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Senior leadership role with a well-established and growing retail company. Leading and mentoring a team of around 10 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 Burnaby.

Who- the Company:

Our client is a well-established and reputable midsize retail company with plans to continue to expand (new stores) in 2025. The company has built up over the years 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.

What- the Role:

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

The new Controller will mentor, manage, train, motivate, and lead the accounting & finance team (8 to 10 people) that is responsible for corporate accounting, inventory and logistics accounting, accounts payable and accounts receivable.

Responsibilities in this role are diverse and well-rounded, and will include: preparation of monthly statements, corporate reporting, payment approvals, ad hoc analysis, preparation of reports for management (routine and ad hoc), annual audit, tax, bank reporting, cashflow management, payroll processing,  etc. 

The Controller will also be responsible for overseeing financial systems, including an eventual system upgrade project. The Controller will trouble-shoot system issues, create new customizations, and put in place system process improvements, working with 3rd parties as needed. The Controller will use various systems, and the plan is for the Controller to lead a new financial system implementation towards the end of 2025/start of 2026.     
This role involves daily communication and interaction with the operations and sales teams, including providing these teams with analysis and financial reports. A business-minded approach and a confident communication style are crucial in this role.  

Who- the Candidate:

We are looking for a well-rounded senior level accounting professional with strong people management skills and excellent verbal and written communication abilities. The Controller will be a member of the management team and is expected to build relationships across all departments, including the sales and operations teams. 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.

• 8+ years’ progressive experience in accounting roles.
• CPA accounting designation is required. Additional qualifications such as MBA are very beneficial. 
• Systems savvy is very important in this role, including proficiency in Excel. Experience leading financial system upgrade/implementation project is a big plus!
• Exposure to the complexities and high change nature of the retail sector is 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 private family-owned company. The ideal Controller will be someone who will take the time to get to know the business and operations at a deep level.
• Natural leadership and team mentorship abilities. It is highly preferred that the Controller already have experience leading a team of 10+ people.

Why:

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! People often stay with the company for many years due to the opportunities for new learning and steady career advancement based on performance.

Where:  

Burnaby. Free employee parking available and walking distance from a SkyTrain station. Ideally the Controller will work from the office 5 days a week, with very occasional work-from-home flexibility depending on the week and what’s going on at the office. Working in-office is also 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 office and who can mentor and develop their direct reports in-person and build cross-departmental relationships with other leaders in-person.

How Much:

Base salary for this role depends on years of experience, relevance of technical skills, direct exposure to complex retail sector, and level of qualifications and education- likely in the range of $125,000 to $145,000. Plus, a discretionary bonus, 3 weeks’ paid vacation, professional development support, etc.
 

When & How to Apply:

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 NOW' to send us your resume (preferably in MS Word format as it works best with our internal systems). Thank you!