MANAGER ACCOUNTING SERVICES

The Accounting Services Division (the Division) within the City of Toronto is responsible for the development and governance of the City's accounting policies and general ledger, providing accounting advice, coordinating the implementation of new public sector accounting standards, performing complex accounting analysis, delivering on the City's financial reporting obligations, and ensuring that all transactions are accounted for in accordance with the Public Sector Accounting Standards (PSAS).

The Division's Analysis and Compliance (A&C) section is responsible for the direct governance of the City's general ledger, ensuring that all accounting transactions are recognized in accordance with Public Sector Accounting Standards (PSAS). This team performs account reconciliations, recommends proper accounting treatments and recording options, and monitors the timely recognition of revenues and expenses for accuracy and completeness. This team is also responsible for corporate dashboards and deep analytics that support the provision of financial information to decision-makers.

Reporting to the Senior Manager Accounting Services (Analysis & Compliance), you will assist in setting the overall strategic direction of the A&C team by establishing short-term and long-term objectives consistent with the strategic planning initiatives of the City and the Division. You will also provide oversight in monitoring compliance with the City's accounting and financial policies.

Major Responsibilities:

As a Manager Accounting Services within the Analysis and Compliance section, you will play a key role by ensuring that internal controls are designed and maintained in accordance with accounting policies, appropriate financial analyses are performed, and accounting standards are applied consistently and accurately to financial transactions. You will need to ensure work is reviewed and delivered at the highest standards, assign work effectively and resolve issues/ provide solutions in a timely and effective manner.

You will provide leadership in the development of internal controls and related reporting mechanisms aimed at improving the accuracy and relevancy of financial information as well as the preparation of management reports used by internal and external stakeholders.

Your role includes enhancing analytical dashboards and the development of compliance programs. You are a partner to City divisions, providing sound accounting practice advice and will be involved in the education process and implementation of accounting policies and the development of controls-focused templates.

You will also make recommendations on accounting entries to the balance sheet and income statement accounts, assist in the development and enhancement of performance measures and benchmarks, and monitor results.

You are an excellent communicator who is comfortable dealing effectively and professionally with various levels of staff within the City to ensure accounting transactions and balances are appropriately recorded and reflected in the City's general ledger. You will be required to present accounting positions and corporate financial analyses to divisional staff and leadership, and provide support for recommendations made.

Your experience leading, motivating and training staff in a unionized and non-unionized environment will have equipped you to handle such leadership duties as, supervising the day-to-day operation of all assigned staff, with a focus on ensuring effective teamwork, high standards of work quality and organizational performance, and promoting continuous learning and development as well as nurturing creative and innovative ideas to improve processes and service delivery.

The Division's mandate calls for a level of expertise acquired through a Canadian professional accountant designation (e.g. CPA) supplemented by extensive professional experience in an accounting, auditing and financial reporting environment. Such a background will have included extensive knowledge of and experience with GAAP (e.g., PSAS, IFRS, ASPE, ASNPO), the implementation of new accounting standards, project management, stakeholder engagement, internal and financial reporting controls, and the development of accounting policies and procedures.

Your track record of success is also supported by extensive experience leading and facilitating external audits and providing support for accounting treatments and positions. You are comfortable using Microsoft Office applications such as Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint, as well as ERP/ computer-based accounting systems such as SAP, Oracle, Business Intelligence, CaseWare, and QuickBooks. You will bring extensive financial reporting and accounting/ analytical experience in a public or private sector organization, combined with extensive experience with, and understanding of, financial and internal controls and accounting standards, procedures and accounting standards compliance requirements and business and performance indicators.

Success in this role will also call for your excellent stakeholder relationship management skills, ability to provide strategic advice based on financial results and analyses, communicate situations of non-compliance based on risk and materiality, and identify opportunities for improvements to service efficiency and effectiveness.

Equally important, you are committed to the highest standards of ethics and integrity, and can lead cross-divisional teams, facilitate decision-making and achieve excellence in accounting practices and reporting, as well as exercise independent judgement and discretion when dealing with confidential matters.

Key Qualifications: