Accounting Specialist (2 positions)

Fanshawe College; London; Hybrid; CAD 52,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

Fanshawe College is hiring for a Finance Operations role within Payment Services. The position supports payment settlement, accounts payable/receivable, and tax compliance, ensuring consistent financial control and regulatory adherence across the college.

The role requires a post-secondary diploma in Accounting/Finance or equivalent, with CPA pathway ongoing or pursued, and at least three years in AP/AR and reconciliations. Hybrid work model with minimum 3 days onsite weekly.

Qualifications

• Post-secondary 3-year diploma/degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field.
• Current enrollment in intermediate level professional accounting program leading to designation (CPA, etc).
• Minimum three years experience in accounts payable/receivable and reconciliations.

Responsibilities

• Review high-value, unusual and complex payment, receivable, and banking transactions for compliance.
• Oversee payment settlement and reconciliation using Workday and related systems.
• Monitor tax obligations, including HST/GST, and support regulatory reporting.
• Prepare journal entries and analyses supporting PSAS-compliant financial statements.
• Administer the College’s P-Card program and monitor user compliance.

Skills

Financial analysis

Accounts payable/receivable

Internal controls

Regulatory compliance

Education

Diploma in Accounting/Finance

Professional accounting pathway (CPA, etc)

Tools

Workday

Positive Pay

Job description

Support Staff employees, as defined by the Full-Time Support Staff Collective Agreement, will be given first consideration.

Note: This is for 2 Regular Full-Time vacancies. These positions are deemed critical replacement vacancies. These positions are subject to the terms of the Full-Time Support Staff Collective Agreement.

Work Mode: Hybrid – These positions require minimum 3 days onsite per week.

Payband: $38.09 - $44.04 per hour (Payband H)

Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday

Why this Role is Important

Payment Services plays a vital role within the College's Finance team, supporting the effective, accurate, and secure processing of both payments and cash receipts across the institution. The team ensures that vendors, customers and employees are transacted with in accordance with established policies, regulatory requirements, and financial controls - enabling the College to operate smoothly and responsibly. As a collaborative and service-oriented group, Payment Services works closely with departments across the College to provide guidance, resolve inquiries and support financial integrity. By delivering reliable finance operations and continuous improvement, the team helps safeguard public funds, strengthen stakeholder relationships, and contribute to the overall financial health and mission of the College.

Under the direction of the Manager, Finance Operations, the incumbent serves as a technical accounting resource responsible for payment settlement, accounts payable and receivable compliance, commodity/input tax administration, financial control monitoring, account reconciliation and regulatory reporting. The incumbent independently analyzes complex financial transactions, assesses compliance risks, interprets College policies and applicable legislation, and provides recommendations to ensure compliance with Public Sector Accounting Standards (PSAS), CRA requirements and internal control frameworks. The position supports the integrity of institutional financial reporting through advanced reconciliation, tax compliance oversight, regulatory reporting and continuous process improvement activities affecting College-wide operations.

How You’ll Make An Impact

Compliance Review

• Perform independent review and validation of high-value, unusual and complex payment, receivable and banking transactions.
• Assess compliance with College policy, delegated authority frameworks, accounting standards, CRA requirements and internal control expectations.
• Evaluate financial transactions for indicators of fraud, financial risk, misclassification, tax exposure or policy non-compliance.
• Investigate recurring exceptions and identify root causes through analysis of source documentation and transaction activity.
• Recommend corrective actions, process improvements and internal control enhancements to mitigate institutional risk.
• Provide guidance to departments on appropriate accounting treatment and compliance requirements.
• Escalate significant control deficiencies, compliance concerns and regulatory risks to management

Payment Processing

• Coordinate and oversee payment settlement activities through Workday and ancillary systems to ensure compliance with contractual payment obligations and cash management requirements.
• Analyze payment exceptions, rejected transactions and banking discrepancies to identify underlying issues and implement corrective action.
• Monitor payment trends and recommend improvements to payment controls, processes and system configurations.
• Review and validate complex payment requests involving foreign currencies, wire transfers, taxation issues, contractual obligations and non-standard payment arrangements.
• Assess financial implications of payment processing decisions while ensuring compliance with institutional policy and regulatory requirements.
• Participate in testing and implementation of payment process enhancements and system upgrades affecting Finance Operations.

