wane. Inevitable this can lead to reduced productivity and employee retention levels.  

Last year, we published The Battle for Retention which looked at a number of other factors that can affect employee turnover. 

Advice on how to tackle stress in the workplace consistently revolves around how to spot it in yourself, and in your employees. As individuals, we all have a responsibility to ourselves to recognise when we are working too hard or neglecting our personal commitments. Hospitality Action is a charity that supports hospitality employees both inside and outside of the workplace. In their Advice Hub, they share expert advice and information on how to get further support on a range of issues, including Stress.  

Signs of stress can include:  

  • Difficulty sleeping 
  • Feeling irritated with family, friends or co-workers 
  • Drinking more than usual 
  • Struggling with work deadlines 
  • Feeling isolated and lonely 
  • Physical symptoms such as: panic attacks, headaches, chest pains, indigestion, dizziness, nausea, sweating, breathing problems

Mental health charity Mind recommends some ways to manage it including:  

  • Identify your triggers – Try to prepare for stress by recognising what sets it off 
  • Organise your time – Make a list of your tasks and approach them in order of urgency 
  • Be clear about your limits – While it isn’t always possible to say no to things, let people know if you don’t have the capacity to fulfil their demands 
  • Try to take a short break – it may seem counter-intuitive to take a break when you are stressed but if you can allow yourself one, this can help how you feel 
  • Develop interests and hobbies – Outside of work, try to make time for what you enjoy to take you away from stress 
  • Get enough sleep 
  • Stay physically active 
  • Eat a balanced diet 
  • Spend time in nature 
  • Build a support network – having friends and family, or finding support at work to talk through why you feel stressed can make a big difference 

Employers also have a duty to instill a workplace culture that can help spot the signs of stress and empower them to engage with employees on a more personal level, especially if they are seeing symptoms of stress in the team or in individuals. According to the Health and Safety Executive, signs of stress in a team can include: 

  •  Increase in arguments amongst staff 
  • Higher staff turnover 
  • More reports of stress 
  • More sickness absence 
  • Decreased performance 
  • More complaints and grievances   

 In individuals, leaders may notice a change in the way people act or feel, such as: 

  •  Taking more time off 
  • Arriving for work later 
  • Being more twitchy or nervous 
  • Mood swings 
  • Being withdrawn 
  • A loss of motivation, commitment and confidence 
  • Increased emotional reactions – being more tearful, sensitive or aggressive 

In addition to the free support for hospitality employees, Hospitality Action also offers a number of support packages including Stress and Resilience Training, designed to bolster the resilience and wellbeing of your employees. 

If you would like support with your people strategy in 2023, FM Recruitment are here for you. With a superb track record in finding the right people for the right role, we have long standing relationships with clients and candidates and we can help guide you through challenging and sometimes stressful times.  

 If you would like to chat about your people strategy, please contact us on +44 20 8600 1160.  

 

Assistant Financial Controller, London – Position Filled

This position has now been filled. Please check our latest job opportunities here

Our client is a hospitality and leisure company that operates luxury hotels, train services and river cruises worldwide.

They now have a fantastic  opportunity for an Assistant Financial Controller to join the Finance team at their Head Office in London. This position offers a  Hybrid working system- three days in the office and two days working from home.

Reporting to the Financial Controller, the successful candidate will be responsible for assisting with the management of all Central functions for the Trains and Cruises business units, including, General Ledger, Revenue Accounting, Accounts Receivables, Accounts Payable, Taxation, Cash Management and the preparation of information that will assist management in making educated decisions.

Key Responsibilities

  • Balancing of the passenger ticket revenue, deferred revenue, credit card refunds, discounts, cancellation revenue, rate discrepancy report and miscellaneous charges and staff charges to Travel Studio.
  • Overseeing the completion of daily banking tasks to ensure that all receipts recorded in Travel Studio posted by the Revenue and Central Accountant have been correctly reflected in the bank/credit card accounts.
  • Communicating the monthly revenues and ensure that all revenues are reviewed and approved by the Financial Controller (FC) and General Manager (GM) of the business units.
  • Supervising and managing the Central and Revenue Accounts Assistant and Credit Controller and Central Accountant including providing effective performance feedback in yearly reviews.
  • Assisting the FC with the preparation of the monthly reporting of the entire financial results of the business in established corporate formats and in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (locally and as established by Corporate Office).

A full job description will be shared upon application

Candidate Requirements

  • A minimum of 4 years’ experience working as an assistant to the financial controller or in a similar role
  • A degree or diploma in accounting from a recognised tertiary educational institution
  • Experience in managing a team
  • Hospitality experience advantageous, preferably in a 5-star environment
  • An ability to communicate with all levels of staff and service providers
  • VAT and Income Tax knowledge advantageous
  • Ability to work under pressure, multitask and prioritise
  • Accurate data entry & advanced Microsoft Excel skills
  • Experience in balance sheets and familiarity of accounting systems

Benefits

  • Group Income Protection – Group Life Insurance – Employer contribution pension
  • Hybrid working
  • Enhanced maternity and paternity pay

For more information or to apply, please contact Tairona at fm@fmrecruitment.co.uk or call on +44 20 8600 1164

 

 

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