Operations Accountant

Operational Accountant
Permanent / Hybrid: 2-3 days in the office per week
Full Time: 35 Hours
Competitive Salary + Discretionary Bonus

Haven is currently in search of an exceptional Operational Accountant who possesses remarkable financial expertise and a keen eye for detail. As the Operational Accountant, you will be entrusted with overseeing specific park Operational Budgets and Haven Functional Budget (Facilities, Holiday Home Revenue, Owner Experience), covering both revenue and costs.

In this role, you will function as a vital business partner for 8-10 caravan parks, collaborating closely with an Operations Director to achieve financial and non-financial targets. You will serve as the primary financial support for the Operations Director, essentially acting as a miniature Finance Director for your assigned region. Your responsibilities will include participating in periodic forecasting and annual budgeting processes for central functions across Haven, as well as supervising a functional segment of the business.

There will be some travel involved in this role, where you will visit your allocated Haven sites throughout the year to support the business partnering aspect of the role. 

This is a full-time, permanent position that offers some flexibility, with the possibility of working 2-3 days from our Head Office in Hemel Hempstead and the remainder of your time from the comfort of your home.

Your Opportunity / Responsibilities: 
- Engage in daily business collaboration with parks and Hemel Finance to ensure a clear understanding of underlying business performance and to address pertinent challenges. This will involve weekly calls and monthly business reviews with the Operations Director and General Managers of the relevant parks.
- Create and analyse weekly and monthly park P&L reports.
- Provide support for the timely and accurate preparation of weekly and monthly P&L statements, ensuring cost and income recognition.
- Contribute to the annual budgeting and periodic forecasting processes for both your assigned parks and the functional area.
- Offer monthly input for board reports on relevant functional areas such as facilities, payroll, and holiday sales.
- Serve as the primary financial contact for the park teams and provide assistance and training on financial matters related to their respective parks.
- Offer ad hoc support for functional tasks, including debt collection and forecasting.
- Prepare year-end schedules for management and audit purposes.

What we’d like you to bring:
- Profound knowledge of product management or change management methodologies.
- The ability to establish strong working relationships with key stakeholders and suppliers.
- Experience in collaborating with a diverse range of teams, including Operations Directors, General Managers, Heads of Departments, team members, and more.
- Exceptional analytical skills spanning a wide range of interrelated business areas.
- Intermediate to High level of proficiency in Excel.
- Qualified accountant (ACA, CIMA, ACCA).
- University degree-level education.
- Capacity to devise and prioritize ambitious plans that balance guest, team, and business objectives.
- Self-starter with a natural curiosity to explore underlying questions.
- Ability to manage workloads and navigate competing demands from stakeholder business partners.
- Leadership skills with the capability to mentor and develop junior department members.
- Ability to enhance the financial knowledge of non-financial team members.
- Experience in handling and manipulating large data sources from different systems to uncover valuable insights.

Desirable, but not Essential:
- Knowledge of hospitality and leisure operations, particularly in the caravan industry or similar multi-environment settings.
- Previous experience in the hospitality and leisure sector.

Who are we?
We’re part of an award-winning Bourne Leisure family, which includes Haven & Warner Hotels. We have 9,000 fantastic team members and 39 beautiful seaside locations and our HQ based in Hemel Hempstead.

What’s it like to work with us?
Working with us is ultimately defined by our exceptional people and teams. At Haven, we take pride in our Breath of Fresh Air culture, which focuses on valuing and supporting every team member. We prioritise openness and transparency in our interactions allowing our team members to be their authentic selves.
We operate a hybrid working model, meaning 50% of your working week will be spent at the office, occasionally on Park, or at external events.

What can you expect during the recruitment process?
The interview process will be up to 3 stages and may contain a presentation or skills test, depending on the role. If you require any support or reasonable adjustments to help you perform at your best during this process, please let us know. 

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the heart of who we are and what we do. Our commitment to these values is unwavering and they are central to our mission. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries and we are happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments or flexibility that you may require, including whether a role can be part-time or a job-share.

We genuinely care about every candidate's experience during the recruitment process and are here to provide support where we can. If you require any assistance or reasonable adjustments while applying, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at resourcingteam@bourne-leisure.co.uk.

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