accountant Vancouver
Job description
An IB World School, St. John’s School is an independent, co-educational, non-denominational, university preparatory day school situated in the Kitsilano neighborhood of Vancouver. Serving 570 JK through Grade 12 students in an urban setting, St. John’s boasts a vibrant, accomplished, well rounded student community striving for excellence in academics, athletics, and the arts. One hundred percent of graduates are accepted by the best post-secondary programmes around the world.
St. John’s is a member of the Independent Schools Association of BC, an associate member of the National Association of Independent Schools, USA and an IB World School offering the PYP, MYP and DP programmes.
Key People
Reports to: Controller
Key Interations: Finance department, HR department, advancement team, School Principals, Department Heads, banks, Canada Revenue Agency, external accountants, suppliers
Position Purpose & Overview
The Accountant assists the Controller in the day-to-day finance and accounting activities. This position is an integral part of the overall operation of the school and functions in a dynamic and collaborative team environment.
Key Responsibilities
§ Assists the implementation and monitoring of financial policies and procedures. Ensures that all proper and necessary accounting controls are implemented and maintained to protect the school’s assets, including cash management and compliance with taxation requirements
§ Under the direction of the Controller, ensure timely completion of the monthly accounting cycle including bank reconciliations, G/L reconciliations, payroll, and preparation of internal financial statements and other financial analysis, on an as needed basis
§ Daily monitoring of bank and accounting transactions to ensure accuracy and completeness of accounting entries in Sage 50
§ Assists in the management and submission of required statutory remittance, ensuring remittances are completed on time, including GST/PST returns, employee health tax and other statutory remittances
§ Under the direction of the Controller, assists with the annual budget preparation process (October to December).
§ Under the direction of the controller, assist with the external audits of SJS Society and SJS Trust. Prepare audit schedules and respond to audit inquiries. Assists with year end accounting, and external audit working paper preparations for the school (July and August) and the St. John’s School Trust (January).
§ Tracks donation receipts and reconciles receipts monthly.
§ Assists with overseeing the processing of accounts payable, ensuring timely and accurate payments to vendors. Manage students accounts receivable, including invoicing, collections, and reconciliation.
§ Assists with overseeing payroll processing, including accurate calculation of employee salaries, benefits, and deductions. Ensure compliance with payroll tax laws and reporting requirements. Assists in the review and supervision of work completed by the Payroll & Students Account Administrator.
§ Assists in the review and supervision of work completed by the Accounts Payable Administrator and the Payroll & Students Account Administrator. Acts as backup for accounts receivable, payroll, and accounts payable functions as required.
§ Provide guidance to junior finance staff.
§ Foster a collaborative and supportive work environment. Coordinate and prioritize tasks to meet deadlines and achieve departmental objectives.
This job profile outlines the key responsibilities for the roles and is not meant to be exhaustive. This will include performing the administrative and related tasks or any other responsibilities required to reasonably meet the needs of St. John’s School, including, but not limited to the general duties outlined in the position profile.
It should be understood that the activities, responsibilities and obligations of this position may be modified from time to time, through discussion between the direct supervisor and the employee, in order to effectively meet the requirements of the School. On rare occasions where there are urgent needs at the School, an employee may be assigned to temporarily backfill role(s) critical to the school’s operations and business continuity.
Required Qualifications and Key Skills
Education & Work Experience
§ Bachelor's degree in accounting is typically required. A relevant professional certification such as Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) is an asset.
§ Minimum five years of related accounting experience, preferably in an educational or not for profit organization
Qualities and Skills
§ High proficiency in Microsoft Excel for data analysis and financial modelling
§ Experience working the Google Workspace environment
§ Familiarity with payroll processing and relevant tax regulations
§ Proficiency in accounting software; Sage 50 is preferred
§ Knowledge and understanding of not-for-profit accounting standards is considered an asset
§ Experience with budgeting and forecasting processes
§ Strong attention to detail is crucial to ensure accuracy in financial reporting
§ Demonstrates integrity, with the ability to handle confidential information with discretion and maintain high ethical standards.
§ Effective organizational and time management skills to handle multiple responsibilities and meet deadlines.
§ Ability to adapt to changing priorities, work well under pressure, and handle tight deadlines.
§ Excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively interact with various stakeholders
§ Proactive and collaborative, team and goal oriented
Success Measurements
§ Accuracy of accounting records: Absence of significant errors or discrepancies
§ Timeliness of financial reporting: meeting deadlines for monthly and annual reporting, and timely submission of reports requested by Controller, Director of Finance. Addressing external audit queries on a timely basis
§ Compliance with regulatory requirements for taxes and statutory remittances
Employment details
§ This role begins in July 2023.
§ Permanent full-time employment
§ This position is eligible for the school’s extended benefits program
§ This role works on site at St. John’s School
§ Two weeks vacation, in addition to school closures during December (2 weeks) and March (1 week)
Applications
All interested candidates should include the following items in their applications
● Resume & Cover Letter
● Names, email addresses and phone numbers of three professional references
● Copies of any relevant certificates and diplomas
● Send to HR Department [email protected]
● Application deadline: June 28, 2023
Conditions of Employment
§ The successful candidate will be required to complete child abuse prevention training provided by St. John’s School and provide consent for a criminal reference check for vulnerable sector.
§ Clearance on criminal record check for vulnerable sector is a condition of employment.
St. John's School is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
St. John’s School is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce by ensuring a barrier-free work environment. We welcome applications from all qualified job seekers, from BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of color), persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQ (persons of all sexual orientations and genders). If you are an applicant with a disability, we will work with you to make reasonable workplace accommodations you may need for your best work performance.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Benefits:
- Dental care
- Disability insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- On-site gym
- On-site parking
- RRSP match
- Vision care
Schedule:
- Monday to Friday
Experience:
- Accounting: 5 years (preferred)
Work Location: In person
Expected start date: 2023-07-04
