Controller

About the Council of Canadian Innovators

The Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI) is a national business association representing over 150 of Canada’s fastest-growing technology-intensive companies. Companies within CCI’s portfolio are market leaders in their verticals and commercialize their technologies in over 190 countries, generating between $10M - $750M in annual recurring revenue. CCI’s member companies are all headquartered in Canada and collectively employ over 52,000 Canadians from coast to coast.

CCI was created in 2015 by the leaders of Canada’s most innovative companies to reorient Canada’s economic strategies towards supporting domestic scale-up companies to aid in their pursuit of becoming engines of Canada’s future economic prosperity. CCI works closely with our members and leaders within federal and provincial governments to develop economic strategies that increase access to talent, capital, and customers for homegrown firms, all while updating Canada’s economic playbook for the 21st century economy. Since 2015, CCI’s advocacy has led to the government improving the way businesses access international talent, patent their inventions, and navigate the global data-driven economy.

CCI is a peer network of Canadian business leaders and innovators who look to CCI’s leadership and membership for strategic advice and foresight, expert navigation of federal and provincial governments, and for connections to other innovators and institutions that can assist them in scaling their businesses worldwide.

Today, CCI is headquartered in Toronto and has staff located in Vancouver, Edmonton, Atlantic Canada, Ottawa and Montreal. CCI is established as a not-for-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors, with Jim Balsillie, retired chairman and co-CEO of BlackBerry, serving as Chair, and John Ruffolo, founder of OMERS Ventures and Managing Partner of Maverix Private Equity, serving as Vice-Chair. Both are also co-founders of CCI.

Position Summary

The Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI) – a national business council representing Canada’s fastest-growing technology companies – is seeking an experienced and detail-oriented Controller to oversee the financial operations for both CCI and the SHIELD Policy Institute.

With a combined staff of 20 across both organizations, the Controller plays a critical role in ensuring accurate financial reporting, maintaining strong internal controls, and supporting strategic decision-making. The successful candidate will be hands-on, tech-savvy, and proficient in Xero and integrated platforms such as Dext, Plooto, Helcim, Expensify, and Wagepoint.

Key Responsibilities

• Financial Reporting & Month-End Close
  
  
  • Prepare monthly financial statements, reconciliations, and variance analyses.
  • Ensure accurate general ledger maintenance and month-end/year-end close processes.
  • Coordinate with external accountants for audit preparation and compliance.
    
    
• Revenue & Member Billing
  
  
  • Own invoicing of members via email and Helcim payment system.
  • Monitor accounts receivable and follow up on outstanding payments.
    
    
• Accounts Payable & Expense Management
  
  
  • Review and process accounts payable using Dext and Plooto.
  • Reconcile staff reimbursements using Expensify and ensure timely payouts.
    
    
• Payroll, Benefits, and Total Compensation
  • Administer and reconcile payroll via Wagepoint.
  • Maintain records of payroll transactions and liaise with HR as needed.
  • Assist with annual benefits renewal, ensuring renewal rates align with budget
  • Support the annual salary review process by partnering with people and talent decision-makers at CCI to determine a sustainable budget for compensation changes
    
    
• Budgeting & Forecasting
  
  
  • Support the President with the preparation of annual budgets and periodic forecasts.
  • Provide analysis and commentary to assist leadership in financial planning.
    
    
• Internal Controls & Compliance
  
  
  • Implement and maintain effective internal controls.
  • Ensure compliance with CRA and not-for-profit financial regulations.
  • Partner with the Operations Manager to directly contribute to or advise on internal policies that reinforce financial controls
    
    
• Process Improvement & System Management
  
  
  • Optimize the use of integrated systems (Xero, Dext, Plooto, etc.).
  • Identify and implement opportunities for automation and efficiency.
    
    

Qualifications

• CPA designation (or equivalent) preferred.
• 5+ years of progressive accounting experience, preferably in a not-for-profit or SME environment.
• Proficiency with Xero and complementary platforms (Dext, Plooto, Expensify, Wagepoint, Helcim).
• Strong understanding of Canadian not-for-profit accounting standards.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
• High attention to detail and integrity in handling sensitive information.
  
  

Assets

• Experience with CRA reporting requirements for charities or not-for-profits.
• Previous involvement in board or committee reporting.
• Familiarity with donor-restricted funding and grant tracking.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range: $80,000 - $90,000
• Annual education and training allowance
• Comprehensive health and dental benefits
• Paid parental leave
• Generous vacation: 3 weeks plus two discretionary office closures: 1 week in July and 2 weeks in December, culminating in a total of 6 weeks off per year
• Flexible remote work arrangements

Our bands are based on paying above market rates in our industry and paying comparatively to market rates for parallel roles in the tech sector to acknowledge the diverse skill set we need for our work.

We believe in equal pay for equal value of work. For this reason, although we hire all over Canada, we don’t adjust our pay based on where you live. We’ve used a rate that is competitive across the various locations where we hire