Controller

Vaco by Highspring; Cambridge; Hybrid; CAD 130,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

Annual bonus

Pension matching

Comprehensive benefits

Lead accounting team

ERP implementation exposure

Senior leadership exposure

Job summary

Vaco/Highspring seeks a Controller to lead accounting, manage project financials, and partner with senior leadership. This hands-on role blends traditional controllership with project budgeting, forecasting, and strategic decision support.

Ideal candidate has CPA, 7+ years in project-based accounting, and experience in ERP systems. Hybrid work with in-office collaboration and growth opportunities are offered.

Qualifications

• CPA designation required and professional accounting experience in a project-based environment.
• Strong project accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis skills.
• Experience leading accounting staff and working cross-functionally with operations.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage detailed project budgets from bid to completion.
• Own annual operating budget and rolling forecasts.
• Prepare month-end and year-end close with project cost reporting.
• Monitor WIP, project profitability, and cost-to-complete analysis.
• Provide financial insight for bids, pricing, and management decisions.
• Lead and develop the accounting team; collaborate with leadership.

Skills

Project accounting

Budgeting & forecasting

Leadership

Team development

ERP systems

Advanced Excel

Financial analysis

Education

CPA designation

Tools

Microsoft Dynamics / Business Central

Job description

Controller

Our client is a growing, privately held organization operating within a project-based environment. They are looking for a Controller to lead the accounting function, oversee project financial performance, and partner closely with senior leadership and operations.

This is a hands-on leadership opportunity for someone who enjoys combining traditional controllership responsibilities with project accounting, budgeting, forecasting, and commercial decision support.

Why Work Here?

• Highly visible role working directly with senior leadership and operational stakeholders.
• Opportunity to own and enhance the accounting and financial reporting function within a growing business.
• Entrepreneurial and collaborative culture that values teamwork, accountability, and initiative.
• Hybrid working environment with three days per week in the office.
• Competitive compensation package including annual bonus, pension matching, and comprehensive benefits.
• Opportunity to lead and develop an accounting team while remaining hands-on with the business.
• Exposure to an ERP system implementation and finance process improvements.

About the Opportunity

Budgeting & Forecasting

• Build and manage detailed project budgets from the initial bid stage through project completion.
• Maintain project forecasts including committed costs, incurred costs, cost to complete, and estimated final costs.
• Own the annual operating budget and rolling forecast process.
• Prepare budget-to-actual, WIP, and project profitability reporting for senior leadership and project stakeholders.
• Analyze historical project costs to improve future budgeting and forecasting accuracy.

Financial Reporting & Close

• Oversee the month-end and year-end close processes, including project accruals, cost of sales, revenue recognition, and account reconciliations.
• Prepare accurate and timely monthly financial statements and management reporting.
• Provide meaningful margin, variance, trend, and profitability analysis to explain financial performance.
• Ensure the integrity and accuracy of underlying financial information.

Project Accounting & Cost Control

• Monitor project costs and investigate significant variances against budgets and forecasts.
• Partner with Operations and Project Managers to identify cost drivers and recommend corrective actions.
• Manage WIP reporting, job costing, project accruals, and profitability analysis.
• Support project pricing, change orders, and budget revisions.
• Provide financial analysis to support project bids and management decision-making.

Cash Flow & Working Capital

• Manage cash flow forecasting across long-cycle projects.
• Oversee billing cycles, accounts receivable collections, and accounts payable timing.
• Monitor working capital and project cash positions.
• Support effective cash management and financial planning.

Controls, Compliance & Audit

• Maintain and strengthen internal controls, accounting policies, and finance procedures.
• Lead the year-end audit or review process and serve as a primary contact for external accountants.
• Oversee applicable statutory, tax, and regulatory reporting with support from external advisors.
• Help improve financial systems, processes, controls, and data integrity.
• Support the organization's transition to a new ERP environment.

Leadership & Business Partnership

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of accounting professionals.
• Establish priorities and ensure financial deliverables are accurate, timely, and complete.
• Remain hands-on and work alongside the accounting team when required.
• Partner directly with senior leadership, Operations, and Project Managers to improve financial performance.
• Translate financial information into actionable insights that support better business decisions.
• Provide financial support for commercial opportunities and strategic initiatives.

About You

• CPA designation.
• 7+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience.
• Experience at the Controller, Assistant Controller, Accounting Manager, or similar level.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing accounting staff.
• Strong full-cycle accounting background, including month-end and year-end close, financial statement preparation, and audit support.
• Experience within a project-based industry such as construction, engineering, professional services, consulting, transportation, logistics, mining, or a similar environment.
• Strong project accounting, job costing, budgeting, and forecasting experience.
• Experience with WIP reporting, cost-to-complete calculations, project profitability, and variance analysis is strongly preferred.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to transform financial information into useful business insights.
• Advanced Excel skills and experience working with accounting or ERP systems.
• Microsoft Dynamics / Business Central experience is considered a strong asset.
• Comfortable operating in a hands-on, entrepreneurial, and fast-paced environment.
• Collaborative leadership style with the ability to work effectively across finance and operational teams.

Salary Range

$130,000 - $150,000/year plus 10% - 15% bonus

This position for employment is for a current vacancy with Vaco/Highspring's client. You must currently reside within Canada and be permitted to work in Canada to be considered for this opportunity. A recruiter will be in touch with you if your profile meets our client's requirements for this role.

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco/Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to the individual's skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, office location and other geographic considerations, as well as other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law in geographies that require salary range disclosure, Vaco/Highspring notes the salary range for the role is noted in this job posting. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, and can participate in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company's 401(k) retirement plan. Additional disclaimer: Unless otherwise noted in the job description, the position Vaco/Highspring is filing for is occupied. Please note, however, that Vaco/Highspring is regularly asked to provide talent to other organizations. By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. Submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase within Vaco/Highspring will be otherwise assessed by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco/Highspring does not have knowledge of the tools used by its clients in making final hiring decisions and cannot opine on their use of AI products.