Chief Accountant

Job title : Chief Accountant

Reports To: General Manager
Department: Finance & Accounts
Direct Report: Assistant Accountant, Accounts Officers, Cost Control Officer (where applicable), Income Auditor, Accounts Payable Officer, Accounts Receivable Officer, Payroll Officer, Storekeeper (functional oversight), Finance Interns, and other Finance Department personnel.

Job Summary

• The Chief Accountant is responsible for planning, directing, coordinating, and managing all financial and accounting activities of the hotel to ensure financial integrity, regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, and sustainable profitability. The role oversees financial reporting, budgeting, treasury management, taxation, payroll, accounts payable, accounts receivable, internal controls, fixed assets, inventory accounting, and financial planning.
• In addition to the core accounting function, the Chief Accountant is responsible for overseeing the hotel's Cost Control and Profitability Management function, ensuring that operational costs are effectively monitored, controlled, analyzed, and optimized across all departments. The role works closely with the General Manager and Department Heads to safeguard assets, strengthen financial controls, improve operational efficiency, minimize waste, and maximize profitability.
• The Chief Accountant ensures compliance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), applicable Nigerian tax laws, hospitality accounting best practices, and company financial policies while providing strategic financial advice to management for informed decision-making.

Key Responsibilities
Financial Accounting & Reporting:

• Plan, organize, direct, and supervise all accounting and financial activities of the hotel.
• Maintain complete, accurate, and up-to-date accounting records in accordance with IFRS and company policies.
• Prepare daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements and management reports.
• Ensure timely month-end and year-end financial closing processes.
• Monitor revenue, expenditure, assets, liabilities, equity, and cash flow.
• Review journal entries, reconciliations, and financial adjustments.
• Ensure accuracy of the General Ledger and subsidiary ledgers.
• Present financial reports and performance analyses to the General Manager and Executive Management.

General Ledger Management:

• Maintain and oversee the hotel's General Ledger.
• Review journal vouchers and accounting entries for accuracy.
• Ensure proper account coding and classification.
• Perform monthly balance sheet reconciliations.
• Investigate and resolve accounting discrepancies.
• Ensure timely reconciliation of bank accounts, supplier accounts, and customer accounts.

Accounts Payable & Procurement Contro:

• Supervise accounts payable activities.
• Verify supplier invoices against approved Purchase Requisitions (PRs), Purchase Orders (POs), Goods Received Notes (GRNs), and delivery documentation.
• Ensure suppliers are paid accurately and within agreed payment terms.
• Reconcile supplier statements regularly.
• Monitor outstanding liabilities and payment schedules.
• Ensure procurement transactions comply with company policies.

Accounts Receivable & Credit Control:

• Supervise guest ledger, city ledger, corporate accounts, and credit accounts.
• Monitor outstanding receivables and debtor aging reports.
• Ensure timely collection of outstanding debts.
• Review credit applications and recommend credit limits.
• Coordinate with Sales and Front Office to resolve disputed accounts.
• Monitor credit risks and recommend corrective actions.

Cash Management & Treasury:

• Monitor daily cash positions and liquidity.
• Supervise cash collections, banking activities, and cash disbursements.
• Ensure proper reconciliation of cash receipts from all revenue outlets.
• Monitor foreign currency transactions where applicable.
• Safeguard hotel cash assets.
• Prepare cash flow forecasts and liquidity reports.
• Ensure adequate working capital for operations.

Budgeting & Financial Planning:

• Coordinate preparation of annual operating and capital budgets.
• Assist department heads in preparing departmental budgets.
• Prepare financial forecasts and business projections.
• Monitor budget utilization across departments.
• Conduct variance analysis and recommend corrective measures.
• Support strategic financial planning and investment decisions.
• Prepare long-term financial models.

Financial Analysis & Management Reporting:

• Analyze financial performance and profitability.
• Prepare management dashboards and KPI reports.
• Monitor departmental profitability.
• Analyze trends in revenue and expenditure.
• Recommend strategies to improve financial performance.
• Present financial analysis to management for decision-making.

Taxation & Statutory Compliance:

• Ensure compliance with all applicable tax laws and statutory obligations.
• Coordinate preparation and filing of VAT, WHT, PAYE, Company Income Tax, Pension, NSITF, NHF, Industrial Training Fund (ITF), and other statutory remittances.
• Liaise with tax authorities and regulatory agencies.
• Maintain complete statutory documentation.
• Monitor changes in tax legislation.

Payroll Management:

• Supervise payroll preparation and processing.
• Review payroll calculations for accuracy.
• Ensure statutory deductions are correctly applied.
• Maintain payroll confidentiality.
• Monitor overtime and payroll costs.
• Reconcile payroll accounts monthly.

Internal Controls & Financial Governance:

• Develop and maintain effective financial control systems.
• Ensure segregation of duties within finance operations.
• Strengthen internal financial controls.
• Review financial policies and procedures.
• Safeguard company assets.
• Investigate financial irregularities.
• Ensure compliance with Delegation of Authority (DOA) policies.

