Job Summary

Support VP Global Financial Reporting in the following areas:

• Group Accounting Policy
• Review of the Group’s quarterly and year-end financial statements and analytical review
• Review of local statutory subsidiary accounts
• Managing the global external audit process (excluding GBSC).

The role includes significant review responsibilities, ensuring that SOX controls are operating as designed, that quarterly analytical review commentaries are thorough and accurate, and that local statutory accounts are properly prepared in accordance with local GAAP and regulations.

The applicant will also have an excellent knowledge of IFRS and be able to work closely to lead projects independently and support the Technical accounting team in projects such as acquisitions, new accounting standards and complex contracts.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Financial Reporting

• Support VP Global Financial Reporting in ensuring that the Group’s consolidated and statutory financial statements comply with relevant accounting standards and legal/regulatory requirements.
• Drive disclosure simplifications and improvements of Group consolidated financial statements.
• Review areas of quarterly analytical review commentary and drive improvements in the techcomms and underlying process/analysis.
• Work with regional teams to review selected statutory accounts including review of major transactions and impairment testing.
• Liaise with PwC to plan and manage external Group audit process and global statutory accounts production in key territories
• Work with the Technical FR team to provide technical accounting advice to the Group CFO, SVP and Group Financial Controller, and Regional CFOs and their teams, as and when required
• Review material prepared by Technical FR team to ensure that:

• Complex transactions are accounted for in accordance with IFRS and group accounting policies
• New accounting standards that are relevant to the Group are implemented in a timely manner, supported by quality analysis and socialised with the relevant finance teams.
• Technical accounting questions raised by external regulators are responded to, including the Financial Reporting Council and SEC
• Capital committee papers are reviewed in a timely fashion and the business is supported in understanding the accounting impact of new deals;

• Perform certain management review controls in the SOX framework across a range of financial reporting areas.
• Ensure that an appropriate control environment is maintained and all financial reporting SOX controls are adhered to.
• Ensure appropriate accounting for treasury transactions, including compliance with IFRS 9, the maintenance of relevant hedging documentation and appropriate disclosure

General

• Support and promote the objectives and ways of working agreed upon by the Controller Group leadership team, working closely on Tax and Treasury intiatives as required.
• Coach, motivate and develop team members
• Drive for continuous automation and process improvement to reduce teams’ manual analysis and workload

Education

• ACA or equivalent accounting qualification essential
• Bachelors or Masters degree, in a relevant discipline preferred

Experience

• Large PLC experience to include substantial exposure to complex global consolidations
• Extensive experience of producing Group financial statements for the UK and US markets
• Exposure to SOX or similar control environment
• Minimum 5+ years progressive experience of financial accounting
• IFRS 9 and Treasury accounting experience preferred
• Experience in leading and developing people

Required Attributes

• Strong execution skills and the drive to shape and deliver goals
• Highly personable with credibility, professionalism, and integrity but also resilience to lead and manage change.
• Superior technical knowledge of IFRS, UK and US GAAP, ability to communicate complex technical matters in a concise and clear manner (both written and verbal).
• Awareness of emerging regulations around ESG reporting and other non-financial reporting.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

• Commercially astute, able to see the big picture and think through future challenges

• Ability to work independently and maintain working partnerships across a global organisation

• Compliance/control orientated mindset

3. ACCOUNTABILITY

Number of employees supervised – 2, and expected to take a leadership role and work very closely with all FR teams – c25 team members

About IHG

• We are one of the world's leading hotel companies, whose purpose is to provide True Hospitality for Good
• We franchise, manage and own over 6,000 hotels operating in over 100 countries under 18 brands
• A FTSE 50 company, the Group financial statements include consolidated revenues of $3.9bn, PBT of $500m and gross assets of $4.2bn.
• We are passionate about equality and diversity and have been consistently recognised as a best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ and Equality in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate

Equality Index in the US. Every member of the Executive Committee has a DE&I-focused goal and we sponsored Pride in both London and Atlanta in 2022.

4. KEY RELATIONSHIPS

Key Internal Relationships

• SVP Financial Controller
• VP Global Financial Reporting
• Regional, Group and Technical Financial Reporting teams, Treasury Back Office
• Members of the GBSC leadership team
• Regional finance teams
• Group Tax, Treasury, Legal and Company Secretariat
• Group FP&A and Investor Relations
• Exec Compensation and Benefits

Key External Relationships

• External auditors and other professional accountancy firms
• Actuaries
• Lawyers
• Third party software providers