Controller & Operational Accountant

Hey there, we’re Relish! From finely-crafted animated content to award-winning games and apps that entertain and educate, the secret ingredient is our people: they’re diverse, creative, and incredibly talented.

We’re looking for an experienced Controller and Operational Accountant to join our team. In this role, you’ll be responsible for controllership and accounting functions, and you will lead financial operations on a day-to-day basis. This is a new position, as the business seeks to build internal capabilities and focus on controls, reporting and financial performance.

Who are you?

Ideally, you hold your CPA and/or CA designation, or are working toward that. The Controller and Operational Accountant will develop additional in-house practices, while providing leadership, guidance and hands-on contributions for stakeholders ranging from the CFO and Board of Directors, to the staff Bookkeeper and Production Accountant, as well as the Production leads within Animation, Digital and Games.

The Controller and Operational Accountant should be comfortable working with complex financial data. They should also be able to generate and design reports that help the business both understand and achieve better financial performance.

Reporting to the CFO, you will collaborate with Finance and Accounting colleagues and third-party contributors to ensure all business units, product teams, and enterprises have access to reliable insight and information, in order to make sound decisions around budgets, investment, and financial performance.

Who are you?

• You are comfortable with multi-entity consolidated accounting and reporting

• You’ve got expert knowledge in Quickbooks

• You have payroll experience, and understand Ontario and BC employment law as it applies to payroll and employment practices

• You are experienced with corporate, sales, health and payroll taxes

• You have experience with OIDMTC, SR&ED and/or PSTC tax credits

• You’re a self-starter with hands-on bookkeeping and accounting skills

• You’re able to work in a fast-paced environment while effectively meeting deadlines, coupled with the ability to change priorities with limited notice

• You have experience leading and mentoring a team

• You have excellent communication skills, including written and presentation skills, and you are able to effectively communicate information to every level of an organization, as well as to vendors etc.

• You are adept with tools and able to pick up new ones quickly

• You are keen to make technology recommendations that advance efficiency, communication and reporting

• You have demonstrated experience with production cost reporting

• You love contributing to process design, and you are motivated to continuously find and develop workflow efficiencies

• Nice-to-have: entertainment and/or digital media experience

What will my day-to-day responsibilities include? Leadership

• Coach, mentor, and lead the Finance team, fostering a service-oriented culture of approachability, collaboration and professionalism 

• Establish effective relationships and build trust/credibility with colleagues across both the Finance team and the company at large

• Collaborate with CFO to establish and refine general accounting functions

• Build, implement and document new and/or improved processes

• Provide guidance for meeting workflow demands in tandem with the Production and People departments, for example with regard to contract labour management and expenses

• Establish yourself as the leader of a cohesive and high performing team, with direct reports demonstrating initiative, while providing the team with strategic and technical direction

• Foster an environment of continuous improvement via regular constructive feedback, 1:1’s, status and production meetings

• Develop team member career paths, to ensure growth and succession

What will my day-to-day responsibilities include? Accounting Operations

• Build, implement, and document the systems and processes for the general accounting function, ensuring they can grow and adapt with the company

• Oversee and participate in daily accounting functions, including reconciliations, AR, AP, COA/GL management, cost reporting, expense management and reporting

• Lead and complete month-end closings on a consistent basis

• Oversee and participate in Canadian payroll and related functions, including on-boarding and terminations, severances, reconciliations, ROEs, tax and T4 preparation

• Ownership of monthly corporate accounting reporting including but not limited to, income statement and balance sheets, revenues, cash position, forecasts and cash flow

• Canadian tax return preparation and filings (multiple year-ends)

• Support and participate in accounting processes related to international entities, located primarily in Latin America

• Lead and participate in reporting needs for funding bodies eg. CMF, Ontario Creates, Can

• Export, as well as for Investment and Co-Production partners

• Manage and report all Tax Credit applications, as well as any associated financing

What will my day-to-day responsibilities include? Cashflow Management

• Monitor cash flow by entity, and on a consolidated basis

• Manage cash flow to ensure the company has sufficient liquidity to meet its operational and financial obligations

• Optimize cash flow through effective receivables and payables management

• Manage day-to-day cashflow to ensure timely remittance of payables, and the maintenance of sufficient working capital

• Advise and direct senior leadership regarding cash flow constraints, remedies, and operational implications

• Establish and lead a corporate budgeting practice, while balancing the needs of a wide variety of stakeholders, from service teams to product teams, IP and other investments 

• Oversee and control expense management, including helping to establish an enterprise-wide expense management platform (Tropic)

What will my day-to-day responsibilities include? Operations

• Work closely with Production leads to ensure regular Cost Reporting processes, including maintaining current cost records across both Animation and Digital/Games

• You may relied upon to educate and counsel staff with regard to financial literacy

• Manage Benefits plans, as well as Group RSP / DPSP plans

• Research, recommend and implement process and technology improvements that increase efficiency and decrease costs

What will my day-to-day responsibilities include? Process & Controls

• Collaborate with Board, CFO and Executive to build and manage all necessary controls, to ensure long-term financial success 

• Support CFO and Executive on funding initiatives, applications and reporting 

• Lead Quarterly finance meetings

• Work with outside counsel on tax strategies and implement practices accordingly

• Maintain corporate record keeping, filing & other corporate administrative functions

• Establish, lead and manage budgeting practices across all products and services, as well as functional areas including sales and marketing etc.

• Lead external Reviews and Audits, including reporting and communication with tax authorities

Yes, I want in! How do I get started?

Apply today!

This opportunity is only available to those eligible to work in Canada (the position is Remote).