Permanent
Gauteng
Posted 5 months ago
Job Opportunity: Cost Controller (Hotel Operations)
Location: Gauteng, South Africa Employment Type: Full-Time, On-Site
About the Role:
We are seeking a highly analytical and meticulous Cost Controller to join our dynamic hotel team in Gauteng. This pivotal role is instrumental in safeguarding the financial health and operational efficiency of our food, beverage, and general supplies. You will be the guardian of profitability, meticulously managing menu costing, event profitability, inventory accuracy, and waste reduction, directly contributing to the hotel’s overall financial success. This is a hands-on, on-site position.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Culinary & Beverage Profitability:
- Develop and maintain precise costings for all food and beverage offerings, encompassing à la carte, buffets, banquets, room service, and special promotions.
- Collaborate closely with Culinary and Food & Beverage leadership to optimize recipes, portion controls, and yields for maximum profitability.
- Provide in-depth cost analysis for banquets and events, ensuring profitability targets are consistently met or exceeded.
- Proactively update cost databases to reflect current market prices and supplier changes, ensuring financial data integrity.
2. Operational Supply Chain Management:
- Oversee all facets of inventory control, from receiving through to issuing, for food, beverage, and essential hotel supplies (e.g., linen, cleaning materials, guest amenities).
- Conduct regular, thorough stock takes (both scheduled monthly and surprise counts) across all relevant hotel departments and storage areas.
- Implement and enforce stringent stock control procedures, including the strict adherence to FIFO (First-In, First-Out) principles, to significantly minimize waste, pilferage, and overstocking.
- Maintain a comprehensive and up-to-date cost database for all inventory items, including historical supplier pricing.
3. Financial Analysis & Strategic Reporting:
- Prepare comprehensive daily, weekly, and monthly cost reports, detailing food and beverage cost percentages, variance analysis, and detailed waste/loss reports.
- Analyze actual consumption against theoretical usage, identifying key areas for cost savings and efficiency improvements.
- Actively contribute to the development and ongoing monitoring of departmental budgets.
4. Internal Controls & Compliance:
- Develop, implement, and refine robust internal controls and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all inventory-related processes.
- Support internal audit functions and ensure strict compliance with all hotel financial policies and procedures.
Required Skills & Experience:
- Proven experience as a Cost Controller or in a similar financial management role within the hospitality sector (experience in 4 or 5-star hotels is highly preferred).
- A deep understanding of Food & Beverage operations, including menu engineering, costing methodologies, and effective inventory management.
- Proficiency in hotel management software, Point of Sale (POS) systems, and advanced Microsoft Excel skills (including complex formulas, pivot tables, and data analysis).
- Exceptional analytical, problem-solving abilities, and an unwavering attention to detail.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to foster strong working relationships across diverse hotel departments.
- A degree in Hotel Management, Finance, Accounting, or a related field is advantageous.
- Minimum of 5 years of relevant, progressive experience.
What We Offer:
- A competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.
- The opportunity to be an integral part of a prestigious hotel operation in Gauteng.
- A challenging, rewarding, and impactful role with clear opportunities for professional growth and development.
If you are a results-driven professional with a passion for financial excellence in the hospitality sector, we encourage you to apply.