Senior Financial Officer – 14 Month Contract

Jobtailor; Toronto; On-site; CAD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Well-structured finance team

Job summary

CIFAR invites applications for a senior financial role focused on reliable financial reporting and strong governance in the nonprofit sector.

The ideal candidate will bring five years of full-cycle accounting experience, CPA progress, and advanced Excel/Google Sheets skills to ensure accurate reporting, audits, and donor-funded program compliance.

Qualifications

• Degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or related field.
• Minimum five years of progressive full-cycle accounting experience.
• Strong knowledge of financial reporting, reconciliations, and accounting principles.
• Experience with QuickBooks and advanced Excel and/or Google Sheets.
• CPA designation or progress toward CPA is desirable.
• Experience in nonprofit, charitable, research, higher education, or publicly funded sector.
• Experience supporting audits, government reporting, and donor-funded programs.

Responsibilities

• Prepare monthly financial statements, reconciliations, and supporting analyses for timely reporting.
• Analyze financial results, including budget-to-actual variances, and support donor and management reporting.
• Contribute to quarterly and year-end financial reporting to inform organizational decisions.
• Lead researcher compensation and other key financial processes with accuracy and stakeholder service.
• Support the annual audit, charitable filings, government reporting, and other compliance requirements.
• Maintain integrity of financial data through reconciliations and ongoing monitoring of activity.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen financial systems, processes, and internal controls.
• Lead or support initiatives to improve efficiency, accuracy, and scalability within Finance.
• Collaborate with CIFAR and external partners to support priorities and reporting requirements.

Skills

Financial Analysis

Budget Variance

Account Reconciliations

Financial Reporting

Full-Cycle Accounting

Advanced Excel

Nonprofit Experience

Education

Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance/Business Administration or related field

CPA designation or progress toward CPA

Tools

QuickBooks

Excel

Google Sheets

Job description

• Prepare monthly financial statements, reconciliations, and supporting analyses to ensure accurate and timely reporting.
• Analyze financial results, including budget-to-actual variances, and support donor and management reporting.
• Contribute to quarterly and year-end financial reporting that informs organizational decision-making.
• Lead researcher compensation and other key financial processes, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and excellent stakeholder service.
• Support the annual audit, charitable filings, government reporting, and other compliance requirements.
• Maintain the integrity of financial data through reconciliations and ongoing monitoring of financial activity.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen financial systems, processes, and internal controls.
• Lead or support initiatives that improve efficiency, accuracy, and scalability within the Finance function.
• Collaborate with colleagues across CIFAR and external partners to support organizational priorities and reporting requirements.

Requirements

• A degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
• At least five years of progressive full-cycle accounting experience.
• Strong knowledge of financial reporting, account reconciliations, and accounting principles.
• Experience with accounting software such as QuickBooks and advanced Excel and/or Google Sheets skills.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills, with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Assets: CPA designation (or progress toward completion).
• Experience in the nonprofit, charitable, research, higher education, or publicly funded sector.
• Experience supporting audits, government reporting, and donor-funded programs.

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in financial reporting, account reconciliations, and compliance within the nonprofit and charitable sectors, while ensuring accuracy and timeliness in financial data management. Proficient in utilizing accounting software and advanced spreadsheet skills to enhance financial processes and stakeholder service.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Financial Reporting
• Account Reconciliations
• Advanced Excel Skills
• CPA Designation
• Nonprofit Sector Experience

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Financial Analysis
• Budget-to-Actual Variance Analysis
• Accounting Principles
• Full-Cycle Accounting
• Financial Data Integrity

Soft Skills

• Analytical Skills
• Organizational Skills
• Communication Skills
• Attention to Detail

Certifications & Qualifications

• CPA Designation

Industry Keywords

• Nonprofit Sector
• Charitable Filings
• Government Reporting
• Donor-Funded Programs
• Audit Support

Tools & Technologies

• QuickBooks
• Google Sheets