Tax Reporting

• Responsible for the review, analysis and interpretation of indirect tax requirements impacting College operations, including HST, GST and other commodity tax obligations. Assesses tax treatment of complex transactions and provides recommendations to departments regarding compliance with applicable legislation, CRA guidance, College policies and public-sector accounting requirements.
• Performs detailed reviews of financial transactions to identify tax compliance risks, incorrect tax treatment and potential financial exposure. Investigates exceptions and develops corrective actions to mitigate compliance risk.
• Leads the preparation, reconciliation and validation of commodity tax filings, ensuring accuracy, completeness and compliance with legislative requirements. Evaluates the impact of regulatory changes and recommends process improvements to maintain compliance.
• Serves as the Finance Operations subject matter expert for indirect tax matters and provides guidance to College departments regarding tax implications of purchasing, contracts, grants, international transactions, sponsorships and other specialized activities.
• Responsible for annual T4A reporting including legislative interpretation, recipient classification reviews, validation of reportable payments, reconciliation of source transactions, identification of reporting exceptions, and resolution of complex reporting issues.
• Reviews organizational payment activity to determine CRA reporting requirements and exercises independent judgment regarding inclusion, exclusion and classification of reportable transactions.
• Ensures compliance with CRA reporting requirements and supports responses to inquiries, audits and information requests relating to T4A reporting

Reconciliation & Financial Reporting

• Perform detailed reconciliation and analysis of financial accounts, sub-ledgers, clearing accounts and control accounts
• Investigate discrepancies, assess financial impact and develop recommendations for corrective action
• Prepare adjusting and correcting journal entries in accordance with PSAS and College accounting policies
• Develop supporting analyses and working papers used in the preparation of institutional financial statements
• Identify trends, anomalies and potential accounting issues through analytical review of financial informationSupport internal and external audits through preparation of schedules, reconciliations and technical explanations
• Recommend improvements to accounting processes, controls and reporting practices

Purchasing Card Program

• Administers the College’s P-Card program, including creating new cards, cancelling cards, and updating user limits or information
• Assess user compliance with the P-Card policy and follow up on exceptions

What You'll Bring

• Post-secondary 3 year diploma/degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field
• Current enrollment in an intermediate level of a professional accounting or related program leading to a professional designation (e.g. CPA, RPA, CIA, ACCA etc)
• Minimum three years demonstrated experience in accounts payable and receivable processes, including reconciliation of sub-ledgers and general ledger accounts
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered
• Proven ability to review and analyze financial transactions for compliance with policies, delegated authorities, and accounting standards
• Familiarity with banking processes, including electronic payments, Positive Pay, and cheque/wire administration
• Demonstrated experience interpreting and applying HST/GST legislation and CRA reporting requirements
• Experience preparing and reviewing commodity tax filings and information returns
• Experience assessing financial compliance risk and recommending corrective actions
• Experience supporting external audits, tax reviews, or regulatory examinations
• Experience in preparing journal entries, reconciliations, and year-end working papers in accordance with GAAP or PSAS
• Experience with ERP systems (preferably Workday)
• Strong background in internal control review, audit preparation, or financial compliance within a complex or public sector organization
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply financial policies, identify process risks, and recommend improvements
• Proven collaboration and communication skills for working with cross-functional teams and external auditors

What This Opportunity Offers

• Comprehensive Pension & Benefits: Join a defined-benefit pension plan (through the CAAT Pension Plan) that delivers predictable lifetime retirement income, plus dental, disability, travel insurance and extended health coverage.
• Vacation: Enjoy paid time off and benefit from a scheduled holiday closure that offers additional rest and time with family during the winter season
• Tuition & Professional Development: Continue your learning journey — eligible employees and their dependents can take select Fanshawe programs or courses at a reduced cost
• Inclusive, Meaningful Campus environment: Work alongside passionate colleagues in an inclusive culture that values diversity, drives student success, and connects you to the local community and campus life.

Fanshawe College uses Workday to manage recruitment and hiring processes.

Educational Credentials

While transcripts are not required for the interview, they are mandatory as a condition of employment.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Fanshawe College is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to equity, value diversity, and welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds.

Accommodation

Fanshawe College provides accommodations to job applicants with disabilities throughout the hiring process. If a job applicant requires an accommodation during the application process or through the selection process, the hiring manager and the recruiter leading the recruitment will work with the applicant to meet the job applicant’s accommodation needs. Accommodation requests per the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act can be emailed to: [e-mail]

Land Acknowledgement

Fanshawe College would like to acknowledge and honour the Anishinaabe, Lotinuhsyuní and Lenape people of southwestern Ontario as the traditional owners and custodians of the lands and waterways where Fanshawe College is located.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.