Senior Director, Finance

Light Magazine; Calgary; On-site; CAD 125,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

The Mustard Seed is seeking a seasoned Senior Director, Finance to serve as the CFO’s operational lead. You will oversee accounting, financial reporting, grants management, budgeting and forecasting, treasury, audits, and internal controls while guiding finance systems modernization and process improvement.

CPA designation and senior leadership in large orgs are required. You will partner with the executive team to translate complex financial data into actionable insights that support mission

Qualifications

• The candidate must hold a CPA designation and a relevant accounting/finance degree.
• Significant experience leading finance functions in large or complex organizations.
• Demonstrated audit leadership and strong governance capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead accounting, financial reporting, grants, budgeting and forecasting.
• Oversee treasury, audit, internal controls, and risk management.
• Drive finance systems improvements and process transformation.
• Partner with executive leadership to provide decision-focused financial insights.
• Manage external audits and funder reporting for compliance.

Skills

CPA designation

Financial leadership

Financial reporting

Grant accounting

Budgets & forecasting

Audit coordination

ERP systems knowledge

Governance & risk

Data analytics

Strategic advisory

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting/finance or related field

CPA designation in good standing

Professional development in GAAP/IFRS, governance, risk management

Tools

Certinia/FinancialForce ERP

Tableau

ERP systems implementation

Job description

Senior Director, Finance – The Mustard Seed
This executive search is conducted by Nelson/Kraft & Associates on behalf of The Mustard Seed

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Mustard Seed is searching for a seasoned and collaborative financial leader with initiative and drive to join their team as Senior Director, Finance.
The Senior Director, Finance is the CFO’s principal operational finance leader and trusted second-in-command. The role provides enterprise leadership across accounting, financial reporting, grants, budgeting and forecasting, treasury, audit, internal controls, finance systems, and process improvement. The successful candidate combines deep Controller-level technical expertise with strong people leadership, sound judgment, and the ability to translate financial complexity into practical decisions that support The Mustard Seed’s mission and long-term sustainability.
If you are an experienced CPA and team leader who comes from a mid to large sized organization with similarly complex moving parts, we would love to hear from you!

WHO WE ARE
The Mustard Seed is a Christian humanitarian organization whose vision is to build community, grow hope, and support change. Intentionally following Jesus Christ and partnering with the community, The Mustard Seed combats the root causes of poverty in Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan and works to create positive, lasting change in the lives of those we serve. The Mustard Seed provides basic services (food, clothing, housing, and support services), education, and employment to those living in poverty in the locations we serve.

OUR HISTORY
Pat Nixon founded The Mustard Seed in 1984 with a single street ministry location in central Calgary. Today, the organization operates in multiple cities – Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Medicine Hat, and Grande Prairie in Alberta, Kamloops in British Columbia, and Saskatoon in Saskatchewan. All locations offer a different range of programs and services to serve our most vulnerable community members.

Programs & Services Include:

• Basic Needs – emergency shelter, meals, clothing and hygiene items
• Health and Wellness
• Housing
• Employment
• Spiritual Care
• Community Engagement
• Community Impact Centres

IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE
The ideal candidate is a senior CPA finance leader with deep Controller-level technical expertise and a successful record of leading finance functions in a complex, larger organization. They have personally led significant year-end audits, overseen accounting and financial reporting, managed grant-funded operations, strengthened internal controls, improved budgeting and forecasting, and led finance systems and process transformation. They are equally comfortable resolving a technical accounting issue, guiding a manager, challenging a budget assumption, working with auditors and funders, and advising the CFO and Executive Team. The successful candidate will provide dependable operational leadership while helping modernize Finance and strengthen The Mustard Seed’s financial sustainability, stewardship, and organizational capacity.

QUALIFICATIONS
Education & Professional Designations, Required

• Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation in good standing.
• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, commerce, business administration, or a related discipline.
• Ongoing professional development in accounting standards, financial reporting, governance, internal controls, audit, risk management, and finance leadership.

Preferred Assets

• CRMA, CFE, CIA, or another relevant risk, controls, audit, fraud, or governance designation.
• Advanced training or certification in ERP systems, data analytics, business intelligence, financial systems implementation, finance transformation, or project management.

Experience Requirements

• Approximately 12 to 15+ years of progressive finance and accounting experience, including significant senior leadership responsibility.
• A minimum of 5 to 7 years of leading managers and professional finance teams in a large or larger mid-sized, complex organization.
• Significant experience serving in a Controller, Corporate Controller, or equivalent senior controllership role, with accountability for the integrity of financial reporting, accounting operations, internal controls, and close processes.
• Extensive experience leading the annual external audit from planning through completion, including audit schedules, working papers, issue resolution, management responses, and relationships with external auditors and governance committees.
• Demonstrated leadership across financial reporting, general accounting, grants accounting, budgeting and forecasting, treasury, internal controls, risk management, and audit coordination.
• Substantial experience with grant-funded operations, including grant budgeting, restricted funding, contribution agreements, eligible expenditures, cost allocations, claims, financial reporting, compliance, funder audits, and closeout.
• Experience leading finance systems and process improvement, including ERP optimization or implementation, systems integration, reporting automation, data quality, business intelligence, and finance workflow redesign.
• Experience building, restructuring, developing, or stabilizing a finance function while maintaining reliable day-to-day delivery.
• Experience advising executives and presenting clear, decision-focused financial information to senior leadership and governance bodies.

Strongly Preferred

• Experience in a large charity, not-for-profit, healthcare, public sector, social services, affordable housing, or similarly complex mission-driven environment.
• Experience managing a large portfolio of municipal, provincial, federal, or other government funding agreements.
• Deep practical experience with fund accounting, restricted contributions, contribution revenue recognition, capital projects, and government-funded initiatives.
• Experience with Salesforce-based ERP environments such as Certinia/FinancialForce, budgeting and forecasting tools, Tableau or similar BI platforms, and broader data governance initiatives.

Location: Calgary, AB
Application Deadline: November 27, 2026
Start Date: TBD
Salary Range: $125,000-$135,000

ABOUT US
Nelson/Kraft & Associates Inc. is an executive consulting firm that specializes in working with not-for-profits and for-profit businesses across Canada, assisting them in the placement of senior executives and directors.
Nelson/Kraft & Associates Inc. welcomes and encourages all interested applicants to apply for this position. Nelson/Kraft & Associates Inc. is committed to the principles of diversity and inclusion in its hiring practices, and will only make distinctions among interested applicants in accordance with the applicable Human Rights legislation.
Nelson/Kraft & Associates Inc. also welcomes and encourages applications from candidates with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in the selection process. If you require disability-related accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact us.