Director, Financial Accounting

Reference number

2026-0083

Salary

Market + Benefits

Details

Provide leadership to the accounting team, engaging, developing, and empowering team members while establishing a structure that promotes autonomy, accountability, and high-quality deliverables.
Oversee and manage the full accounting cycle for approximately 20 entities, from general ledger activities through the preparation of financial statements, including intercompany transactions, tax matters, and audit files.
Maintain a strong operational presence and take a hands-on approach, particularly during the initial stages of the role, to gain a thorough understanding of processes, support the team, and actively contribute to resolving accounting issues.
Professionalize and continuously enhance the accounting function through process improvements, automation, stronger internal controls, and the evolution of financial systems.
Act as the CFO’s key accounting partner, ensuring the integrity and reliability of financial information while enabling the CFO to dedicate more time to strategic initiatives and the organization’s growth.

Description

We are offering the opportunity to join a leading Quebec-based services organization with more than 600 employees and multiple locations across Quebec and Ontario. Currently undergoing significant change, the organization is entering a new stage of its development focused on professionalizing its corporate functions, technological transformation, improving management practices and, over the medium term, continuing its growth both organically and through acquisitions.

In this context, a new Director, Financial Accounting position has been created to strengthen the leadership of the accounting function and support the organization through this transformation.

Reporting directly to the CFO, you will lead the accounting team and be responsible for the quality and integrity of financial information across a structure comprising approximately 20 legal entities. The consolidation environment is relatively straightforward and does not involve significant foreign currency complexities. Rather, the challenge lies in the volume of transactions, numerous intercompany transactions, end-to-end ownership of the accounting cycle, and the ability to elevate and improve the team’s practices.

A leadership role first and foremost

One of your first priorities will be to lead and develop the accounting team. The organization is looking for a manager who can provide strong leadership, bring greater structure to the way the team operates, and support the professional development of team members.

You will need to remain close enough to the operations to understand what is actually happening within the accounting function, step in when necessary, and support the team during demanding periods or employee absences. This is not a role where the manager remains solely focused on oversight. Particularly during the initial stages of the mandate, you will need to take a hands-on approach, understand the underlying files and processes, and be prepared to contribute directly when needed.

As the team becomes more autonomous and processes become increasingly structured, the role will naturally evolve toward a greater focus on continuous improvement, projects, and strategic contribution.

Strengthen and ensure the reliability of the accounting cycle

You will oversee the full accounting cycle for approximately 20 entities and ensure the quality of the general ledger, journal entries and reconciliations, fixed assets, accruals, revenues and expenses, as well as intercompany transactions.

You will be responsible for the preparation and integrity of the financial statements and will work to shorten and optimize the monthly close process.

The quality of financial information is an important priority for the organization. As the company looks to continue growing and potentially pursue acquisitions, a robust accounting function, strong controls, and the ability to provide credible and reliable financial information to various stakeholders become increasingly strategic.

You will also lead the annual audit process, manage relationships with external auditors, and ensure that any identified discrepancies or issues are addressed appropriately.

Further develop in-house tax expertise

The Director, Financial Accounting will also need to have a solid understanding of private company taxation and sufficient autonomy to oversee ongoing corporate tax obligations, sales taxes, and various compliance matters.

Over the medium term, the organization intends to further develop this expertise internally in order to reduce its reliance on external resources.

We are therefore looking for a CPA with practical exposure to corporate taxation and the complete financial cycle of taxable businesses, rather than someone whose experience has been limited to environments where these responsibilities were handled exclusively by other specialists.

Transform and professionalize the finance function

The organization is engaged in a significant effort to professionalize its corporate functions. The Director will be expected to challenge existing practices and identify opportunities to improve the rigor, efficiency, and quality of financial operations.

You will contribute to:

Optimizing and standardizing accounting processes;
Automating selected transactional activities;
Improving reporting and the communication of financial information to management;
Strengthening and enhancing internal controls;
Supporting the future integration of new entities;
Advancing financial systems and, over time, contributing to the transformation of the ERP environment.

The ideal candidate will therefore be equally motivated by ensuring that accounting operations run effectively today and by building a stronger, more efficient finance function for the future.

A CFO cimmitted to developing the team

You will work with a CFO known for a collaborative, accessible leadership style and a strong commitment to talent development.

He does not expect to have all the answers and actively values the ideas, expertise, and contributions of his team. He sets the overall direction, provides autonomy, and encourages people to take ownership of their responsibilities. His objective is to build a strong and capable team that will allow him to dedicate more of his time to the organization’s strategic priorities.

He is therefore looking for a Director who can take full ownership of the accounting function while maintaining close collaboration with him and with other leaders across the organization.

Profile

Bilingual CPA with more than 10 years of progressive experience in accounting and finance, including hands-on team management experience and strong expertise across the full accounting cycle.

Experience in a public accounting firm serving privately held companies would provide an excellent foundation for this role, particularly for candidates who have been exposed to financial statement preparation, audit or assurance engagements, internal controls, and corporate taxation. A career developed entirely in industry would be equally relevant, provided the candidate brings the same level of technical depth and autonomy.

The ideal candidate will bring:

Demonstrated experience in team management, coaching, and development;
Strong expertise across the full accounting cycle and financial statement preparation;
Experience working in a multi-entity environment;
A solid understanding of corporate taxation and private company compliance requirements;
Experience with external audits, internal controls, and financial close processes;
The ability to balance team leadership with a hands-on approach when required;
A strong interest in continuous improvement, automation, and process transformation;
Advanced Excel skills and strong proficiency with financial systems; knowledge of Sage 300 is considered an asset;
A collaborative leadership style, strong communication skills, and the ability to effectively engage with stakeholders at various levels of the organization.

Above all, we are looking for a credible and approachable accounting leader who can elevate the capabilities of the team while remaining closely connected to its day-to-day realities. Someone who knows how to bring structure, challenge and coach team members, share knowledge, and remain technically strong enough to step in directly when needed.

This is a particularly compelling opportunity for a CPA looking to transition from a primarily technical role into a true leadership position, or for an established manager who wants to play a meaningful role in the transformation of a growing Quebec-based organization.

About us

CIELO is a recruitment firm specializing in finance, accounting and management in Quebec, Canada and internationally. Our head office is located in downtown Montreal. Only successful candidates will be invited to an interview. We would like to thank all the candidates for showing interest in this position. The masculine form is used to lighten the text.