Controller With HR Responsibilities

People First Solutions; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A recruitment agency is looking for a skilled Controller to oversee accounting functions, ensure compliance, and manage financial reporting in the Vancouver area. The ideal candidate will possess a CPA or equivalent, with over 5 years of experience. Responsibilities include managing financial processes, supporting decision-making with accurate reporting, and improving systems. The role requires strong interpersonal skills and the capability to thrive in both structured and entrepreneurial environments. Applications with a cover letter and résumé are encouraged.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of progressive full-cycle accounting and reporting experience.
• Experience in manufacturing, distribution, or service environments.
• Hands-on expertise in payroll, AP/AR, financial statements, budgeting, and forecasting.

Responsibilities

• Manage financial policies and full-cycle accounting.
• Ensure compliance with corporate, regulatory, and management requirements.
• Streamline financial processes and maintain internal controls.

Skills

Decision-making

Emotional intelligence

Interpersonal skills

Organizational skills

Time-management skills

Solutions-focused communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business

CPA preferred

Tools

Zoho One

Advanced Excel

Job description

For over 40 years, EM Bakery Equipment has been a trusted partner to artisan bakeries, large-scale producers, institutions, and supermarket chains across North America. As a family-directed company with deep industry roots, EM supplies and services premium baking equipment from leading global manufacturers. The team combines hands‑on expertise with exceptional customer support to help clients build efficient, modern production environments. EM Bakery Equipment is seeking a Controller to make a valuable contribution to the team.

The Role:

The Controller ensures that financial systems, reporting, and HR administration run smoothly, accurately, and on time. This role oversees full-cycle accounting, monthly reporting, budgeting, compliance, and internal controls, providing leadership with clear insights for confident decision‑making. The Controller maintains financial and people records, supports managers with structure and tools, and strengthens cross‑functional processes in finance, HR, and operations.

The Responsibilities:

• Manages financial policies and all full-cycle accounting systems and processes.
• Takes ownership of financial operations by actively managing key financial drivers, assessing current accounting systems and workflows.
• Maximizes efficiency and ensures compliance with corporate, regulatory, and management requirements.
• Streamlines financial processes and maintains strong internal controls with appropriate checks and balances at every stage.
• Ensures timely CRA compliance: payroll remittances, GST/HST, corporate tax filings, and T‑slips.
• Manages foreign currency transactions (e.g., purchasing Euros) with accurate accounting treatment and variance analysis.
• Implements short and long‑range policies and accounting procedures to meet the company’s goals and objective.
• Monitors key performance metrics, provide leadership and support to team, works closely with team providing accounting guidance when required.
• Respects and brings out the best in people, contributes to building a culture of accountability

The Requirements:

• Bachelor ’ s degree in Accounting, Finance, or Business; CPA preferred with 5+ years progressive full-cycle accounting and reporting experience.
• Strong decision-making, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal skills; effective with leadership, operations, and administrative teams.
• Experience in manufacturing, distribution, or service environments; understanding of inventory flow, pricing, and multi-period transactions; family‑business experience an asset.
• Hands‑on expertise in payroll, AP/AR, financial statements, budgeting, forecasting, and revenue recognition; proven accuracy in month‑end and year‑end close.
• Process‑driven mindset with ability to improve systems, SOPs, and workflows.
• High integrity, confidentiality, professionalism, and strong organizational and time‑management skills.
• Solutions‑focused communicator who works well with varied personalities.
• Thrives in structured and entrepreneurial settings; adaptable, proactive, and deadline‑driven.
• Proven expertise in compliance, tax rules, labour regulations, and reporting standards.
• Advanced Excel skills; experience with accounting/ERP systems (Zoho One an asset).

Our goal at People First Solutions is to hire top performers for our clients. To this end, our selection process is thorough, enabling us to collect very detailed information. We base our selection process on Topgrading®, a proven method that allows our clients’ to effectively match top performing candidates to key leadership roles. As well, we integrate TalentSorter®, a behavioural science based assessment tool to help companies hire for “fit.”

If you possess the fundamental skills, experience and education required to be successful in this role we invite you to provide a cover letter and résumé in PDF, in confidence to either Bob Murray or Adrienne Giffen.

We thank all applicants for their interest in this role.