Description:
As Financial Assistant, you will join CIFAR’s Strategic Operations team and play an important role in keeping our day-to-day financial operations running smoothly. Reporting to the Director, Finance, you will support accounts payable, financial transactions, reconciliations, reporting and other core accounting activities.
This is a great opportunity for someone who enjoys working with numbers, takes pride in accuracy and organization, and wants to build their accounting experience in a collaborative, mission-driven environment. You will work closely with members of the Finance team and colleagues across CIFAR, gaining exposure to a broad range of financial processes and activities.
Key Responsibilities & Impact:
- Process and enter accounts payable transactions, including reviewing vendor invoices, travel claims and meeting-related expenses.
- Review supporting documentation to ensure payments are complete, appropriately approved and compliant with CIFAR policies.
- Assist with weekly payment processing, including EFTs, online bill payments and wire transfers.
- Review monthly credit card transactions through DEXT and ensure expenses are accurately recorded.
- Support monthly financial reporting, account reconciliations and balance sheet analysis.
- Assist with preparing invoices for partners, donors and vendors.
- Assist with bank deposits, monitor bank balances and report receipts to internal stakeholders.
- Reconcile event-related financial details, track data and calculate and record accruals and general ledger entries in QuickBooks.
- Assist with preparing adjusting journal entries and other financial documentation.
- Support year-end activities and preparation for CIFAR’s annual audit.
- Maintain accurate and organized financial records, including the appropriate scanning and filing of supporting documentation.
- Work with the Senior Financial Officer to review and improve financial processes, with a focus on accuracy, timeliness and meeting stakeholders’ needs.
- Provide day-to-day financial support to the Director, Finance, Senior Financial Officer and Financial Coordinator.
About You
You are a detail-oriented and organized accounting professional who enjoys working with numbers and ensuring financial information is accurate and complete. You are comfortable managing routine transactions while also taking the initiative to ask questions, identify discrepancies and follow up when something does not look right.
You bring:
- A completed Accounting Diploma or equivalent knowledge and skills gained through relevant work experience.
- 1–2 years of related accounting experience, ideally with exposure to full-cycle accounting activities.
- A solid understanding of bookkeeping and accounting principles.
- Experience processing financial transactions, maintaining records and working with spreadsheets.
- Strong attention to detail, accuracy and organization.
- Strong numerical and analytical skills.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office and Google Sheets.
- Experience with accounting software; QuickBooks Online experience is an asset.
- Experience with online expense reimbursement systems and DEXT is an asset.
- The ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines and maintain accuracy in a busy environment.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with colleagues across the organization.