Senior Financial Accountant

CANARIE Inc.; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 105,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

CANARIE Inc. in Ottawa is seeking a Senior Financial Accountant to support the finance function with accounting, reporting, audit support, and process improvement.

The role requires strong accounting knowledge, sound judgment, and practical problem-solving to ensure accurate financial reporting and effective decision-making across the finance team. It reports to the Director, Finance Operations and offers a permanent, full-time position.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of relevant accounting experience.
• Strong knowledge of Canadian GAAP and attribution.
• Experience with process automation is desirable.
• Not-for-profit tax requirements knowledge is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Prepare financial statements, working papers, reconciliations, and supporting schedules.
• Lead month-end, quarter-end, and year-end closing activities.
• Analyze complex accounting transactions and ensure compliance with standards and funding agreements.
• Lead and coordinate external audit activities.
• Collaborate with FP&A on budgeting, forecasting, and reporting.
• Maintain and improve accounting processes, procedures, and internal controls.
• Implement finance policies, internal controls, and compliance frameworks.
• Support automation, AI, and other tools to improve finance workflows.
• Document procedures and share knowledge with colleagues for consistency.
• Provide backup support across key finance activities as required.
• Travel may occasionally be required.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Skills

Canadian GAAP

Financial analysis

Process improvement

Communication

ERP systems

Excel

PowerPoint

Education

Accounting/Finance degree

Job description

The Senior Financial Accountant is accountable for supporting CANARIE’s finance function through accounting, reporting, audit support, compliance, and process improvement.

The Senior Financial Accountant brings strong accounting knowledge, sound judgment, and practical problem-solving skills to support accurate financial reporting, effective decision-making, and continuous improvement across the finance function.

This is a new full-time, permanent position that reports to CANARIE’s Director, Finance Operations.

The salary range for this role is between $105,000 to $135,000.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare financial statements, working papers, reconciliations, and supporting schedules.
• Lead and participate in month-end, quarter-end, and year-end accounting closing activities.
• Analyze complex accounting transactions and ensure they are in accordance with applicable standards and funding agreements.
• Lead and coordinate external audit activities.
• Collaborate with Financial Planning & Analysis on budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting
• Maintain and improve accounting processes, procedures, and internal controls.
• Implement finance policies, internal controls, and compliance frameworks
• Support the use of automation, AI, and other tools to improve finance workflows.
• Document procedures and share knowledge with colleagues to support consistency and continuity.
• Provide backup support across key finance activities, as required.
• Travel may occasionally be required.
• Perform other related duties, as required.

The Ideal Candidate

To excel at CANARIE, you have a demonstrated capacity to work collaboratively on teams and are also an energetic self-starter with self-motivation to work independently. You have excellent oral and written communication skills, and can count time management, problem solving, and managing multiple priorities as your strengths. You also share a dedication to CANARIE’s core values: service, trust, resilience, inclusion, discovery, and excellence.

Education and Experience

• College diploma or university degree in Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, or a suitable combination of education, experience, or other relevant training.
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience.
• Experience with process automation, is desirable.

Skills

• Strong knowledge of Canadian GAAP and the ability to apply accounting standards
• Working knowledge of Canadian tax requirements relevant to not-for-profit organizations, including commodity taxes and taxable benefits.
• Strong ability to analyze complex financial information and recommend practical actions.
• Strong process improvement skills, including the ability to identify efficiencies and improve consistency in finance workflows.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with colleagues across departments.
• Sound judgment, discretion, and problem-solving skills when handling sensitive financial information.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.
• High proficiency using ERP systems.

Come Work with Us

We are committed to employment equity and encourage anyone who can contribute to the diversification of ideas and perspectives to apply. For applicants with disabilities, accommodation is available upon request throughout the recruitment and assessment process.

We thank all applicants; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.