Controller

Vaco by Highspring; Woodstock; On-site; CAD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Medical benefits

Retirement plan

Job summary

Vaco by Highspring in Canada is seeking a Controller to lead site finance and accounting, ensuring accurate reporting, robust internal controls, and timely decision support for Operations.

You will own month-end close, forecasting, and budgeting while driving cost, working capital, and profitability improvements in collaboration with local leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance; CPA preferred.
• 5+ years of progressive finance experience in manufacturing.
• Strong cost accounting, variance analysis, and internal controls; ERP experience required.

Responsibilities

• Lead site finance and accounting activities, including month-end close and reporting.
• Provide forecasting, budgeting, and long-range planning support.
• Drive cost and working capital improvements and productivity initiatives.
• Ensure robust internal controls and audit readiness.
• Partner with operations leadership to improve profitability and efficiency.

Skills

Financial analysis

Excel proficiency

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Internal controls

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting/Finance

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

The Controller leads all site finance and accounting activities, ensuring accurate financial reporting, strong internal controls, and timely decision support to Operations. This role owns the month-end close and forecasting process, drives cost/working-capital performance, and partners with local leadership to improve profitability, operational efficiency, and compliance with corporate policies and accounting standards.

Key Accountabilities

• Finance Leadership & Business Partnering: Serve as the primary finance partner to local operational leadership; translate site performance into financial results and actionable insights. Prepare regular operational metrics, month-end close, forecast updates, and annual plans. Analyze key drivers (labor, yield, efficiency, overtime, materials, freight, overhead absorption) and recommend corrective actions.
• Financial Reporting, Close, and Controls: Own month-end and year-end close processes, including journal entries, reconciliations, accruals, inventory valuation, and reporting packages. Maintain strong documentation, internal controls, and audit readiness while ensuring compliance with corporate accounting policies.
• Costing, Inventory, and Operational Finance: Oversee standard costing governance, including BOM/routing integrity, labor/overhead rates, periodic cost rolls, and product profitability models. Lead variance analysis and partner cross-functionally to improve working capital performance across inventory, receivables, and payables.
• Budgeting, Forecasting, and Long-Range Planning: Lead annual business plans, periodic forecasts, and long-range strategic financial outlooks. Build and maintain models for volume/mix sensitivity, margin bridges, and productivity initiatives.
• Treasury, Cash, and Capital: Manage site-level cash planning and working capital. Partner on capital expenditure planning, including business cases, ROI analysis, approval packages, fixed asset tracking, and post-implementation reviews.
• People Leadership & Compliance: Lead, coach, and develop the local finance team. Support site quality and safety compliance requirements relevant to the role, and perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field. Professional accounting designation (CPA or equivalent) preferred.
• Experience: 5+ years of progressive finance and accounting experience within a fast-paced industrial or manufacturing environment. Proven ownership of month-end close, cost accounting, and operational performance reporting.
• Technical: Strong understanding of standard costing, inventory valuation, variance analysis, and internal controls. Advanced Excel skills required. Prior experience with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems required.
• Leadership: Demonstrated ability to manage a team, influence cross-functional peers, and drive continuous improvement in a production environment.

Core Competencies

• Operational Mindset & Cost Driver Analysis
• Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving
• Effective Multi-Level Communication
• Leadership & Talent Development
• Integrity & Accountability

When referencing this job, please use Reference # 302136

This position for employment is for a current vacancy with Highspring’s client. You must currently reside within the Greater Toronto Area and be permitted to work in Canada to be considered for this opportunity.

Vaco by Highspring values a diverse workplace and strongly encourages women, people of colour, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply.

Pay Transparency Notice

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to:

• the individual’s skill sets, experience and training;
• licensure and certification requirements;
• office location and other geographic considerations;
• other business and organizational needs.

Having said that Vaco by Highspring believes that the salary range referenced reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or participation in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company’s retirement plan (or similar retirement benefits).