Director of Finance

Director of Finance

Reports to: General Manager (dotted line to ownership/regional finance)

Position Summary

The Wildbirch Hotel is the premier boutique hotel in the heart of downtown Anchorage. As the director of finance  you’ll partner closely with department heads and ownership, translating numbers into decisions and structure into daily practice. We’re looking for someone who can move fluidly between a P&L and a performance review, who sees a lack of process as an invitation rather than an obstacle, and who is eager to build something from the ground up on how this hotel runs for years to come.

The Director of Finance is a hands-on leader who builds and maintains the financial infrastructure of the hotel systems, controls, and procedures ,and ensures every department operates within them. This role also directly leads the finance/accounting team, with full accountability for their scheduling, performance, and development. This is not a back-office reporting role; it requires active partnership with department heads to establish, train on, and enforce financial discipline property-wide. 

Key Responsibilities

The Wildbirch Hotel is the premier JDV by Hyatt in downtown Anchorage. We are looking for a leader with a dynamic hands-on approach to building a team. As winter approaches we are looking for a someone with long term plans to stay in Anchorage and the unique challenges Alaska brings. If this sounds like you, review our preferred qualifications and apply now! 

Financial Systems & Controls

• Design, implement, and continuously improve financial systems, SOPs, and internal controls across all departments (F&B, Rooms, Housekeeping, Engineering, etc.)

• Develop and document standard operating procedures (SOPs) for all finance-related processes — cash handling, purchasing/procurement, month-end close, payroll processing, expense approval, and audit prep ensuring procedures are clearly written, trainable, and consistently followed

• Conduct regular audits of departmental compliance (cash handling, purchasing, inventory, PTO/payroll coding) and correct gaps directly with department heads

• Prepare and analyze monthly financial statements, forecasts, and annual budgets

• Own the full accounting cycle: AP/AR, general ledger, month-end close

• Manage cash flow, banking relationships, and capital expenditure tracking

• Ensure compliance with GAAP, USALI standards, tax regulations, and brand financial reporting requirements

• Build and enforce purchasing/procurement approval workflows and vendor management procedures

• Lead and prep for internal/external audits and PCI compliance

Cross-Departmental Partnership

• Partner with department heads on P&L ownership, cost controls, and variance explanations: training leaders to read and manage their own P&Ls, not just reporting numbers back

Team Leadership

• Directly supervise finance/accounting staff, including scheduling and coverage planning

• Conduct formal performance reviews and set individual development goals for team members

• Administer corrective action and disciplinary processes in line with company policy, up to and including termination when necessary

• Assist with recruiting, onboarding, and training finance department staff

• Foster accountability and growth within the team while maintaining department morale

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, or related field (CPA preferred)

• 5+ years hotel finance experience, including 2+ years directly supervising a team (scheduling, reviews, corrective action)

• Demonstrated experience developing SOPs from the ground up and driving adoption across departments

• Track record of building or overhauling financial systems/controls (not just maintaining existing ones)

• Comfortable being the person who says “no” or “not yet” to non-compliant spending — strong backbone, not just strong Excel skills

• Experience with hotel-specific systems 

• Demonstrated success training non-finance managers on financial procedures and accountability