Cost Control & Profitability Management:

• Establish and maintain effective cost control systems across all hotel departments.
• Monitor departmental operating expenses to ensure compliance with approved budgets.
• Analyze Food Cost, Beverage Cost, Labour Cost, Utility Costs, Housekeeping Costs, Laundry Costs, Engineering Costs, Administrative Costs, Spa Costs, and all operational expenditures.
• Review daily food and beverage cost reports against inventory consumption.
• Analyze recipe costing, standard yields, and portion control with the Executive Chef and Food & Beverage Manager.
• Participate in menu engineering, pricing reviews, and profitability analysis.
• Review banquet, conference, wedding, and event costing to ensure targeted profit margins are achieved.
• Monitor departmental payroll costs, overtime, outsourced labour, and manpower utilization.
• Conduct cost variance analysis against budgets, forecasts, and previous periods.
• Identify cost leakages, wastage, inefficiencies, and unauthorized expenditures.
• Recommend practical cost-saving initiatives without compromising service quality.
• Review supplier pricing trends and procurement costs.
• Monitor utility consumption and recommend energy-saving initiatives.
• Develop profitability improvement strategies for all revenue centres.
• Prepare cost control reports and profitability analyses for management.

Inventory & Asset Management:

• Oversee inventory accounting across all stores.
• Participate in daily, weekly, monthly, and annual stock counts.
• Monitor inventory movements and variances.
• Ensure compliance with FIFO inventory principles.
• Investigate stock shortages, breakages, spoilage, and pilferage.
• Maintain the Fixed Asset Register.
• Supervise asset tagging and periodic verification.
• Monitor depreciation schedules.
• Coordinate disposal of obsolete assets in accordance with company policy.

Revenue AssurancE:

• Ensure all hotel revenues are completely and accurately captured.
• Review daily revenue reports from Front Office, Food & Beverage, Spa, Laundry, Events, and other revenue centres.
• Reconcile PMS, POS, and accounting system reports.
• Investigate revenue discrepancies.
• Monitor discounts, rebates, voids, refunds, and complimentary transactions.
• Strengthen revenue assurance controls.

Audit Coordination:

• Coordinate internal and external audit exercises.
• Provide audit schedules and supporting documentation.
• Respond to audit findings promptly.
• Implement audit recommendations.
• Maintain audit compliance records.

Team Leadership & Staff Development:

• Lead and supervise the Finance Department.
• Prepare departmental work schedules.
• Conduct performance appraisals.
• Coach and mentor finance employees.
• Identify training and development needs.
• Promote teamwork, accountability, integrity, and professionalism.
• Support succession planning within the department.

Systems Administration:

• Oversee financial modules within the Property Management System (PMS), Point-of-Sale (POS), accounting software, payroll system, and inventory management system.
• Ensure system integrity and accurate financial data.
• Coordinate software upgrades and system enhancements.
• Work closely with the IT Department on finance-related technology solutions.

Coordination with Other Department:

• Work closely with the General Manager on financial planning and strategic initiatives.
• Collaborate with Department Heads on budget performance and cost optimization.
• Support Procurement in supplier evaluations and purchasing controls.
• Liaise with Internal Audit, External Auditors, Banks, Tax Authorities, Regulatory Agencies, and Financial Institutions.
• Provide financial guidance to operational departments.

Reporting & Administration:

• Prepare daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports.
• Maintain complete accounting records and supporting documentation.
• Prepare Board reports, financial presentations, and management reports.
• Maintain confidentiality of financial information.
• Ensure proper record retention.

Compliance & Continuous Improvement:

• Ensure compliance with IFRS, company policies, statutory regulations, and hospitality accounting standards.
• Develop and improve financial policies and procedures.
• Introduce automation and process improvements.
• Participate in strategic planning initiatives.
• Promote continuous improvement across finance operations.

Qualifications and Requirements
Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or a related discipline.
• Master's Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration (MBA), or related field is an added advantage.

Experience:

• Minimum of 710 years of progressive accounting and finance experience.
• At least 5 years in a managerial position within a reputable hotel or hospitality organization.
• Experience in a superior luxury hotel or internationally branded hospitality establishment is highly preferred.

Professional Certifications:

• ICAN (Mandatory or in progress).
• ACCA (Added advantage).
• ANAN.
• CFA (Added advantage).
• Certified Hospitality Accountant Executive (CHAE) (Preferred).

Skills & Competencies:

• Financial Accounting.
• Hotel Cost Control.
• Financial Analysis.
• Budgeting & Forecasting.
• Inventory Management.
• Internal Controls.
• IFRS.
• Tax Planning.
• Cash Flow Management.
• Hospitality Accounting.
• PMS & POS Systems.
• ERP Systems.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel.
• Leadership.
• Analytical Thinking.
• Communication.
• Negotiation.
• Decision Making.