Director, Shared Services

Universal Group; City of Langley; On-site; CAD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Extended healthcare

Employee Assistance Program

Annual bonus

RRSP matching

Paid vacation

Career advancement

Job summary

The Universal Group is seeking a Director, Shared Services to provide strategic leadership across Payroll, Billing, AR, and AP for a large, multi-region workforce in Canada and the U.S. This role partners with Finance, HR and Operations to build scalable processes and strong internal controls.

You will lead complex payroll requirements under multiple collective bargaining agreements, drive process optimization, integration of acquisitions, and development of high-performing teams while ensuring

Qualifications

• Business, Accounting or Finance degree or equivalent.
• CPA strongly preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in controllership, accounting, or finance leadership.
• Strong knowledge of Canadian accounting standards (ASPE) and financial reporting.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the Shared Services functions: Payroll, Billing, Accounts Receivable, and Accounts Payable; deliver accurate, efficient services.
• Lead payroll for a large field-based workforce and multiple collective agreements.
• Design scalable payroll and billing solutions across divisions; resolve complex challenges while ensuring compliance.
• Integrate newly acquired entities into the Shared Services model with standardized processes and controls.
• Drive continuous improvement, system implementations, and data governance for better efficiency and internal controls.
• Lead and develop high-performing teams through coaching, succession planning, and performance management.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Communication

Education

CPA (Certified Public Accountant)

Job description

Are you a strategic financial leader with experience overseeing complex, multi-region shared services functions? Do you have strong expertise in payroll, billing, accounts receivable, and accounts payable, with the ability to drive operational efficiency, compliance, and strong internal controls? If you thrive in a fast-paced, growing organization and enjoy partnering across Finance, HR, and Operations to build scalable processes and high-performing teams, we want to hear from you!

The Universal Group, recognized as one of Canada's Best Managed companies in 2026, has an exciting opportunity in our Finance team. The Director, Shared Services provides strategic leadership and oversight of the organization’s Shared Services functions, including Payroll, Billing, Accounts Receivable, and Accounts Payable, supporting a large, multi-region, field-based workforce across Canada and the United States. This role is responsible for driving scalable, efficient, and compliant financial operations while strengthening internal controls and service delivery across the organization. The Director serves as a key partner to Finance, HR, and Operations, leading complex payroll and collective bargaining agreement requirements, supporting the integration of newly acquired entities, and partnering with Treasury to optimize cash flow. The role also provides financial and operational guidance on complex accounting matters and leads, develops, and builds high-performing teams through coaching, succession planning, and performance management.

What you will be responsible for:

Strong Transactional Finance Support:

• Provide strategic leadership for the Shared Services functions, including Payroll, Billing, Accounts Receivable, and Accounts Payable, delivering accurate, efficient, and cost-effective services while fostering employee engagement, high performance, and strong staff retention.
• Lead the payroll function for a large, field-based workforce, ensuring accurate, compliant, and timely payroll while overseeing the interpretation and application of complex operational requirements and multiple collective bargaining agreements.
• Serve as the key liaison between Operations, HR, Finance, and other stakeholders to design scalable payroll and billing solutions, resolve complex business challenges, and align processes across multiple divisions while balancing employee experience, operational effectiveness, compliance, and financial objectives.
• Lead the integration of newly acquired entities into the Shared Services model by assessing business processes, standardizing operations, implementing appropriate controls, and ensuring a seamless transition that supports operational excellence.
• Drive enterprise-wide process optimization, continuous improvement initiatives, and system implementations that enhance efficiency, scalability, service delivery, and internal controls.
• Lead the evolution and adoption of Shared Services best practices across all regions (Canada & US) while promoting standardized processes and data governance.
• Provide strategic accounting support by advising on complex accounting matters, financial impacts, reconciliations, technical accounting issues, and process improvements to ensure accurate financial reporting and strong internal controls.
• Overseeing compliant accounts payable processes, including appropriate approval workflows and three-way matching where applicable and ensuring compliance with the organization’s authority levels and corporate financial policies.
• Partner with Treasury to optimize cash flow through oversight of accounts payable disbursements, accounts receivable collections, and working capital management.

Financial reporting and Business support:

• Support the Vice President, Finance in delivering accurate and timely monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reporting while providing oversight and guidance on accounting operations.
• Support the annual audit, tax management and support regional controllers with their overall accounting needs and ad hoc tasks
• Continuously assessing and strengthening internal controls, risk mitigation practices, and compliance processes.
• Support acquisitions, business integrations, and organizational growth initiatives by implementing standardized financial processes, governance, and controls across newly acquired entities.
• Lead or participate in strategic corporate projects and other initiatives as assigned.

People Leadership:

• Build, develop, mentor, and inspire high-performing teams through coaching, succession planning, and continuous professional development.
• Foster a culture focused on accountability, quality, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.
• Create an environment that promotes employee engagement, collaboration, intellectual curiosity, and learning, contributing to strong talent retention.
• Lead performance management activities, including employee evaluations, development planning, and compensation recommendations.
• Promote a collaborative, cross-functional environment that strengthens communication across business units, enabling smoother organizational transitions, effective problem-solving, and successful execution of strategic initiatives.

What you get from us:

• Extended healthcare benefits available after probation.
• Access to Employee Assistance Program.
• Universal Group Annual Bonus Program.
• An RRSP matching plan.
• Paid vacation.
• Competitive compensation package.
• Advancement Opportunities.

What we need from you:

• Business, Accounting or Finance degree or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• CPA (Certified Public Accountant) strongly preferred.
• 7 years or more of progressive experience in controllership, accounting, or finance leadership, including several years in a leadership role.
• Strong knowledge of Canadian accounting standards (ASPE), financial reporting, auditing and accounting experience.
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across croo-functional teams.
• Project management experience is an asset.
• Ability to manage projects with cross-functional stakeholders outside of their own reporting line and in multiple global locations.
• People management and financial operation management strongly preferred.
• Analytical and problem solving skills.
• Experience in process improvement and transformation.
• Mergers and acquisitions integration experience is an asset.

Why The Universal Group?

The Universal Group is driven by our purpose to provide Peace of Mind to both our clients and team members. Our people embrace our core values of being ‘Passionate, Authentic, and Driven’ in everything we do and in every decision we make every day. They are the fabric of who we are and, without question, the reason for our success and continued growth.

The safety of our team members and the public is what drives us every day.

The Universal Group is an industry leader in traffic control services, traffic management planning, traffic equipment supply, landscaping, temporary labour and occupational health and safety training. We are a one-stop shop, as our full suite of services ensures that we can manage projects from conception to completion.

For more information about the company, please visit our Indeed Profile!

Our Commitment to Diversity

The Universal Group is an equal-opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic.