Rutherford Cross is delighted to be retained by Klarent Hospitality to appoint a Commercial Finance Manager to be based at their Head Office in Glasgow.

Klarent Hospitality are the market leaders in hotel investment and management. They currently manage a portfolio of 27 hotels in the UK and Ireland, trading under prestigious, international brands such as Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, DoubleTree by Hilton, Mercure and Ibis Styles.

Rebranded in 2021 Klarent’s predecessor Amaris Hospitality was created under LoneStar ownership in 2015. In the last eight years, the Klarent team has developed a proven track record in delivering operational excellence, exceptional customer experiences and superior service and shareholder returns through people development, active operational management and smart capital investment.

The business currently has circa 3,000 employees and a hotel portfolio covering Scotland, England and Ireland. Klarent Hospitality is owned by Henderson Park Capital Partners, a private equity real estate firm headquartered in London that has clocked up over $13bn in real estate investment deals since 2019.

The Commercial Finance Manager role is a newly created position for the company which will report directly to the Head of Commercial Finance, leading and owning all day-to-day activities within the Procurement Function. The role will be a welcome addition to the already established finance function and is essential in order to support Klarent on their upwards trajectory. The Commercial Finance Manager role will be operating at senior and strategic level and will involve extensive liaison with stakeholders both internally and externally.

Key Activities and Responsibilities:

• Lead and own all day-to-day activities within the Procurement function
• Develop, own and deliver a robust Procurement Strategy
• Develop and manage a contracts databank to articulate major spend areas, contracts, terms, costs and alternative options
• Develop and manage a detailed criteria databank, allowing efficiency of tendering and renewal processes (e.g., link to underlying volumes, assets and spends on which contracts are based)
• Instil a tendering methodology to standardise a process for robust, independent and appropriate contracting across multiple areas
• Advance, refine and own strategic cost management opportunities in all departments through understanding, capture and analysis of spends and alternative options across major spend areas
• Lead the function in the development of forward-looking cost trajectories focused on understanding market movements, risks, opportunities and risk
• Anticipate business challenges and recommend solutions to meet forecast commitments
• Lead, coach and develop direct reports in business partnering and financial activities
• Lead the budget process, identify and schedule expected inflationary movement across all impact lines

The successful candidate will ideally be a qualified accountant by training, who can operate at a senior level with intuitive ability to understand and manipulate data. Some previous exposure to a Procurement function would be highly advantageous, as well as excellent interpersonal and communication skills to effectively negotiate on contracts. It would be preferable if candidates came from a background within Property, Investment or Private Equity and an industry where there is a strong focus on customer experience.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Preferably a Qualified Accountant (ICAS / CIMA / ACCA or equivalent) with appropriate post-qualification experience
• Previous experience operating at a senior and strategic level within a fast-moving business
• Prior experience in a Commercial Finance focused role
• Experience of being a people leader with the ability to develop and lead teams
• Proven track record in leading multiple financial functions with tangible end effective results
• Excellent communicator who is able to connect with all levels in the business, work as part of a team
• Effective organisational skills: able to prioritise tasks and self-manage a workload

An attractive salary of up to circa £72,000 dependent on experience.

Additional benefits include Pension, discounted hotel stays, additional holiday entitlement and free use of leisure facilities and car parking at certain hotels.