Senior Manager, Finance, Accounts Payable

Summary

The Financial Close Controller team is seeking a highly motivated Senior Manager to be a part of the Controller organization’s transformative journey towards becoming trusted and valued business partners delivering Financial Results in an entirely new way through best in class people, processes and innovation

Key Responsibilities

• Supporting the transformation of the financial results close function through centralization and optimization  
• Support and lead the financial results close process to ensure accurate, complete and timely results through: 
o Partnership with various business unit stakeholders to understand the business 
o Review and critical analysis of financial results  
o Management of risks and provisions  
o Support of various internal and external reporting 
o Preparation, review and/or approval of month end transactional processes 
o Support of control environment and audit requirements 
o Lead and support various special projects  
• Provide guidance on new transactions, projects, processes and accounting standards to assist the business achieve their results while maintaining strong governance and controls 
• Identify areas of potential improvements in existing processes and/or assist in the implementation of changes that lead to increased efficiency and improved effectiveness of processes 
• Identify gaps in information systems, data systems, and financial reporting tools and partner with appropriate teams to resolve 
• Identify and leverage technology opportunities to recommend and implement process improvement initiatives, identifying areas of overlap and potential efficiency gains. 
• Analysis and presentation of financial information to drive value-add decision-making 
• Lead teams through day to day functional close accountabilities as well as unique team transformational responsibilities 
• Lead and manage the end-to-end Accounts Payable (AP) function, ensuring the accurate and timely processing of all vendor invoices and payments. This includes:  
o Overseeing the reception and data entry of vendor invoices within the SAP ERP system; 
o Ensuring both PO and non-PO invoices are processed through established workflows without issues, helping resolve discrepancies promptly; 
o Managing the execution of payment runs to vendors; and 
o Responding to vendor queries on a timely basis. 
• Monitor, analyze, and report on key AP metrics to identify trends, ensure an optimized AP function, and drive continuous improvement.  
• Ensure accurate and timely completion of all AP-related activities contributing to the monthly, quarterly, and annual financial close processes.   
• Provide direct management, coaching, and development to the AP managers and clerical employees, fostering a high-performing team environment. 
• Conduct strategic workforce management, including assessing team bandwidth and capacity, to meet current operational needs and future objectives.  
• Proactively identify, evaluate, and implement opportunities for enhancing AP processes and systems through the adoption of advanced technologies, including AI and Generative AI, to drive automation and efficiency. 
• Support corporate projects that impact the AP processes and systems, including but not limited to, the integration of new legal entities. 

Critical Qualifications

• A Bachelor’s degree in either accounting/finance, business/commerce and/or previous financial reporting experience
• CPA or related finance experience considered an asset
• Ideally a minimum of 6 years in a similar finance and / or accounting role
• Strong proficiency in MS applications including Excel, Powerpoint, Word
• Working knowledge of SAP-BI, SAP-FI and associated accounting systems would be a valuable asset 
• Experience in AI and Machine Learning would be a valuable asset 

Preferred Qualifications

• Ability to support a culture of innovation - a personal interest in upskilling in latest digital and technology trends and an openness to learning new tools and ways for working
• Passion to understand operational business and its linkages to financial processes
• Attention to details, speed and accuracy
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, demonstrating an ability to make complex issues and processes simple and understandable 
• Highly organized, with the ability to independently plan and execute on multiple priorities and demonstrate calmness and composure in times of uncertainty and stress. 
• Ability to partner and build sound relationships to influence and engage with various cross-functional groups and management levels towards a common vision
• Ability to take initiative and ownership of issues and tasks by leading resolution 
• Proven ability to work in a team, provide constructive coaching, and foster a positive and rewarding work environment for direct reports, including virtual teams