Job Description:

Summary of function

provides financial analysis and business support for overheads to emea management committee members and budget holders within functions. delivers financial support to franchise operations within the region. delivers financial and analytical support to emea brand performance function. co-ordinates and delivers balanced scorecard reporting for the region. co-ordinates the annual budget process for emea. delivers, in conjunction with budget holders, the consolidated emea region's overhead budget. provides ad-hoc analyses for the svp finance highlighting areas of concern.

position summary

works with emea and bsc colleagues to analyse overheads expenditure compared to budget, forecast, and prior year in order to prepare clear and informative comments on current expenditure, on a timely basis, for management committee member review. works closely with budget holders and sometimes function heads to ascertain opportunities or risk in projected expenditure so that these can be encapsulated in the full year projection for the region or marketing [system] fund.
works with budget holders and sometimes function heads in the preparation of annual overhead budgets and quarterly reforecast of overhead expenditure.
assists manager fp&a to track emea brand performance promotional spend, and to reforecast marketing fund income.
assists manager fp&a with the preparation of system fund accounts, and analysis of system funded spend.
from time to time works on valued added projects, providing accurate, high quality analyses as part of team to achieve a wide range of outcomes.

primary responsibilities

monthly overhead reporting review
conduct, in conjunction with bsc overhead accounting colleagues, a pre-accounting close review in peoplesoft for all cost centres in the division/functions assigned to you, against budgets and/or forecasts in essbase (the ihg management reporting system)
ensure material differences can be explained, arrange for accruals for un-invoiced expenditure, if appropriate arrange for necessary adjustments to be processed in line with ihg accounting policies.
distribute standard essbase reports to function heads for your assigned division/functions
prepare concise and informative commentary explaining major variances to budget/forecast/prior year in both the period and year-to-date for review by manager fp&a.
along with manager fp&a, hold a monthly meeting with division/function heads to discuss their overhead results and variances and to ensure they are fully conversant with their overhead results and projections. establish, with agreement of function heads, areas of opportunity or risk in the forecast for the remainder of the year. ensure finance line-management is always kept aware of any material risks or opportunities.

overhead reforecast and budgeting
on a quarterly basis, collect a detailed reforecast for all cost centres in the division/functions assigned to you for the remaining months of the year. to do this, you will work closely with budget holders and function heads to establish if there is material change to the currently loaded forecast for their cost centres.
in conjunction with emea and management information delivery colleagues, ensure that a revised forecast, as established by function heads is loaded into essbase on a timely basis, ensuring that the result of the forecasts loaded is in line with expectations of the function head.
on an annual basis, in line with the annual budget timetable work closely with the function heads for the division/functions assigned to you, in order to ensure that a full and accurate budget for every cost centre in these functions is loaded in essbase, and that the consolidated total meets the expectations of the head of function. this will require production of reports, manipulation of queries, and analysis of trends to ensure the function head understands their budget.

marketing [system] fund analysis and accounts
maintain an accurate projection of available income, and expenditure against those funds.
assist in periodic reforecast of projected system fund income
assist in analysis of overheads recharged to and from system fund

tracking of marketing expenditure
provide support to brand performance team in the tracking of their marketing activity expenditure
provide regular reporting to the brand performance team of committed and spent funds

other/ad-hoc
preparation of monthly/quarterly billing data for hotel sales commissions.
support the brand performance team and manager fp&a in other ad-hoc items such as accounting for and tracking of olympic sponsorship spend.
from time to time, you will be required to work on other value-adding projects, providing high-quality analyses to aid the decision making process of the organisation

Candidate Requirements:

Self-motivated, self-starter. A forward thinker who is proactive and enthusiastic with a logical mind and strong numerical skills along with good English verbal and written communication skills.
Interest in, and basic understanding of the commercial drivers of hospitality business.
Team player in addition to being someone who takes ownership of issues and makes sure they are resolved - thorough and determined to get to the bottom of questions and queries.
Works well under pressure and is self-confident. Focused and deadline oriented and maintains a sense of humour

Technical Skill Capabilities

High level of bookkeeping skills.
Expert in MS Excel and competent user of MS PowerPoint
Fluent spoken and written English
Highly numerate, able to analyse past numerical trends and extrapolate to future

Non-Technical

Shows professionalism and is not intimated by senior staff or stressful situations
Good communicator - both written and verbal
Takes initiative but also able to instruct other staff and gain their support and motivate them to work on common goals.
Good intellect, comfortable with complexity.
Commercially minded - able to grasp issues - keen to develop business understanding
Able to analyse processes well