Purpose Forward Looking for Accounting & Payroll Lead at Canada Full Time

Title                                       Accounting & Payroll Lead

Organization                         Purpose Forward

Location                                Fully remote, must be legally entitled to work in Canada

Reports To                            Chief Executive Officer

Position Type                       Permanent Full-Time (35 hours/week)

Base Salary                           $60,000 annually, pro-rated at $32.93/hour

Target Bonus                        0.5% of net new service revenue

About Purpose Forward

We are a national non-profit that was founded in February 2021 with a mission to activate operational capacity throughout the grassroots social purpose sector. Currently, we do this through ongoing back-office support (finance, HR, payroll, basic IT), consulting services, training, and research. We have staff and volunteers based from BC to Halifax with much of the country in-between represented. Our team is fully distributed and has been remote since inception, providing monthly allowances to cover your home internet and a WFH reimbursement to ensure your home setup is suitable for your needs.

Objective

You keep the financials of us and our clients up to date with your exceptional attention to detail, critical thinking, and customer service skills. Your expertise in fund accounting, full-cycle accounting, payroll, and non-profit grant management will ensure our clients are well positioned to understand their financial story. You will have a savvy for identifying inefficiencies, documenting, and recommending business process improvements along the way. Working closely with the CEO and directly with our non-profit clients, the Accounting & Payroll Lead will be central to us achieving our mission of helping the grassroots social purpose sector move their missions forward.

Duties and Responsibilities

The duties of this role will vary as the organization evolves, making adaptability a core competency for the incumbent to possess. The primary focus areas for this position are:

1.    Finance

a.    Perform full cycle accounting duties for Purpose Forward as well as multiple clients with various accounting systems and processes.

b.    Ensure payroll, payables, and receivables are processed in a timely manner for clients.

c.    Support the period end (month, quarter, year) processes to ensure the accuracy of financial information.

d.    Develop and prepare remittances and reports for various stakeholders, including management, Boards, funders, government, and staff.

e.    Act as the primary support for the external auditors for our clients, gathering backup and coordinating responses.

f.     Work with the CEO to develop budgets, financial packages, process audits, and portfolio reviews to our clients.

2.    Client Support & Technical Training

a.    Respond to client requests in a timely and professional manner.

b.    Act as primary point of contact for most client requests, ensuring the client needs are met to their satisfaction.

c.    Work directly with clients and internal stakeholders to develop ticketing processes, immediate feedback loops, and other client-centric user enhancements.

d.    Develop training guides and knowledge bases for services we support broadly.

3.    Process Automation & Standardization

a.    Under the leadership of the CEO and our IT team, you will automate routine activities (such as data collection, reporting, etc.) using Microsoft PowerApps, PowerAutomate, and PowerBI to improve efficiency and accuracy.

b.    Maintain and enhance existing automations, becoming the subject matter expert for automating financial processes internally and with our clients.

c.    Identify, consult, and execute initiatives to standardize our procedures across clients to improve data quality, reduce risk, and implement best practices.

Qualifications and Requirements

The ideal candidate will be a CPA (or working towards the designation) and have at least 2 years of relevant industry experience. You will be able to demonstrate good judgement, critical thinking skills, adaptability, and ability to communicate effectively. You will be comfortable with using technology and have a desire to learn new tools that make time for you to focus on the creative part of the job. A strong technical aptitude with programming or advanced MS Excel skills is required. An understanding of accounting principles is essential, but non-profit accounting can be learned on the job. Proficiency in English (written and verbal) is required, while French is considered an asset.

Purpose Forward is dedicated to building an organization that reflects the diversity of communities across Canada. This includes diversity in languages spoken, culture, race, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Requests for accommodation due to disability can be made at any stage in the recruitment process by emailing joinus@purposeforward.org.