Senior Advisor, Major Program Finance and Governance

Via Rail Canada; Montreal; On-site; CAD 106,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

VIA Rail Canada is seeking a Senior Advisor, Major Program Finance and Governance in Montreal to lead financial oversight for large-scale projects, including fleet modernization and capital governance. The role requires CPA or equivalent experience with 8–10 years in financial analysis, strong Excel skills, and fluency in English and French.

Oracle knowledge is a plus. The position reports to the Senior Manager, Capital Governance and is permanent full-time, based in Montreal, with competitive

Qualifications

• CPA or equivalent accounting certification or experience.
• 8–10 years of experience in a financial analyst role.
• Advanced Excel and MS Office proficiency.
• Proficiency in English and French (oral and written).

Responsibilities

• Provide financial leadership and oversight for major programs, including budgeting, forecasting and financial impact analysis.
• Serve as subject matter expert for complex financial analyses related to program assets and capitalization.
• Ensure governance and accounting standards compliance across projects by advising managers and stakeholders.
• Develop cross-functional financial processes for cost capture, asset commissioning, and cost recovery mechanisms.
• Review business cases, monitor budgets and benefits realization, and support executive governance committees.
• Analyze monthly variances and provide strategic financial insights for decision making.

Skills

Excel

Bilingual English/French

Teamwork

Problem-solving

Flexibility

Education

CPA or relevant experience

Tools

Oracle Financial System

Job description

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Senior Advisor, Major Program Finance and Governance

Location: MONTREAL, Quebec, CA, H3B 2C9

Reference Number :1402

Status :Permanent - Full-time

Annual Salary / Hourly Rate : $106,085 - $124,800

Number of positions to be filled :1

Application Deadline :09/27/2026

Did you know that VIA Rail is carrying out ambitious projects to modernize its services and infrastructure? From our new ultramodern train fleet to ongoing improvement of our infrastructure, we’re building the future of transportation in Canada. Working for VIA Rail is being a part of a collective effort in sustainable mobility.

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Capital Governance, the advisor is responsible for financial monitoring, control, and reporting of Major Programs such as the Fleet Replacement for the Long Distance and Regional and Remote Services (LDRR).

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide financial leadership for the LDRR Program, including capital expenditure oversight, assessment of financial and operational impacts, and integration of these impacts into corporate budgets and forecasts;
• Act as the subject matter expert for complex financial and accounting analyses related to program assets, including capitalization, depreciation, contract accounting, payment milestone treatment, and capitalization of spare parts;
• Ensure compliance with accounting standards, governance requirements, and financial best practices by serving as a trusted advisor to Project Managers, Corporate Finance, Engineering, and other program stakeholders;
• Develop and enhance cross-functional financial processes related to cost capture, asset commissioning, cost allocation, and supplier cost recovery mechanisms where applicable;
• Review and validate program Business Cases, ensure adherence to approved budgets, assess financial impacts, and contribute to the monitoring of expected program benefits;
• Monitor and analyze monthly variances against budgets and forecasts, produce strategic financial analyses, and support decision-making processes for various governance and executive leadership committees.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• Recognized accounting title (CPA) or relevant experience;
• Minimum of 8-10 years of experience in a financial analyst position. Experience in project financial tracking is an asset;
• Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Excel and the Microsoft Office suite;
• Proficiency in English and French (oral and written);
• Knowledge of the Oracle financial system is an asset;
• Accountability: Adopt a proactive attitude, take charge of unforeseen situations, provide solutions to various problems, and implement controls in a preventive and autonomous manner;
• Teamwork: Promote teamwork and the achievement of team objectives, act as a guide to others regarding financial or accounting practices and processes. Collaborate with members of various teams. Consider different perspectives, contributions, and individual skills;
• Flexibility: Be effective by quickly adapting to changes in priorities, tasks, work organization, and various initiatives or projects. Understand and clearly express the need for change with the goal of better operational efficiency;
• Problem-solving and decision-making: Make thoughtful decisions after conducting thorough analyses, leveraging experience, knowledge, and judgment.

At VIA Rail, we are proud to be an employment-equity employer and we strive to form teams that reflect the diversity of Canadian society. We aim to remove barriers to employment accessibility and aspire to provide an inclusive and equitable work environment where everyone is valued, regardless of their identity or differences, to enable them to reach their full potential.

If you need assistance in making the recruitment process or the position you are applying for more accessible, please let us know. Alternate arrangements may be offered to individuals who request them at any stage of the recruitment process. All information received in relation to arrangements will be kept confidential.

Note that we will only contact those who are selected for an interview.

Join our 3,000 other employees in helping provide Canadians with a safe, accessible, environmentally sustainable way to travel!