Employment Type: Full-Time, Permanent
Location: Vancouver, BC (Hybrid)
Reports To: Financial Reporting Manager
Primary Purpose
The Senior Accountant is responsible for overseeing general ledger activities, leading the period-end close process, and ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and integrity of financial reporting. This role requires strong technical expertise in IFRS, combined with a high level of ownership over financial controls, reconciliations, and reporting deliverables.
Specific Responsibilities
Financial Reporting & Period Close:
- Lead full-cycle accounting and monthly, quarterly, and annual close processes
- Prepare and review financial statements and supporting schedules in accordance with IFRS
- Review and approve journal entries, accruals, and adjustments
- Maintain integrity of the general ledger
- Oversee and review balance sheet and bank reconciliations, ensuring timely resolution of variances
- Strengthen internal controls and ensure compliance with SOPs and accounting standards
- Manage and validate data submissions for FRP and Oracle systems, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and alignment with group reporting deadlines
- Prepare and review Oracle-based statistical and financial reports, ensuring data integrity and consistency across reporting outputs
Banking and Cash flow:
- Oversee and monitor all bank transactions and cash movements to ensure completeness, accuracy, and legitimacy
- Perform regular reviews of banking activity to identify unusual, unauthorized, or high-risk transactions, and ensure timely investigation and resolution
- Maintain strong controls over payment processing, documentation, and audit trails to support transparency and accountability
- Support cash flow monitoring and forecasting inputs, ensuring alignment with operational and disbursement activities
- Ensure proper oversight and control over large, sensitive, or high-value payments, including appropriate review and approvals
Audit and Tax:
- Prepare and manage GST and PST filings
- Maintain supporting schedules and reconciliations for tax reporting
- Lead preparation of year-end audit working papers and act as a key contact for auditors
- Ensure audit readiness and compliance with IFRS, internal policies, and regulatory requirements
- Maintain audit trails and ensure compliance with regulatory and internal control requirements.
Internal Control & Process Improvement:
- Identify and implement improvements to streamline month-end close timelines
- Act as a super-user for financial systems (Oracle, Agresso), ensuring data integrity and system optimization
- Standardize and maintain accounting procedures and SOPs
- Lead initiatives to reduce manual processes and improve reporting efficiency
- Enhance reconciliation frameworks and review processes
Financial Analysis and & Cross-Functional Collaboration:
- Collaborate with operations teams (AR, AP, Commission, Refund, Payroll) to resolve discrepancies and improve processes
- Support FP&A with variance analysis
- Provide financial insights on performance, risks, and trends
- Review work of junior staff and provide guidance and mentorship
- Support onboarding and act as a backup to the Financial Reporting Manager
Systems & Projects:
- Actively participate in implementation, optimization, and maintenance of financial systems (e.g., Oracle, Trullion, Unit4), including hands-on testing and data validation.
- Participate in system configuration, testing, data validation, and process alignment with group standards.
- Ensure data integrity across systems and resolve discrepancies in a timely manner.
Operational & Strategic Support:
- Support Finance leadership by executing on departmental priorities and delivering high-quality financial outputs.
- Contribute to finance transformation initiatives and process standardization.
- Maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders (banks, auditors, vendors, group finance team).
- Performs other duties as assigned or requested.
Position Requirements
Competencies
- Strong expertise in financial accounting and IFRS
- Advanced proficiency in Excel and financial systems (Oracle, Agresso)
- Strong analytical, problem-solving skills, and attention to detail
- Ability to manage deadlines and multiple priorities independently
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills
- Proven ability to review work and guide others
- Process improvement mindset with strong control awareness
Education and Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance.
- 5+ years of progressive experience in financial reporting and accounting.
- CPA designation (or near completion) strongly preferred
- Experience with audits, financial reporting, and tax filings (GST/PST)
- Strong ERP and reporting systems experience
- Experience in a multi-entity or high-volume environment is an asset
University Canada West (UCW) is committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible learning and working environment where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect. We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, including Indigenous peoples, First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse gender identities and expressions, and individuals of all sexual orientations. We recognize that historical and systemic barriers continue to affect equity-deserving groups and strive to promote inclusive practices and equitable access to opportunities across our institution.
University Canada West acknowledges that its campuses are situated on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓ əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
We thank all applicants for their interest in University Canada West. Please note that Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority consideration, and only shortlisted candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.