Our client, a growing organization in the Chilliwack area, is seeking an experienced Finance Manager to take ownership of the company’s accounting and financial operations. Reporting directly to the Owner, the Finance Manager will ensure the accuracy, integrity, and timeliness of financial information while providing meaningful analysis and insight to support strategic and operational decision-making.
This is a hands-on leadership role suited to an accountable, commercially minded finance professional who is comfortable working independently in a privately held organization and partnering closely with ownership and management. The successful candidate will bring strong technical accounting expertise, sound business judgment, and a practical understanding of how finance supports day-to-day operations and profitability.
Experience in a project-based, job-costing, or project-driven environment is a strong asset.
Key Responsibilities
Financial Management & Reporting
- Take overall ownership of the company’s accounting and financial management functions.
- Lead monthly, quarterly, and year-end close processes, including reconciliations, accruals, adjustments, and supporting documentation.
- Prepare accurate financial statements, management reports, and reporting packages for ownership and management.
- Analyze financial results, KPIs, trends, and variances, providing clear recommendations and actionable business insight.
- Develop and monitor budgets, forecasts, cash-flow projections, and other financial planning tools.
- Provide financial analysis to support strategic planning, operational decisions, profitability initiatives, and cost management.
- Maintain accurate financial records and ensure compliance with applicable accounting standards, legislation, and company policies.
Cash Flow, AP, AR & Tax
- Oversee accounts payable and accounts receivable, including invoicing, collections, deposits, vendor payments, and reconciliations.
- Monitor cash flow, working capital, banking activity, liquidity, and financial commitments.
- Oversee applicable tax filings, remittances, and regulatory requirements.
- Manage banking relationships, credit facilities, supplier credit, and payment terms.
- Maintain effective controls over cash receipts, disbursements, purchasing, credit, and collections.
- Proactively identify and address issues that may affect the company’s financial position.
Controls, Compliance & Risk
- Develop, implement, and continuously improve accounting procedures and internal financial controls.
- Establish appropriate approval processes, segregation of duties, reconciliations, and financial safeguards.
- Identify financial, operational, and compliance risks and work with management to mitigate them.
- Ensure financial processes are consistently followed and records are complete, accurate, reliable, and audit-ready.
- Maintain appropriate documentation for financial obligations, contractual commitments, and other areas of financial risk.
Business Partnership & Operations
- Act as a trusted financial partner to the Owner and Management Team, translating financial information into practical business recommendations.
- Partner with operational leaders to improve productivity, profitability, cost management, and business processes.
- Identify opportunities to streamline workflows, eliminate inefficiencies, reduce costs, and strengthen financial performance.
- Provide financial oversight and support for purchasing, ordering, inventory, project-related workflows, and other operational activities with financial implications.
- Participate in management meetings, planning sessions, and other business reviews, providing timely financial information and analysis.
- Support initiatives that improve customer satisfaction, service delivery, and overall business performance.
Assets, Leases & External Relationships
- Maintain oversight of company assets, leases, facilities, and related financial obligations.
- Ensure appropriate accounting treatment and documentation for capital assets, leases, and other company resources.
- Coordinate with external accountants, advisors, financial institutions, insurers, suppliers, and other professional partners as required.
Leadership & Team Development
- Lead, mentor, and develop accounting team members, including junior accounting professionals, payroll specialists, and coordinators.
- Establish clear priorities, processes, expectations, and performance standards within the finance function.
- Review work for accuracy and completeness while building team capability, accountability, and efficiency.
- Foster a collaborative, solutions-oriented culture and promote continuous improvement.
- Work effectively across departments to integrate finance into broader business operations.
Professionalism & Culture
- Demonstrate professionalism, integrity, accountability, discretion, and sound business judgment.
- Build strong relationships with employees, customers, vendors, financial institutions, and other stakeholders.
- Provide responsive, solutions-focused support to internal and external partners.
- Represent the organization professionally and contribute positively to the company’s culture and objectives.
Required Qualifications
- 7+ years of progressive accounting and finance experience, with increasing responsibility and scope.
- 3+ years in a Finance Manager, Accounting Manager, Senior Accountant, or comparable leadership role.
- Demonstrated experience taking ownership of an organization’s accounting function, including financial reporting, month-end close, general ledger, AP, AR, and cash management.
- Experience working directly with an Owner, President, or senior leadership team and providing financial analysis and recommendations to support business decisions.
- Experience leading, mentoring, and developing accounting or finance team members.
- Strong technical accounting knowledge, including financial statements, reconciliations, accruals, prepaids, fixed assets, intercompany transactions, and year-end preparation.
- Hands-on experience with budgeting, forecasting, cash-flow management, financial analysis, and variance reporting.
- Strong understanding of Canadian accounting, payroll, GST/PST, and applicable financial and regulatory requirements.
- Experience managing banking relationships, supplier credit, collections, AP, and cash-flow requirements.
- Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and proficiency with accounting/ERP and financial reporting systems.
- Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines while maintaining a high degree of accuracy.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly explain financial information to both financial and non-financial stakeholders.
- High level of discretion, integrity, accountability, and professionalism when handling confidential information.
- Located in, or able to reliably commute to, the Chilliwack area.
Preferred Assets
- Post-secondary degree or diploma in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
- Experience in a privately held, owner-operated, entrepreneurial, or small-to-medium-sized business.
- Experience with project-based accounting, job costing, work-in-progress accounting, or project-driven operations.
