Senior Accountant / Finance Lead

Company Overview

YMS Uniko Inc. is a 50‑year‑old specialty manufacturing company in the signage / visual communications space. The business is in the middle of a full commercial and operational modernization: new sales systems, tighter production controls, upgraded telecom, and stronger financial governance.

We are looking for a hands‑on Senior Accountant / Finance Lead who wants to own the finance function in a small, complex, changing environment and be a key partner to the CEO in shaping the next phase of YMS.

This is not a big‑company “departmental Controller” role. It is a build‑it, fix‑it, own‑it role for someone who wants responsibility and impact early in their career.

Role Summary

The Senior Accountant / Finance Lead will be the lead finance professional at YMS, responsible for:

• Full‑cycle accounting and month‑end close
• Financial reporting and analysis
• Cash management and working capital
• Costing, pricing support, and margin control
• Designing and enforcing basic controls (purchasing, timekeeping, payroll input, approvals)
• Supporting bank relationships and lender reporting

You will work directly with the Interim CEO and partner with Sales and Operations to support profitable growth. This is a hands‑on role: you will be in the GL, doing reconciliations, and also presenting numbers and recommendations.

Key Responsibilities

1. Financial Reporting & Accounting

• Own full‑cycle accounting:
• General ledger, AP, AR, bank and credit card reconciliations
• Accruals, prepaids, fixed assets, and basic tax entries
• Prepare accurate and timely monthly, quarterly, and year‑end financial statements.
• Maintain the chart of accounts and ensure consistent coding of all transactions.
• Prepare working papers and schedules for the external accounting firm at year‑end.

2. Budgeting, Forecasting & Performance Analysis

• Work with the CEO to build an annual budget and simple rolling forecasts (revenue, gross margin, labour, overhead).
• Track performance vs. budget and prepare clear monthly variance analysis.
• Develop simple dashboards/KPIs for: Sales and margin, Labor and overtime, Overhead and cash trends.

3. Cost Accounting, Pricing Support & Margin Control

• Implement and maintain basic job costing and/or standard costing for key products and services.
• Analyse material, labour, and overhead to understand true job margins.
• Work with Sales to:
• Maintain pricing tables and minimum margin guardrails
• Support quoting on complex jobs with cost/price guidance
• Identify margin leakage and recommend corrective action (pricing, process, purchasing).

4. Controls, Timekeeping & Compliance

• Design and enforce practical controls over: Purchase orders and approvals, Vendor payments, Expense reimbursements and Timekeeping and payroll input
• Oversee the implementation and governance of biometric timekeeping and ensure practices comply with the Ontario Employment Standards Act (e.g., minimum shift, overtime rules).
• Ensure compliance with relevant accounting standards and CRA requirements (HST, payroll remittances, etc.).

5. Cash Management & Working Capital

• Monitor daily and weekly cash position.
• Prepare short‑term cash flow projections and flag issues early.
• Manage AR collections, including tracking overdue accounts and escalating when needed.
• Oversee AP timing and vendor terms to balance cash and supplier relationships.
• Support inventory and purchasing controls to maintain appropriate stock levels without tying up unnecessary cash.

6. Systems, Process & Continuous Improvement

• Document finance processes and policies; remove unnecessary complexity.
• Identify opportunities to streamline and automate (templates, recurring entries, standard reports).
• Help integrate financial data with other systems (timekeeping, CRM/HubSpot, production or job tracking tools).
• Support the development of simple, repeatable reporting packs for management and lenders.

7. Business Partnering

• Act as a day‑to‑day finance partner to: Interim CEO, Sales Manager and Operations / GM.
• Provide clear, data‑driven input to decisions (pricing, staffing, capex, vendor selection).
• Participate in management meetings and speak to the numbers with confidence and clarity.

Qualifications

Must‑Have

• CPA designation (completed or close to completion) OR 3–7 years of strong, progressive experience in accounting with clear Controller/Senior Accountant trajectory.
• Proven experience owning month‑end close and preparing management financial statements.
• Solid knowledge of Canadian accounting standards, HST, payroll basics, and Ontario ESA concepts.
• Strong Excel skills (lookups, pivots, basic models) and comfort working with small‑business accounting software.
• Demonstrated ability to set up and follow practical internal controls in a small business (approvals, segregation of duties where possible, reconciliations).
• High integrity, strong attention to detail, and reliability—someone who can be trusted with the numbers.

Nice‑to‑Have

• Hands-on experience with small-business accounting software such as Sage Business Vision (BV), QuickBooks, Sage 50, or Xero.
• Experience in manufacturing, fabrication, construction, or other job‑costing environments.
• Prior exposure to: Labor/timekeeping systems, Inventory and PO management, Bank/lender reporting
• Experience mentoring or supervising a junior bookkeeper or admin finance staff.

Personal Attributes

We are looking for someone who:

• Is hands‑on and comfortable doing the work themselves (this is not a “big team” role).
• Can handle messy legacy situations and enjoys fixing and simplifying systems.
• Communicates clearly and directly – able to say “these are the numbers, this is the issue, here’s my recommendation.”
• Is organized and able to manage multiple deadlines (month‑end, payroll input, lender requests, etc.).
• Wants ownership and growth, not just a repetitive, maintenance job.

Compensation

• Base Salary: $60,000-$75,000 per year, depending on experience and qualifications.
• Eligibility for a discretionary performance bonus tied to company results (details to be discussed during the interview process).
• Statutory vacation and public holiday entitlements in accordance with the Ontario ESA; other details to be confirmed at offer stage.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit a resume and a brief cover letter outlining relevant experience (especially any manufacturing / job‑costing exposure), their availability and desired start date.

No phone calls, emails or agency submissions, please.

Pay: $60,000.00-$75,000.00 per year

Benefits

• Casual dress
• Dental care
• Life insurance
• On-site parking
• Paid time off

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Greater Toronto Area, ON: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Experience

• month-end close: 3 years (required)
• Accounting: 4 years (required)

Work Location: In person