Accountant, Finance, Finance and Facilities Management - 12-month contract (Hybrid, Toronto)

JOB PURPOSE

The Accountant provides accounting and financial analysis related support services to the finance division, including activities such as the completion of monthly bank reconciliations, account analysis and reconciliation, the maintenance of the chart of accounts and recording of transactions within the General Ledger (GL), and maintenance of the Law Society’s financial books and records. The Accountant also supports financial statement preparation and reporting, including preparation of working papers and schedules related to the fiscal year-end audit, and may participate in the day to day financial administration of the Law Society Foundation.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

• University undergraduate degree or equivalent in business or commerce, plus progression towards completion of a recognized accounting designation or equivalent.
• Minimum of 3 years previous related experience in a general accounting environment, ideally in the not-for-profit sector, with exposure to fund accounting and CRA charitable donation receipting requirements.

• Solid understanding of general accounting functions, including GAAP / CICA guidelines, accounts payable, financial reporting and internal controls.

• Solid understanding of rules of operation and reporting requirements related to Registered Charities, special purpose fund accounting and CRA requirements.

• Knowledge of purchasing and accounts receivable functions.

• Excellent knowledge in MS Office applications, software applications and web-based solutions related to a computerized accounting environment, particularly the use of database analysis, queries and report generation in support of the finance function.

• Speaks and writes in a clear, articulate manner for individual and/or group situations.

• Reasons through complex spoken and written information.

Client / Customer Service Delivery

• Contributes to the development and implementation of integrated accounting and financial reporting procedures in support of the client departments and divisions within the Law Society.
• Responds to both internal and external client inquiries, providing accurate and timely information, instruction and assistance regarding processes and best practices.
• External clients range from Licensing Process candidates holding repayable allowances to members with Orders against them as a result of the Tribunals process to key financial personnel at related entities (e.g., LawPRO).
• The Accountant is a point person on day to day issues with banking, following up as necessary with banking representatives.
• Develops, using Cognos Analytics or Showcase, any ad hoc operational reporting requirements.
• On behalf of the Law Society Foundation, liaises with Lawyers Feed the Hungry volunteer coordinators and the Development Manager with respect to programs in other cities and works with fund raising partners in coordinating events.

Financial Responsibility

• Reconciles various balance sheet accounts, performs account reconciliations and analysis, and contributes to the safeguarding of Law Society assets by ensuring the accuracy and integrity of financial data and investigating discrepancies.

• Processes journals, assists with the proper allocation of charges, completes non-payroll government remittances and contributes to the development of accounting and client department financial reports.

• Identifies, and takes steps to rectify errors in client department financial information.

• Prepares ad hoc operational reports using Cognos or Showcase reporting tool.

• Maintains the chart of accounts within Infinium GL, the work breakdown structure within Infinium Project Accounting ensuring integrity and consistency in the set-up of both.

• Maintains financial records related to student borrowing (Repayable Allowance program and former student loan program), administers related collection process and may liaise with the Law Society’s third party collection agency.

• Assists in maintaining the records of the Law Society Foundation, prepares Law Society Foundation tax receipts and reports in compliance with Canada Revenue Agency guidance, rules and regulations with respect to Registered Charities.

• Assists with the day to day financial administration of the Law Society Foundation, including maintenance of the Law Society Foundation’s trust fund accounting records, and the issuance of charitable tax receipts in compliance with CRA requirements.

Team Membership

• Actively participates with other members of the department team, contributing to department-wide projects and facilitating the exchange of information between various functions within the Finance division and/or client departments.
• Acts as a resource to various teams, departments and divisions, communicating best practices and processes for the accuracy and integrity of accounting procedures and financial reporting.

Special Projects and Initiatives

• Actively participates on a variety of ongoing and special projects for the Law Society and affiliated organizations, including continuous development and improvement of financial systems and management processes, research and analysis of new initiatives, and analysis of financial budget and management systems.

The Law Society has introduced a Distributed Workforce Model to leverage flexibility and agility, and to maximize employee productivity and engagement. Work arrangements will be determined by role and departmental requirements. The working arrangement for this position has been classified as hybrid, where the employee will regularly flex their work location between home and office. The specific application of this will be communicated to applicants contacted during the recruitment process.