Brief Description:

Title: Senior Program Accountant – Canada Country Office
Location: Toronto Head Office (preferred)
Type: Permanent Full Time

Canadian Feed the Children’s vision is a world in which children thrive, free of poverty. For nearly 35 years, CFTC has been working with local partners in Uganda, Ethiopia, Ghana, Bolivia, and with Indigenous Nations and communities in Canada, to deliver programs that have positive, meaningful, and sustained impact on the health, education and well-being of children and the self-sufficiency of their families and communities. If you share our passion for bettering children’s lives, and you thrive in a collaborative, values-based culture please consider applying for this role.

Our head office is in North York however, we continue to work from home/remotely during these unprecedented times. We hope to be back in our office space at some point in the future however we are choosing to be ultra-safe out of respect for the health and well-being of our employees.

About this Opportunity

As the Senior Program Accountant you will act as the main finance focal point for our Canadian programs operating in partnership with Indigenous Nations and communities throughout Canada. Ideally you will have lived experience in an Indigenous community and, or direct experience working with Indigenous communities. We encourage all First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples or Indigenous peoples of North America, to self-identify in their applications.
You will be responsible for the review, management and oversight of all financial activities and reporting for our growing portfolio of programs. Under the guidance of the Vice President of Finance, you will work closely with our Canadian Country Director to monitor the financial progress of CFTC Canada programs, maintain the chart of accounts, review and update budgets, complete financial reporting packages and act as the main contact for our Canada team and partners for financial reporting.

To thrive in this job, you will need to possess strong financial analysis and management skills. You will have a partnership mindset, as you’ll liaise regularly and directly with CFTC partners to work with them to support and facilitate financial reporting. This means you are an effective communicator and people person, who takes pride in communicating complex financial information to non-finance staff.

You will be detail oriented, and responsible for setting up and maintaining program specific accounts in the CFTC accounting system, preparing program reports and schedules, assisting with the development of programs including review of proposals and contracts/Contribution Agreements, as well as providing assistance to partner organizations, partner communities and CFTC country offices. You will also liaise with corporate and program auditors, partnering organizations and communities, and institutional donors. A key aspect of this position is the monitoring of financial activities, investigating variances, providing guidance and support to partners, conducting financial analysis and making recommendations. Our ideal candidate will have a strong commitment to the work and mission of Canadian Feed the Children, and will be keen to learn more about our work with Indigenous Nations and communities, as well as globally.

Areas of Responsibility
• Maintains regular communication throughout the year with partners across Canada and works with partners to support and facilitate financial reporting requirements as per agreed upon schedules.
• Set up and maintain financial records for the Canadian program expenses, ensuring a solid audit trail while complying with CFTC’s accounting, financial, administrative and other policies and also ensure full compliance with CRA rules and regulations
• Provide leadership, financial advice and technical guidance for the Canada country office, while liaising with Programs and Development teams, and partner organizations and communities to ensure compliance with CFTC policies and procedures, government regulations and contracts/Contribution Agreements.
• Perform budget data entry and ongoing monitoring of actual spending versus the approved budget and report discrepancies as required by the Country Director. Provide regular monthly expenses reports by GL; by location to the Country Director for review;
• Researches, compiles and prepares budget and work plan figures for proposals and existing programs.
• Responsible for accounts payable, including record keeping, vendor statement reconciliations, filing, archiving and anticipated cash-flow requirements.
• Responsible for accurately recording expenses, ensuring proper back up documentation and propriety of charges incurred with corporate charge cards and ensuring timely payment of monthly statements.
• Produces and analyzes financial reports for the Canada Country Office and partnering organizations and communities. Review and process program expenditures to ensure compliance with CFTC policies, donor instructions, government guidelines and terms of the relevant contract/Contribution Agreement.
• Ensures Canada Country Office financial reports, other incoming reports, expenditures and requests for advances are accurate and complete, records disbursements and expenditures, and follows up on all transfers.
• Prepares and reviews various Canada Country Office financial reports, ensuring compliance with contracts and agreements, and reconciling with accounting system (full reporting includes revenue recognition, interest allocation to programs, program cash flow management, generating/compiling periodic re-forecast, and budget/forecast variance analysis).
• Reviews partner contracts, contribution agreements and sub-contractor agreements, provides recommendations for revision, when applicable.
• Assist Development teams to develop proposal budget, to set up accounting codes and reports to ensure the set up will fulfill all the donor’s reporting requirements. Prepare journal entries to allocate eligible Head office and Canada Country Office costs according to donors’ agreements. Review programs report to make sure fund is used in the appropriately to review over or under spending.)
• Assist Canadian Partners with accounting practices and controls to meet required standards. Participates in preparation and support of the CFTC annual audit and provides information on partner audits.
• Travels to partner communities in Canada, as required. May occasionally travel internationally to other country offices to support to the finance team.

Qualifications & Competencies
• Ideally you possess six to eight years of related financial management and accounting experience supporting programs and partner financial reporting, analysis and activities.
• You have relevant education such as a Bachelor of Commerce degree, or equivalent with a specialization in Finance/Accounting and relevant work experience. You hold or are currently pursuing a CPA designation.
• Experience working with Indigenous communities;
• Knowledge of Indigenous history and culture;
• Lived experience in an Indigenous community and knowledge of an Indigenous language an asset;
• Ideally demonstrated financial management experience gained from working within a non-profit or charity.
• Familiar with charitable regulations in Canada;
• A high level of proficiency with SAGE (AccPac) accounting software plus general knowledge of other packages such as QuickBooks, Simply Accounting, ADP payroll, etc. is part of your skill set.
• Knowledge of ASPE and ASNPO. High degree of knowledge of Financial Management. Knowledge and experience in financial management practices in international offices and knowledge of program management.
• Ability to plan and prioritize work. Ability to work in a team environment and independently, with minimal supervision. Strong attention to detail. Demonstrated ability to thrive under pressure while seeking values-driven and team-based results.
• Willing and able to travel within Canada on short term assignments.
• Desire to make a sustainable difference while having fun in the process!

Interested? Please quote the position title in the subject line and submit your resume and cover letter to: jobs@canadianfeedthechildren.ca
Please apply by June 4, 2021.

We thank all applicants for their interest however only those under consideration will be contacted.
Canadian Feed The Children is committed to creating a diverse and equality-based environment.
We are committed to ensuring a barrier-free, accessible and inclusive work environment. We welcome and encourage applications from all people. Upon individual request, we will endeavour to remove any barrier to the hiring process to accommodate candidates with disabilities. Please inform us should accommodation be required at any point during the recruitment and selection process.

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