Assistant Controller

Being part of Air Canada is to become part of an iconic Canadian symbol, recently ranked the best Airline in North America. Let your career take flight by joining our diverse and vibrant team at the leading edge of passenger aviation.

Reporting to the Vice-President Finance & Controller, the Assistant Controller leads the global Centre of Excellence for financial reporting based in Winnipeg. The role is primarily responsible to oversee the consolidated financial reporting and accounting policies of Air Canada and its subsidiaries, including providing planning, accounting advice, guidance and support to ongoing operations and business units. The position leads the global Centre of Excellence for financial reporting, asset accounting, and debt and lease accounting, serving as the authoritative source for accounting interpretation, policy application, and consistent execution across all regions and entities.

Responsibilities:

• Responsible for overseeing the Air Canada consolidated financial statement reporting process, including the preparation of audited financial statements and coordination of the external audit in accordance with Canadian securities commission requirements.
• Define and govern the global operating model for financial reporting and accounting CoEs, including clear handoffs with shared services and regional teams as applicable to manage and oversee the Corporation’s various international regulatory financial filings.
• Enhance the quality and usability of financial reporting outputs to support executive decision making, including improved analytics, estimates transparency, and forward looking disclosures.
• Responsible for all corporate accounting policies, including the research, interpretation, development, governance, and application of policies addressing complex technical accounting matters across the organization in response to an evolving regulatory landscape and company initiatives.
• Maximize the effective use of technology across financial reporting, accounting operations, and internal control processes.
• Provide leadership, direction, and counseling to a high-performing team focused on accounting policy, financial reporting, accounting operations and internal controls. Build, through team effort, a vision, operating principles, and goals for the group. Foster a philosophy that challenges the status quo and encourages individuals and the group, as a team, to excel. Build a strong management team and plan for succession. Set and accomplish aggressive team objectives/goals. Develop subordinates through counseling and training.
• Proactively develop solutions or strategies for complex business and systems problems/challenges, including those systems and processes related to Financial Reporting.
• Working with the Corporation’s actuaries, responsible for the accounting for the Corporation’s defined benefit pension plans, including reviewing actuarial assumptions.
• In support of the Corporation’s internal control environment, provide leadership and program management for the ongoing monitoring, assessment, and improvement of business processes relating to finance, accounting, and internal controls, including bank reconciliations.
• Oversee global asset accounting, including Aeroplan, ensuring strong governance over asset recognition, measurement, depreciation, impairment, and retirement in line with IFRS requirements
• Oversee all debt and lease payment processing and accounting, including global back-office activities, accounting policy application, and IFRS-compliant accounting controls.
• In conjunction with the Vice-President & Controller, provide counsel to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors on accounting and financial reporting matters.

• Bachelor's degree in finance or accounting
• A formal accounting designation (CPA).
• Minimum of 10-15 years' experience with financial statement preparation in a complex and large public company environment
• Demonstrated experience in business support activities and special projects.
• Demonstrated experience in supervising financial statement preparation and managing external financial statement audits.
• Demonstrates a strong understanding of required financial statement disclosure.
• Experience in the air transportation and/or travel industry is an asset.
• Superior executive presentation, analytical and project management skills.
• Builds strategic and tactical plans while navigating an evolving business environment.
• Significant knowledge and experience with International Financial Reporting Standards and Securities Commission reporting standards
• Proven ability to work in a highly dynamic environment and under pressure.
• Strong analytical skills combined with a demonstrated ability to handle multiple files.
• Viewed as a highly credible professional; ethically uncompromising exhibiting the highest level of integrity
• Exceptional judgment, organizational and decision-making skills.
• Strong business acumen.
• A result driven, dedicated team player who possesses a strong work ethic.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (oral and written).
• Strong leadership, people management, coaching/mentoring skills, and guidance, support and training for direct reports and broader team.
• To succeed in this role, the incumbent must be engaging, flexible, perseverant and capable of handling pressure situations with tight deadlines and rapidly with changing environment.
• Available to travel as needed.
• Demonstrate punctuality and dependability to support overall team success in a fast-paced environment.

Conditions of Employment:

Candidates must be eligible to work in the country of interest at the time any offer of employment is made and are responsible for obtaining any required work permits, visas, or other authorizations necessary for employment. Prior to their start date, candidates will also need to provide proof of their eligibility to work in the country of interest.

Linguistic Requirements

Based on equal qualifications, preference will be given to bilingual candidates.

Diversity and Inclusion

Air Canada is strongly committed to Diversity and Inclusion and aims to create a healthy, accessible and rewarding work environment which highlights employees’ unique contributions to our company’s success.

As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applications from all to help us build a diverse workforce which reflects the diversity of our customers, and communities, in which we live and serve.

Air Canada thanks all candidates for their interest; however only those selected to continue in the process will be contacted.