Controller

Department: Finance

Location: Montreal, QC (Head Office)

Reports to: Chief Financial Officer

Status: Full-time, salaried

POSITION SUMMARY

The Controller owns the integrity of the company's accounting records and the timeliness of its financial reporting. This role runs the month-end and year-end close, manages tax and regulatory filings in both Canada and the United States, and manages the accounting, invoicing and accounts payable team.

The successful candidate is equally comfortable in the detail — reconciling a specific customer account or setting up an AAI in the ERP — and at the summary level, explaining a gross margin variance to senior management. This is a hands-on role with ownership of the full close cycle rather than a purely supervisory one.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Month-End Close and Financial Reporting

• Own the month-end close calendar and drive it to completion on schedule, coordinating the A/R, A/P and G/L closing processes.
• Prepare and analyze gross margin by product line, channel and customer; investigate and explain period-over-period and budget-to-actual variances.
• Review and post recurring and non-recurring journal entries, including payroll journal entries.
• Prepare and maintain balance sheet account reconciliations.
• Calculate sales commissions.
• Calculate and accrue quarterly customer rebate programs and reconcile settlements against accrued balances.
• Calculate and record royalty obligations and reconcile against licensor statements.

Year-End and External Audit

• Manage the year-end close checklist end to end and coordinate the work of the accounting team against it.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for external auditors: prepare audit-ready schedules, respond to audit requests and PBC lists, and resolve queries.

Tax and Regulatory Compliance

• Review the Canadian sales tax returns (GST/HST, QST) and U.S. state sales and use tax filings, including California use tax.
• Administer non-resident withholding tax: calculate amounts withheld, remit on schedule, and prepare the annual non-resident summary and information returns.

Systems and Internal Control

• Maintain ERP accounting setups, including Distribution/Manufacturing Automatic Accounting Instructions (DMAAIs), G/L account structure and automated posting rules.
• Document accounting policies and close procedures so the close is repeatable and not dependent on any single individual.

Leadership

• Supervise, coach and develop the accounting team; assign close responsibilities and review their work.
• Act as a resource to Operations, Sales and Purchasing.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• CPA designation.
• Seven or more years of progressive accounting experience, including at least two in a controller, assistant controller or senior accounting manager role.
• Demonstrated ownership of a full month-end and year-end close cycle.
• Experience managing an external audit.
• Advanced Excel, including large data sets, lookups and pivot tables.
• Professional working proficiency in English and French.

Preferred

• Experience with JD Edwards or a comparable tier-one ERP, including AAI and chart of accounts configuration.
• Background in wholesale distribution, manufacturing or consumer products, with exposure to inventory costing and gross margin analysis.
• Experience with customer rebates, chargeback and deduction programs in a retail-supplier environment.

COMPETENCIES

• Follows an issue through to resolution without needing to be reminded.
• Reconciliation discipline. Treats an unexplained variance as unfinished work.
• Clear communication. Explains a technical accounting or tax position to a non-accountant, and stands behind it.
• Distinguishes material from immaterial and allocates effort accordingly.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Office-based role at the Montreal head office. 1 day work from home policy.