Controller (18 month Contract)

About Us

Recognized as a leader in innovative energy solutions, Creative Energy designs, builds, owns, and operates sustainable district energy systems across Canada and parts of the US. Our team has a client-focused, community-vested approach to projects that deliver outstanding quality and service while providing tangible value for continued growth.

In addition to owning and operating one of Canada’s largest thermal networks in downtown Vancouver, we provide value to developers, landowners, end-users and the broader community through flexible thermal neighbourhood energy systems. Our projects focus on innovation, resiliency, and sustainability, and span across a broad spectrum of technologies including geo-exchange, ocean exchange, cogeneration, microgrids, solar PVs, and sewer heat recovery.

Serving Canadians for over 55 years with a reliability rate of 99.99%, we’re developing more than a dozen new low-carbon district energy systems across North America, including the revitalization and decarbonization of our downtown Vancouver steam plant which will be one of North America’s largest thermal fuel-switch projects and provide downtown Vancouver with renewable energy infrastructure for decades to come.

The Opportunity:

We are seeking a technology savvy and continuous process improvement focused Controller to join our Finance team for an 18 month contract. Reporting to the CFO, you will lead a team of talented professionals and oversee the delivery of comprehensive accounting services, while promoting a culture of corporate excellence and continuous improvement to improve business processes, leverage automation and drive value across the business. Your core responsibilities include the following:

Leadership and Management

• Works closely with other senior leaders to support scalable growth, and ensure continuity, effectiveness, and continuous process improvement.
• Leads, manages and coaches direct reports with personal integrity and in an environment of mutual respect, consistent with Creative Energy’s values. Team includes Manager, Financial Reporting, Senior Accountant, Intermediate Accountant, Junior Accountant and AP Clerk.

Accounting and Reporting

• Oversees, establishes and maintains accounting policies and controls and fiscal controls, ensuring appropriate risk mitigation.
• Prepares financial reports and safeguards the organization's assets.
• Contributes to the development of departmental business and operational plans.
• Oversees the reporting functions and systems, ensuring detailed and accurate analysis and insights into monthly financial performance and KPIs, and key variances from budget.
• Leads and oversees preparation of annual financial statements and notes and leads the coordination of information to external auditors for the annual audit. Continues to drive efficiencies in the audit process. Communicates with the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors.
• Supports revenue requirements applications and project driven regulatory applications, as required.
• Ensures accounting team manages working capital including timely payment of accounts payable, and accounts receivables are collected promptly, including interest as applicable.
• Provides for a system of management cost reports for operations and project delivery and ensures processes in place to plan and execute projects.
• Ensures compliance with local, province/state, and federal government reporting requirements and tax filings. Manages outsourced tax compliance activities and identifies tax planning opportunities.
• Builds and improves similar processes and reporting for the US entity as it grows.

Treasury and Banking

• Manages the relationship with the Company’s lenders and ensures compliance with all covenants, proactively identifying solutions and opportunities.
• Oversees preparation of detailed short-term forecasts for cash planning efforts and recommendations to optimize cash and operating line strategies.
• Monitors debt levels and compliance with debt covenants to ensure debt payments are made on a timely basis.
• Works with credit card providers on card limits, options, flexibility, payments, and flexibility for processing.

Project Delivery and Operations Support

• Proactively identifies areas for process improvement across departments and executes on continuous improvement initiatives and monitors the impact of changes.
• Conducts thorough analysis and assessments to understand and document current processes and their associated challenges.
• Acts as the finance lead on finance process improvement projects, e.g., changing the financial reporting system, improving the procure-to-pay process and developing a new billing system. Works collaboratively with the IT department on projects.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance.
• Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation.
• Minimum of three years’ experience leading and managing a team of accounting professionals (includes out-sourced resources).
• 7 - 10 years of related industry experience, demonstrating understanding of technology and other business functions.
• Experience in planning, implementing, and integrating new process improvement and automation projects. Knowledge of Sage Intacct is an asset.

Specialized Skills and Knowledge:

• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, verbally and in writing, with internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent time management, organizational and planning skills and demonstrated flexibility coping effectively with changing priorities in a fast-paced work environment and the ability to successfully manage and complete multiple tasks within deadlines.
• Ability to deliver projects in-scope, on-time, and on-budget.
• Excellent problem solving and analytical skills.
• Strategic thinker and strong business acumen with the ability to analyze and work with financial data.
• Ability to collaborate and to build and maintain relationships of trust with internal staff, stakeholders, and key external entities, such as auditors, accounting and tax advisors, and the BC Utilities Commission; committed to providing superior customer service.
• Operational excellence and focused on business process improvement and automation that can scale to meet the growth needs of the company.

What we Offer

• 4 weeks vacation
• Comprehensive benefits package, including an RRSP matching program.
• Support to maintain your professional credentials.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, we will only be contacting selected candidates for follow-up.