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Join a Challenger Being a traditional bank just isn’t our thing. We are big believers in innovating the banking experience because we believe Canadians deserve better options, and we challenge ourselves and our teams to creatively transform what’s possible in banking. Our team is made up of inquisitive and agile minds that find smarter ways of doing things. If you’re not afraid of taking on big challenges and redefining the future, you belong with us. You’ll get to work with people who will encourage you to reach new heights. We like to keep things fun, ask questions and learn together.
We are a big (and growing!) family. Overall we serve more than 370,000 people across Canada through Equitable Bank, Canada’s Challenger Bank™, and have been around for more than 50 years. Equitable Bank’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Concentra Bank, supports credit unions across Canada that serve more than 5 million members. Together we have over $100 billion in combined assets under management and administration, with a clear mandate to drive change in Canadian banking to enrich people’s lives. Our EQ Bank platform ( eqbank.ca ) has been named the top Schedule I Bank in Canada on the Forbes World’s Best Banks 2023, 2022, and 2021 lists.
Purpose of the Job
This role is a highly strategic management position focused on supporting EQB and its corporate priorities and managing strategic finance processes. This includes partnering closely with executive and management to support business priorities, understand business performance and propose actions, drive enterprise performance and help the business deliver value. Priorities include monthly and quarterly financial reporting, annual planning and ongoing forecasting, and finance-business partnership.
The incumbent will use their analytical abilities to provide both qualitative and quantitative input supporting the development of recommendations for Senior Management team and support partners across the business (digital banking, personal and commercial lending, risk, technology).
This role is responsible for FP&A across both Equitable Bank and Concentra Bank and will provide leadership and will effectively manage a team skilled and specialized staff. The team is responsible for the effective and efficient management of financial planning and forecasting, financial analysis, core systems management, as well as continuous improvement. In addition, this role is expected to drive change and improvement of finance (across people, process and technology) to support effectiveness and efficiency of the function.
Strong organization and multi-tasking skills are a must and the individual should be able to work with a high degree of independence and initiative. The role must be willing to take a hands-on approach to get things done and operate with a high level of attention to detail.
The Work
- Responsibilities include for the hiring, training and retaining of competent staff. The role requires establishing and maintaining strong working relationships across the organization to help facilitate the coordination of various planning, analytical and systems activities.
- 1. Financial analysis and commentary (30%)
- Own and manage financial and performance reporting for the organization. Plan, direct and manage regular and ad hoc reporting and the financial analysis function of the Finance group.
- Consistently prepare and analyze financial data in an accurate and timely manner.
- Develop a deep understanding of business performance, share insights and engagement with management to suggest actions and drive performance.
- Own monthly communication on business performance to management (which is also shared with the Board each month).
- Own segmented reporting and business-level P&L, for both management purposes and preparing for additional disclosure to segments externally.
- Manage booking of accounting entries, including those associated with projects, expense accruals, and engaging with the organization on capitalization etc.
- Maintain and document all financial model controls in order to improve accuracy and execution.
- 2. Financial Planning, Forecasting and management engagement (25%)
- Own the forward-looking perspective of business performance, including rolling six quarter forecast and scenarios and proposing opportunities for improvement and actions.
- Manage three-year business forecast, including capital plan (requiring partnership and engagement across business, treasury and risk functions)
- Manage the creation of the annual strategic plan and budget, including translating strategy with executives and management to budget and financial plan with scenarios and management levers. Manage this timeline and engagement with business to increase efficiency and collaboration.
- Develop and oversee the effective deployment of project spend and assignment of capital to businesses to support strategy
- Engage closely with business and functions to manage the gathering of key assumptions and data for each of the above (financial planning, forecasting and budgeting).
- Improve, develop and maintain financial models, while increasing validation and documentation.
- Partnership with other functions to support regulatory engagement (15%)
- Manage annual OSFI stress test and sensitivity analysis, supporting and engaging risk management and treasury functions.
- Collaborate with first and second lines to develop stress testing and sensitivity analysis for regulators, including the Bank’s Resolution Plan and Recovery Plan
- Ensure accurate and timely submission of routine reporting and ad hoc data to OSFI and STATSCAN
- Financial Core Systems Management (15%)
- Responsible for core finance reporting systems management, including cost centre and GL structure and ongoing improvement of structure to benefit efficiency and management reporting
- Assess and recommend for execute the new transaction codes and changes to the general ledger chart of accounts for process/reporting improvements
- Oversee the investigation of root causes of system errors or discrepancies and establish a process to address these go forward.
- Continuous improvement and modernization (15%)
- Evaluate current processes and recommend changes to improve efficiency and accuracy.
- Partner with finance and accounting leadership to create strategy and drive execution of finance modernization approach (i.e., platform modernization, forecast platform)
- Pursuing finance automation to create more robust and consistent process
Let’s Talk About You!
- Management competencies:
- Enjoys working in both team and individual environments, and ready to collaborate within finance and across the business
- Experience managing a team, coaching and building capabilities of others
- Strong organizational skills, including ability to manage broad sets of competing priorities and to think ahead and manage a timeline; especially to ensure team can execute effectively
- Ready for executive/board level communication, distilling complicated concepts into so-what recommendations. Ability to clearly communicate technical, analytical/quantitative or conceptual information and ideas using language that is appropriate to the target audience.
- Creative problem-solver and sharp analytical skills
- Attention to detail, and curiosity to ask why and go deeper
- Additional skills and experience:
- Experience in FP&A and common finance processes (e.g., fast-moving organizations, public companies, monthly-quarterly-annual cadences)
- Experienced utilizing technology to automate business processes and increase efficiencies, including SaaS planning solutions, visualization tools (e.g., PowerBI/Tableau), and purpose-built finance and banking platforms (e.g., GL systems, business analytics platform, data warehouse).
- Advanced excel background and experience with/knowledge of low-code analytics (to be able to support / coach teams)
- Knowledge of the mortgage industry including single family and commercial products is an asset.
- Knowledge of financial statements and reporting is required.
- Knowledge of financial modeling concepts is required.
- Experience with Portfolio+ core banking platform and financial systems.
- Knowledge of OSFI and their regulations is required.
- 8-12 years of well-rounded finance experience
- CPA, CGA or CMA designation an asset
What we offer [For full-time permanent roles]
💰 Competitive discretionary bonus
✨ Market leading RRSP match program
🩺 Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability benefits
📝 Employee Share Purchase Plan
👶🏽 Maternity/Parental top-up while you care for your little one
🏝 Generous vacation policy, personal days and even a moving day
🖥 Virtual events to connect with your fellow colleagues
🎓 Annual professional development allowance and a comprehensive Career Development program
💛 A fulfilling opportunity to join one of the top FinTechs and help create a new kind of banking experience
The incumbent will be working hybrid and in office time will be spent working from Equitable Bank’s additional office space located at 351 King Street East, Toronto, ON.
Equitable Bank is deeply committed to inclusion. Our organization is stronger and our employees thrive when we honour and celebrate everyone’s diverse experiences and perspectives. In tandem with that commitment, we support and encourage our staff to grow not just in their career path, but personally as well.
We commit to providing a barrier-free recruitment process and work environment for all applicants. Please let us know of any accommodations needed so that you can bring your best self to the application process and beyond. All candidates considered for hire must successfully pass a criminal background check and credit check to qualify for hire. While we appreciate your interest in applying, an Equitable recruiter will only contact leading candidates whose skills and qualifications closely match the requirements of the position.
We can’t wait to get to know you!
