Controller

Senior accounting & finance leadership role with a well-established and growing retail company. Leading and mentoring a team of 4 to 6 people. Managing the full accounting & finance function, including reporting, corporate accounting, AP & AR, retail accounting, financial systems, payroll processing, etc. Full time permanent role based in Surrey.

Our client is a well-established and reputable midsize company in import/export, distribution, and retail/ecommerce. The company has built up over the decades with an entrepreneurial spirit. Employees tend to have very long tenures at this company because they have a tight-knit team and the leaders enable staff to take initiative and develop new skills.

On behalf of our client, Swim Recruiting is seeking a new Controller.

The new Controller will report directly into the President/General Manager and will train under the Group CFO who has been with the company for many years. The Controller will mentor, manage, train, motivate, and lead an accounting & finance team of 4 to 6 people, including a designated Senior Accountant. The Controller’s team is responsible for corporate accounting, inventory and logistics accounting, accounts payable, and accounts receivable. We are looking for a Controller who is hands-on and who will be very well-versed of the day-to-day on their accounting team, and who is also strategic and a big picture thinker who can plan for the Company’s future.

Responsibilities in this role are diverse and well-rounded, and will include:  review of monthly statements, corporate reporting, payment approvals, manage cost controls, risk mitigation, ad hoc analysis, preparation of reports for management (routine and ad hoc), annual audit working papers, taxation, bank reporting, cashflow management, annual budgeting, etc. 

The Controller will also be responsible for coordinating and communicating between key departments namely Sales, Procurement, and Logistics, including collaborating on the creation and monitoring of business KPIs.

The Controller will be responsible for overseeing financial systems, particularly improving, developing, and rolling-out processes as well as maintaining the right balance between cost control and encouraging sales growth. The Controller will trouble-shoot system issues, and put in place system process improvements, working with 3rd parties as needed.  The Controller will use various systems and tools, such as a sophisticated ERP, Power BI, Excel, etc.  

This role involves daily communication and interaction with the operations and sales teams, including providing these teams with financial analysis, business decision support, and financial reports. A business-minded approach and a confident communication style are crucial in this role. We are looking for a Controller who thrives on inter-departmental collaboration and who wants to make a direct impact on the long-term success of an entrepreneurial Canadian company.

We are looking for a well-rounded senior level accounting professional with sound business vision, strong interpersonal and leadership skills, and excellent verbal and written communication abilities. We are seeking a new Controller who can effectively oversee the day-to-day historical accounting and also contribute to the forward-looking big picture strategy of the company through financial planning & analysis and business decision support.

The Controller will build relationships across all departments, including the Sales and Operations teams, to communicate and reinforce the Company’s vision and business objectives. We are looking for a self-starter who sees where they can add value and is eager to jump in.  Great candidates for this role will be solutions oriented and will come to the leadership team with ideas for process improvements and automation.  As an integral part of the management team, the Controller will offer counsel and wise judgement on Company strategy and business decision-making, particularly regarding inventory management, cash management, and capital expenditures. 

• 8+ years’ progressive experience in accounting and finance roles.
• CPA accounting designation is highly preferred. Additional qualifications such as MBA or CFA are very beneficial. 
• Systems
  • Proficiency in Excel and PowerBI are essential in this role.
  • System savvy and experience with a sophisticated ERP such as SAP Business One, Oracle NetSuite, JD Edwards EnterpriseOne, etc.
  • Able to optimize the accounting and finance’s team ongoing use of tools and technologies. 
• Exposure to the complexities and high change nature of the wholesale import and distribution sector preferred.
• Excellent communication skills- ability to interact and effectively communicate internally with people in sales and operations, as well as externally with key business partners.
• Business-minded- we are seeking people who are eager to work with a successful and entrepreneurial family-owned company. The ideal Controller will be someone who can jump in and understand the business and operations at a deep level and with a long-term perspective.
• Natural leadership, coaching, and team mentorship abilities. The Controller will have relevant experience leading a team of 2 to 8 direct reports.

If you are a self-starter who takes initiative and enjoys learning the operations of a complex business while providing excellent financial reporting and full-cycle accounting, then this could be a great job for you!

Surrey. Good commute for folks living in Surrey, Langley, Cloverdale, Delta, New Westminster, East Burnaby, Coquitlam, etc. Free employee parking available. Working full-time in-office is the best way to quickly learn the complex operations at this business. We are looking for a Controller who will have leadership presence in the corporate office and who can mentor and develop their direct reports in-person and build cross-departmental relationships with other leaders in-person.

Base salary for this role depends on years of experience, relevance of technical skills, direct exposure to complex relevant sectors (i.e. wholesale import/export, distribution, B2B retail, B2B ecommerce), and level of qualifications and education- likely in the range of $120,000 to $140,000. Plus, a discretionary bonus, 3 weeks’ paid vacation, professional development support, etc. Please note the top end of the salary range is reserved for candidates who have all the sought-after qualifications.

Swim Recruiting will be presenting the profiles of short-listed candidates directly to the hiring team for review. If you already have a Recruiter at SWIM, please reach out very soon. If you do not yet have a contact at Swim Recruiting, please hit 'APPLY to send us your resume (preferably in MS Word format as it works best with our internal systems). Thank you!