Senior Director Finance

Certified Group; Kitchener; On-site; CAD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in regulatory testing services seeks a Business Unit Finance Director to provide strategic financial leadership. The successful candidate will ensure profitability, cash flow sustainability, and achieve aggressive growth objectives. Requirements include a CPA, extensive finance leadership experience, and strong analytical skills.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive finance leadership, including P&L ownership.
• Proven track record in a multi-site, service-oriented or laboratory environment.
• Experience partnering with commercial and operations teams.

Responsibilities

• Direct all aspects of financial management—planning, analysis, controllership, and reporting.
• Advise on financial implications of new products, market expansions, and capital projects.
• Lead annual budgeting and quarterly forecasting processes.

Skills

Financial Acumen

Leadership & Communication

Analytical Mindset

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field

CPA required

MBA or equivalent advanced degree

Tools

SAP

Oracle

Power BI

Tableau

Job description

About Labstat

Labstat provides accredited regulatory testing and research services for nicotine, tobacco, cannabis, and hemp/CBD products. As a division of Certified Group, Labstat’s global footprint includes state-of-the-art laboratories in Kitchener, Ontario, plus satellite labs in key US and EU markets.

Position Summary

The Business Unit Finance Director is a strategic finance leader and trusted advisor to the Labstat executive team. You’ll direct all aspects of financial management—planning, analysis, controllership, and reporting—ensuring Labstat hits its profitability targets, sustains healthy cash flow, and delivers on aggressive growth and margin objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Financial Leadership

• Partner with Leadership: Advise the Business Unit President and senior operations leaders on financial implications of new products, market expansions, and capital projects.
• Financial Planning & Analysis: Lead annual budgeting, quarterly forecasting, and rolling-forecast cycles; translate strategic goals into clear financial KPIs (e.g., 15% EBITDA growth, 25% Opex reduction).
• Performance Reporting: Prepare monthly P&L, balance-sheet, and cash-flow dashboards; present variance analyses and strategic recommendations to Certified Group’s CFO and Board.

2. Operational & Commercial Finance

• Pricing & Profitability: Collaborate with Sales to model cost-plus pricing, optimize test-service margins (targeting 20%+ incremental contribution), and monitor customer-segment profitability.
• KPI Tracking: Define and track laboratory throughput, utilization rates, backlog days, and cost-per-test metrics; work with Lab Managers to continuously drive productivity improvements.
• Investment Analysis: Develop business cases for new-capacity investments, equipment upgrades (capex up to $5 million), and M&A opportunities; quantify ROI and payback timelines.

3. Controllership & Compliance

• Reporting Integrity: Oversee month-end close for Canadian entities; ensure timely consolidation with US/EU units under US GAAP.
• Internal Controls: Maintain SOX-ready processes, lead quarterly control reviews, and implement continuous-improvement initiatives to strengthen compliance.
• Treasury & Transactions: Supervise billing, collections (DSO target ≤45 days), payables, payroll, and treasury operations; liaise with tax and audit partners.

4. Leadership & Team Development

• Team Management: Build and mentor a high-performing finance team (5–7 direct reports), fostering skills in FP&A, accounting, and commercial partnering.
• Culture & Collaboration: Champion a culture of data-driven decision making, cross-functional teamwork, and ongoing process optimization.

Qualifications:

Education & Credentials

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field; CPA required. MBA or equivalent advanced degree strongly preferred.

Experience

• 10+ years of progressive finance leadership, including P&L ownership in Canada.
• Proven track record in a multi-site, service-oriented or laboratory environment.
• Experience partnering with commercial and operations teams to drive pricing and productivity gains.

Skills & Competencies

• Financial Acumen: Expert in financial modeling, budgeting/forecasting, and KPI-driven performance management.
• Systems Proficiency: Advanced Excel; strong ERP (e.g., SAP, Oracle) and BI tool (Power BI, Tableau) experience.
• Leadership & Communication: Exceptional presenter; able to influence C-suite and Board; track record developing talent.
• Analytical Mindset: Comfort turning complex data into actionable insights; proactive problem solver.

Travel & Flexibility

• Up to 25% travel to US/EU labs; occasional extended stays for major capital projects or integration initiatives.