Strategic Finance Associate

Passage; Toronto; On-site; CAD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A dynamic financial services startup based in Toronto is seeking an exceptional early-career finance professional with a CPA designation and 3-5 years of relevant experience. This role offers the chance to lead strategic financial initiatives and manage loan accounting and analytics within a high-impact environment. Candidates must be willing to commit to a five-day-a-week in-office schedule.

Benefits

Flexible career growth opportunities

Impactful role in a mission-driven organization

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience, ideally in lending, credit, or structured finance environments.
• CPA designation is required.
• Strong understanding of IFRS 15 and IFRS 9 or equivalent experience.
• Direct experience with loan accounting, credit loss modeling, and financial reporting.

Responsibilities

• Support corporate development initiatives including M&A and partnerships.
• Collaborate on strategic initiatives impacting capital structure and market expansion.
• Manage loan accounting and credit loss modeling for audit-grade loan data.
• Lead monthly close and audit processes, ensuring strong control frameworks.

Job description

Who we are

Imagine a world where your birthplace doesn’t limit your dreams. That’s what Passage is here to create. We aren’t just a bridge of financial support; we connect families all around the world to life-changing opportunities. We believe in a future where deserving students can pursue their dreams & ambitions—even if their parents don’t have money.

Our mission is bold but simple: by 2030, we aim to dismantle the barriers preventing brilliant minds from accessing the opportunities they deserve. Starting with financial barriers, we’re offering loans to international students and refugees, helping them pursue better education in Canada and unlock a world of possibilities—not just for themselves, but for their families and future generations, too.

Admin: It’s important to note that we maintain an in-office working policy, and we require candidates to either reside in Toronto or be open to relocating to the area and committing to a five-day-a-week in-office schedule.

Who you are

We’re looking for an exceptional early-career finance professional with a CPA designation and 3-5 years of high-performance experience in the financial services industry. You’ll work directly with the Head of Finance and take on meaningful ownership across reporting, portfolio analytics, and strategic decision-making.

This is a rare opportunity to join a leading AI startup in a high-impact role. You’ll have ownership from day one — leading core financial reporting while driving cross-functional initiatives across product-integrated operations, loan portfolio intelligence, and long-term growth strategy. All within a business that is well-capitalized and backed by an experienced leadership team with a proven track record.

We operate as a lean, high-performing finance team — there’s no fixed hierarchy or ceiling on growth. The more ownership you take on, the faster your role expands. If you thrive in unstructured environments and want to accelerate your career, this role is for you.

What you will do

Strategic Finance

• Support corporate development initiatives, including M&A and partnerships — from modeling and diligence to leadership presentations.

• Collaborate on strategic initiatives impacting capital structure, product direction, or market expansion

• Contribute to the buildout of FP&A infrastructure, financial models, and investor reporting processes

• Partner with Product/Engineering to scale and automate manual finance operations

Loan & Portfolio Analytics

• Manage loan accounting and credit loss modeling, ensuring audit-grade loan data

• Develop and maintain dashboards to monitor loan performance, borrower behavior, and risk trends

• Partner with the Credit Team to align underwriting, servicing, and accounting data

Core Finance Operations & Reporting

• Lead monthly close and audit processes, including technical memos and working papers to support IFRS financial statements

• Own and execute day-to-day accounting operations, including vendor payments, invoicing, payroll, and balance sheet reconciliations

• Maintain strong control frameworks while identifying opportunities to automate and scale

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience, ideally with exposure to lending, credit, or structured finance environments

• CPA designation

• Strong understanding of IFRS 15 and IFRS 9 (or equivalent experience with lending-related accounting frameworks)

• Direct experience with loan accounting, credit loss modeling, and financial reporting for a lending business

Nice to Haves

• Exposure to FP&A, financial modeling, or investor reporting

• Familiarity with data visualization tools (e.g. Power BI, Google Studio)

• Experience with credit and/or structured finance

• Experience with M&A diligence, valuation modeling, or strategic analysis

Ready to join us?

We’re on a mission to make the world a fairer place, one student at a time. If you’re excited to work hard, innovate fearlessly, and collaborate with a high-energy team striving for global impact, we’d love to meet you.

Note: This role is based in Toronto, and requires a five-day-a-week in-office commitment. Applicants must be willing to relocate if they’re not already in the area.

Let’s help shape a future where every dream can thrive—no matter where it’s born.