CLUB CONTROLLER, WESTMORELAND COUNTRY CLUB

Wilmette, Illinois

Club Background

Westmoreland Country Club is centrally located, within the exclusive NorthShore community of Wilmette, less than 20 miles from Chicago. Founded in 1911, the Club just completed a full year of Centennial events and celebrations. Westmoreland is a member-owned club with approximately 550 members, is family oriented, and considered a Platinum top-tier country club. The Club is in excellent financial condition, with a wait list for full Regular golf membership and nearly no debt. The Regular golf membership Initiation Fee is $75,000; total operating revenues are $7M, of which F and B revenues are $2.5M.

The Club’s property includes an 18-hole championship golf course, which was redesigned by ArthurHills, and is considered to have some of the best greens within the Chicago golf course community. Ten years ago, the Club developed its “West End Project” which included a new championship aquatics complex including a café, 6 Har Tru tennis courts, and pro shop. During the winter season, the Club offers 4 paddle tennis courts and skeet shooting. The entire 65,000 square foot clubhouse and campus is of Colonial Williamsburg style. F and B member dining amenities to the clubhouse, exclusive of the seasonal pool side café and halfway house, include a Grill Room (125 seating capacity), Blue Stone Patio (80 seating capacity), Men’s Locker Room Grill (50 seating capacity), Monticello Wine Room (16 seating capacity), Crab Apple Patio (50 seating capacity), and a beautiful cocktail lounge. The clubhouse banquet facilities include Living Room and Porch, Windsor Room and Porch and a tented Terrace that combined can handle events up to 300; we also have a Library/Board Room which can seat 20.

Westmoreland just recently retained Chambers Architects, to develop a concept, that will expand and renovate its a la carte kitchen and member dining venues into distinct areas that will accommodate both families and quiet adult dining, including a bar. In addition, the Club is finalizing the implementation for a new golf course drainage system that will put the icing on the cake of the championship, manicured course, as the greens and irrigation system are new within the last few years.

Club Controller

The experienced Club Controller will report directly to the General Manager/’COO and both positions also report to the Treasurer/Finance Committee as well as working very closely with the department managers; supervise and work closely with one full-time assistant.

Core Job Responsibilities

  • Oversee all accounting functions, information technology and some human resource responsibilities; includes the development and maintenance of policies to control and coordinate accounting including payroll, treasury management, membership billing, risk management, IT, budgets, taxes, and related activities and records
  • Oversee and work with a full-time, accounting assistant
  • Monthly financial statement preparation including capital spending tracking, cash flow statement and variance reporting; prepares monthly trial balance and bank reconciliations along with required supporting schedules
  • Lead annual budget preparation with General Manager and department heads
  • Bi-weekly payroll processing
  • Coordinate benefit programs including health, dental, life, LTD, 401K
  • Inventory review and controls with department heads
  • Internal control evaluation
  • Audit preparation and verification; works with external auditors to assure procedures are consistent with club policies and to maintain proper controls
  • Prepares and verifies reports made to agencies and trade/professional organizations for which dissemination is consistent with club policies; maintains filing deadlines for all taxing authorities and insures tax returns are filed accordingly
  • Assist in education department heads on the financial aspects of their departments including budget comprehension, forecasting and variance controls and explanations
  • Perform periodic forecasts and ad hoc reporting / analysis as needed
  • Monitor cash flow; in charge of procedures governing bank deposits, cash bank(s) and policies pertaining to payrolls
  • Supervises the programming of Club’s ClubTec accounting software and related IT software, as well as service requirements
  • Checks club accounts to see the entries are posted correctly; analyze and interpret financial data and recommend changes necessary to improve operational and financial performance
  • Positive and regular “face” for the Club – both members, employees as well as vendors

Traits, Skills and Competencies

  • Past experience as a club controller
  • Strong organizational and time management skills
  • Professional work ethic, especially accurate and timely reporting of financial statements and issues as well as written and verbal presentations; very detailed oriented
  • Understand and practice member service philosophy and be fully engaged in and fulfilled by providing members with 24 hour response times to questions and inquiries regarding their billing
  • Continually looks for opportunities to improve the efficiency of club reporting and communication as it relates to accounting – directly and indirectly.
  • Well respected, pro-active member of the management team and is able to generate thoughts and ideas that result in improved member satisfaction and efficiencies
  • Solid communication skills, both verbal and written, with appropriate personal presence and desire and ability to interact effectively before diverse constituencies of members, staff and vendors who are part of the success of Westmoreland
  • Proactively solves problems, develops and proposes solutions to problems that occur, anticipates needs of staff and members, and can quickly react to it
  • Manages time and establishes priorities; is a self-starter and well organized
  • One who is a “difference maker” wherever they have been in the past
  • Proven integrity and honesty
  • One who is committed to professional growth and development, for him or herself and their staff
  • Must have computer skills with Microsoft Outlook, Word and be extremely savvy with Excel
  • Strong work ethic “in season” and recognizes need to effectively plan, evaluate, and re-tool “off season”; clubhouse is closed January and February, and open 5 days per week from mid-February through April and October through December and 6 days per week May through September.

Education and Experience

  • Bachelors Degree, Accounting
  • Certified Hospitality Accountant (CHAE), preferred
  • Prior club accountant experience, preferred
  • Experience with ClubTec, Cyma G/L and A/P, Paylocity, and Timepro, or similar club accounting software, preferred

Interested Candidates should send a resume and cover letter to: John C. Guy, General Manager/COO

Westmoreland Country Club, 2601 Old Glenview Road, Wilmette IL 60091

Email: