Location: 11 Scarfe Court, Dartmouth
Job Type: Full-time
Compensation: $85 000 per year with consideration for experience & qualifications
Start Date: As soon as possible
The Nova Scotia SPCA is seeking an In-House Controller, responsible for the accuracy, completeness, and timely reconciliation of the Nova Scotia SPCA’s day-to-day financial records.
This is a hands-on, on-site role that owns the monthly close, maintains reliable supporting schedules, and ensures that financial information is organized and audit-ready before it is provided to the external controller. In addition to requisite qualifications and experience, the ideal candidate for this position will have previous experience building processes for accounting controls and managing financial databases.
The In-House Controller will resolve discrepancies using sound judgment and materiality, escalate significant issues, and deliver a complete and well-supported financial package.
Please see below for more details on the position and information on how to apply.
Financial Data Integrity and Monthly Close
- Lead and coordinate the monthly financial close process, ensuring transactions are accurate, complete, and recorded in the correct accounts, funds, departments, locations, and reporting periods.
- Prepare, review, and post journal entries, accruals, allocations, fixed asset activity, and other recurring adjustments while investigating and resolving discrepancies in a timely manner.
- Maintain oversight of unresolved financial items, documenting impacts, responsibilities, and expected resolution timelines.
Reconciliations and Supporting Documentation
- Complete and review monthly reconciliations for all bank accounts, credit cards, merchant processors, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll liabilities, restricted funds, government funding, donations, inventory, fixed assets, loans, leases, and other balance-sheet accounts.
- Ensure every balance-sheet account has a current, understandable, and fully supported reconciliation.
Financial Reporting and Analysis
- Prepare accurate and timely financial reporting packages including variance analysis, cash-flow reporting, and budget-to-actual results to senior leadership.
- Provide meaningful financial insights and support budgeting, forecasting, and year-end projections with reliable data and documented assumptions.
- Develop and monitor useful financial performance measures without creating unnecessary administrative complexity.
External Controller and Audit Readiness
- Prepare monthly and year-end package for the external controller, including reconciliations, lead schedules, continuity schedules, supporting documentation, variance explanations, and a list of significant or unresolved matters.
- Complete the organization’s audit-prepared-by-client schedules and ensure requested information is accurate, consistent, and available by agreed deadlines.
- Act as the primary internal finance contact for routine audit questions and external-controller requests, coordinating information from other departments when necessary.
- Monitor audit findings and recommendations, ensuring corrective actions are implemented, and audit readiness is maintained year-round.
Internal Controls and Process Improvement
- Establish and monitor effective internal controls, ensuring compliance, financial accuracy, and accountability across all locations and departments.
- Review and improve accounting processes and systems to enhance efficiency, consistency, and segregation of duties.
- Identify financial risks, control gaps, and emerging concerns, providing guidance and training where needed.
Team and Operational Support
- Provide day-to-day guidance, review, and quality control for finance staff involved in accounts payable, accounts receivable, deposits, payroll support, and data entry.
- Coordinate with department managers to ensure financial information and approvals are submitted accurately and on time.
- Participate in hiring, onboarding, training, and performance support for relevant finance staff as required
- Promote a culture of accuracy and accountability while keeping financial processes proportionate, practical, and focused on material risk.
- 5+ years of progressive accounting experience, including month-end close, balance-sheet reconciliations, and financial reporting.
- Post-secondary education in accounting, finance, business, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
- A CPA designation is preferred but not required where the candidate has strong hands-on accounting experience and demonstrated technical competence.
- Advanced proven experience with accounting systems and Microsoft Excel, including reconciliations, data analysis, and financial schedules.
- Strong working knowledge of accrual accounting, internal controls, payroll accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, banking, and audit preparation.
- Experience preparing complete working-paper files and responding to external accountants or auditors.
- Experience in a multi-location, charitable, healthcare, social-enterprise, or similarly complex organization is an asset.
- Exceptional attention to detail without losing sight of materiality, deadlines, or operational priorities.
- Highly organized, dependable, and able to maintain clear documentation and follow-through across multiple locations and revenue streams.
- Comfortable working directly in the details while also identifying patterns, risks, and process improvements.
- Clear and respectful English language communicator who can obtain required information, explain financial expectations, and hold others accountable to deadlines.
- Commitment to confidentiality, integrity, responsible stewardship, and the mission of the Nova Scotia SPCA.
- Dental and health benefits including Teladoc telemedicine service (after 3 months).
- RRSP matching contributions (after 1 year)
- Internal employee rewards program.
- Employee discount for veterinary services, pet food and at the SPCA thrift stores.
Nova Scotia SPCA is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all qualified applicants, regardless of gender, race, age, sexuality, or disability. SPCA provides a competitive salary and a rewarding work environment. Preference will be given to qualified candidates who self-identify as African Nova Scotians, racially visible persons, persons with disabilities,
Aboriginal persons and persons of the LGBTQ+ community. We encourage applicants to self-identify.
Interested applicants are asked to submit their resume and cover letter, indicating salary expectations, to [email protected].
As part of our hiring process, we require applicants to complete behavioural and cognitive assessments.
We thank all applicants for their interest in the position; however, only those selected for screening will be contacted.
