Controller

Professional Staffing; Edmonton; On-site; CAD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Spending Account

Health benefits

4 weeks vacation

Job summary

Professional Staffing is seeking an operationally engaged Controller to manage full-cycle accounting and payroll across two Alberta divisions. You will partner with divisional GMs, drive cross-functional collaboration, and lead standardization, budgeting, and consolidation efforts in a high-growth multi-entity environment.

The role requires CPA designation and 5+ years of hands-on accounting within construction/trades or manufacturing.

Qualifications

• CPA designation required.
• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience with end-to-end responsibility.
• Experience in construction, trades, homebuilding or manufacturing with strong WIP & job costing.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Advanced Excel and data skills; ERP proficiency.

Responsibilities

• Own full-cycle accounting and payroll for two divisions.
• Act as primary financial partner to divisional GMs; translate data to actionable insights.
• Standardize procedures and support multi-entity consolidation.
• Establish budgeting and forecasting processes across divisions.
• Maintain WIP and job costing; produce related schedules and analyses.
• Lead ERP evaluation and potential integration; mentor AP/AR staff.

Skills

Full-cycle accounting

Payroll execution

Communication skills

ERP systems

Advanced Excel

Education

CPA designation

Tools

Power BI

Construction ERP

Job description

About the Role

Our client is an established, high-growth group of affiliated Western Canadian construction, trade, and building entities operating exclusively in Alberta. Operating across a dynamic multi-entity structure, the group is expanding rapidly through a combination of organic new business launches and strategic acquisitions.

We are seeking an operationally engaged Controller to manage daily financial execution, lead divisional reviews, and establish accounting processes across acquired and newly built entities.

This is an active leadership role with direct operational responsibilities. You will maintain complete ownership of full-cycle accounting for assigned operating divisions, preparing working papers, managing general ledger entries, closing books directly, and actively executing payroll across two operating entities while providing supervision and mentorship to an AP/AR Administrator.

Reporting directly to the CFO, this role places a strong emphasis on cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management. You will serve as a key financial partner to operational leadership across distinct divisions, navigating diverse working styles, building trust, and driving a structured 3-stage financial presentation model: presenting operational margins and trends directly to General Managers, delivering refined packages to the CFO, and presenting formally to Ownership on a monthly basis.

This role offers significant long-term opportunity for career progression as the group expands its enterprise footprint and completes multi-entity integrations. We are looking for someone with a 'Start Up' mindset required to grow with the company.

What the Job Involves:

• Full-Cycle Accounting & Payroll Execution: Personally execute full-cycle accounting for two operating divisions, including preparing and posting manual journal entries, owning the general ledger, managing account reconciliations, filing statutory returns, and closing the books. Directly process full-cycle payroll (hourly field staff and salaried employees) for both divisions.


• Operational Business Partnership & Adaptive Leadership: Serve as the primary financial partner to divisional General Managers. Translate financial data into succinct, actionable operational insights, adapt communication seamlessly across distinct leadership styles, review project profitability, and flag cost overruns early.


• Best Practice Standardization & Enterprise Consolidation: Collaborate across the broader finance leadership team to establish and standardize core accounting procedures, reporting standards, and internal controls. Participate in building out full enterprise consolidation capabilities as new systems are integrated.


• Budgeting & Forecasting Optimization: Establish, formalize, and refine budget and forecasting procedures across operating divisions.


• WIP & Job Costing: Personally maintain accurate job cost records across active projects. Prepare and analyze monthly Work-In-Progress (WIP) schedules, percentage-of-completion revenue recognition, cost-to-complete estimates, and over/under billing.


• Systems Leadership & ERP Optimization: Evaluate existing systems, navigate current platforms, and lead an RFP process to select and integrate an upgraded ERP solution suited for multi-entity operations and full consolidation.


• Team Development & Leadership: Direct, mentor, and develop one direct report responsible for AP/AR, establishing performance standards and structured workflows, conducting regular one-on-ones, and supporting their skill progression toward professional designation goals.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Professional Designation: Canadian CPA designation required.


• Accounting Experience: 5+ years of progressive, hands‑on accounting experience with end-to-end full-cycle responsibility, specifically within construction, trades, homebuilding, or manufacturing environments (with strong WIP and Job Costing exposure).


• Operational & Execution Mindset: A true \"doer\" with strong professional maturity who thrives on being in the transactional weeds—comfortable personally preparing working papers, posting journal entries, and running payroll rather than solely managing or reviewing the work of others.


• Communication & Emotional Intelligence: Exceptionally clear, succinct, and direct communication skills. Proven capability to build trust and navigate direct, black‑and‑white operational conversations as well as collaborative leadership dynamics.


• ERP Command & Data Skills: Strong technical aptitude with ERP systems, proven ability to quickly assimilate new software platforms, and drive potential RFP/integration initiatives. Intermediate to advanced Excel skills required.


• Software Assets: Hands‑on exposure to mid-tier accounting software or specialized construction management ERP platforms is considered an asset. Knowledge of Power BI is considered a strong asset.


• Technical Accounting Core: Proven experience with WIP reporting, Job Costing, lease accounting intercompany transacting.


• Budget & Process Design: Track record of establishing budget/forecast frameworks, building structured financial models, and evaluating existing accounting workflows for continuous improvement.


• Talent Development: Proven ability to coach, mentor, and develop direct reports, with a commitment to building technical capability and maintaining high operational standards.

Work Structure & Location

• Work Schedule: Full-time, on‑site in Edmonton (Monday – Friday, 40 working hours/week). Daily 8.5-hour schedule (8 working hours + 30-minute unpaid lunch) with flexible start times between 7:00 AM and 8:30 AM.


• Location Structure: Full-time on‑site role located in Edmonton. Specific location details and short-term site consolidation plans will be shared with selected candidates.

Compensation & Total Rewards

• Base Salary: $110,000 to $140,000 per year (commensurate with experience)


• Health Spending Account (HSA): Generous $5,000 annual tax‑free HSA


• Health Benefits: Comprehensive Extended Health & Dental coverage package


• Vacation & Time Off: 4 weeks of paid vacation, plus paid office closure between Christmas and New Year's (Mandatory blackout period applies in January for year-end close)