Finance - Senior Accountant

Science North; Greater Sudbury; On-site; CAD 54,000 - 89,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension plan after one year

Onsite gym

Flexible work arrangements

Comprehensive benefits package

Science North annual family membership

Job summary

Science North is seeking a Senior Accountant to join our accounting team in Sudbury. You will lead core accounting operations, financial reporting, and payroll oversight while supporting budget development and internal controls. The role offers growth within a mission-driven organization and a generous benefits package.

You will report to the Financial Controller, guiding staff, ensuring accurate financial data, and contributing to process improvements across systems and reporting functions.

Qualifications

• CPA designation complete or near completion, or equivalent experience.
• Strong leadership, reliability, and professionalism.
• Advanced knowledge of accounting principles and fund accounting.

Responsibilities

• Oversee month-end close, ensure timely reconciliations and journal entries.
• Maintain General Ledger integrity and accurate coding.
• Prepare internal financial statements and cashflow reports.
• Perform variance analysis and provide insights to management.
• Support budgeting and monitor performance against budgets.
• Prepare financial reports for government and funders.
• Oversee accounts payable/receivable and balance sheet reconciliations.
• Support year-end audit and liaise with auditors.
• Lead and mentor accounting staff and ensure timeliness of deliverables.

Skills

Budgeting

Financial reporting

Payroll oversight

Internal controls

Variance analysis

Leadership

Process improvement

Cross-functional

Education

CPA designation (complete or near completion)

Tools

Excel

ERP systems

Payroll systems

Job description

Senior Accountant

$53,700 - $89,400 per year, full-time permanent, generous benefits package

Do you thrive in a fast-paced and challenging environment, enjoy working with people, and are passionate about sharing your knowledge? Science North is where all of these things come together.

We are currently recruiting for a Senior Accountant to join our team of accounting professionals supporting a wide variety of business and financial needs across the organization. This role offers the opportunity to grow as a financial leader within a dynamic and mission-driven organization, contributing meaningfully to operational excellence and organizational success.

Position Overview

As the successful candidate you will operate as a key financial resource to the Centre, responsible for the accurate and timely execution of core accounting operations and financial reporting functions. Reporting to the Financial Controller, you will provide leadership within the accounting team and ensure the integrity of the organization’s financial systems and internal controls.

You will provide advice and guidance to managers across the organization on financial matters including budgeting, internal controls, systems integration, compliance requirements, and funder accountability. You will also play a critical role in payroll oversight, financial analysis, government reporting, internal financial statements, and continuous improvement of financial processes.

Accounting Operations & Financial Reporting

• Support the month-end close process while ensuring timely and accurate completion of all reconciliations and journal entries
• Maintain the integrity of the general ledger, ensuring accurate coding and financial data
• Prepare internal financial statements and supporting schedules including monthly cashflow reporting and schedules
• Perform variance analysis and provide meaningful financial insights to management
• Support budget development and monitor performance against approved budgets
• Prepare and review financial reports for government and other funders
• Provide oversight of key accounting functions, including accounts payable, accounts receivable, balance sheet reconciliations, and related processes

Payroll & Compliance

• Oversee complex payroll processing and ensure compliance with all legislative requirements
• Ensure accurate reporting of statutory remittances and related filings

Audit & Internal Controls

• Support annual year-end audit and act as a liaison for auditors on operational accounting matters
• Maintain and monitor internal controls, identifying and addressing areas of risk
• Contribute to the development and maintenance of accounting policies and procedures
• Identify opportunities and monitor adherence as it relates to policy compliance

Leadership & Team Development

• Provide day-to-day supervision, guidance, and mentorship to accounting professionals and support teams
• Review and approve staff work to ensure accuracy and timeliness
• Assign workloads, establish priorities, and support professional development within the team
• Foster a collaborative and service-oriented team environment both within the team and cross-functionally

Systems & Process Improvement

• Lead or participate in financial systems development and integration initiatives
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, strengthen controls, and enhance reporting capabilities
• Lead cross-functional project teams, building organizational support for financial initiatives

What you bring:

As the successful candidate you will bring with you significant experience in complex financial reporting, grant funding, fund accounting, commodity tax matters, payroll processing and legislative requirements all with a passion and vision to optimize business processes and systems.

• A recognized professional accounting designation (CPA) complete or near completion (or equivalent experience)
• Strong leadership, reliability, and professionalism
• Sound knowledge of advanced accounting principles, complex payroll, and fund accounting.
• Strong commitment to accuracy and accountability
• Demonstrated superior analytical and problem-solving ability
• Demonstrated use of sound judgement and strict confidentiality
• Ability to work independently while leading and supporting others
• Experience supervising staff, including training, coaching and oversight of deliverables
• Extensive experience with computerized accounting systems and complex spreadsheet & database applications
• Experience leading project development and implementation teams and eliciting organizational support for cross-functional initiatives
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment

Compensation Highlights:

• Full-time permanent opportunity
• Competitive salary starting at $53,700 to $89,400 per year
• Annual performance and merit increase consideration
• Participation in the Science North Employee Incentive Plan
• Flexible work arrangements
• Comprehensive group benefit package including medical, dental, vision, paramedical, life/travel insurance, short and long-term disability coverage, 24/7 telemedicine access, wellness spending account/ onsite physio/chiro services
• Pension plan following one year
• Science North annual family membership
• Onsite gym
• Free or discounted admission to other attractions outside Sudbury, Science North facilities and program discounts, fitness membership contribution, on-site parking
• Professional development opportunities
• Minimum 4 weeks vacation with incremental entitlements of one week after 5 and 10 yrs of service
• Free onsite parking

Science North is committed to an inclusive workplace and invites applications from all qualified individuals to join our diverse team. Accommodations are available upon request in all aspects of Science North’s selection process.

We thank all interested candidates; only those selected for interviews will be contacted.

Science North is grateful to work with First Nations across Northern Ontario and we give thanks to the Indigenous Peoples who have cared for this land since time immemorial. We pay respect to their traditions, ways of knowing, and acknowledge their many contributions to innovations in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, past and present. We also recognize the Métis Nation of Ontario for their historic and ongoing contributions. Science North commits to deepening engagement, relationships and partnerships in order to advance truth and reconciliation, honour and reflect Indigenous ways of knowing, grow economic opportunities, and collaborate with Indigenous peoples as partners in order to inspire all people to be engaged with science in the world around them.

Science North is a registered charity and is an agency of the Government of Ontario