Accounting Assistant

Incumbent: To be filled

Reports to: Director of Operations and Business Development, with a direct line to the President for financial matters and reporting

Supervises: No direct reports

Position Summary

Handles all accounting operations for the company and its two holding companies: full accounting cycle, progress billing, accounts receivable and payable, and tax and regulatory compliance. Ensures the integrity of financial information and prepares the data management relies on to make decisions, in collaboration with the external accountants.

Main Responsibilities

• Maintain the full accounting cycle through to the trial balance and produce monthly internal financial statements.
• Keep the books for the two holding companies: accounting cycle, bank reconciliations, intercompany entries, and the documents the external accountants need for financial statements and tax returns.
• Act as the guardian of financial rigour: no supplier invoice, expense or payment request is processed without supporting documentation, approval and compliance with agreements.
• Enter supplier invoices in NetSuite, match them against purchase orders and receipts, then prepare payment batches for authorization by the President or the Director of Operations.
• Produce progress billing as soon as payment applications are validated by the project managers and the project assistant, and send invoices without delay to avoid collection lags.
• Closely monitor accounts receivable: systematic follow-ups according to the payment schedule, collection efforts, and prompt escalation to the Director of Operations for overdue or disputed accounts.
• Manage contractual documents: notices of contract (dénonciations), partial and final releases, letters and certificates of compliance, and the contract holdback register.
• Provide the project managers, the project assistant and the bid assistant with required certificates (Revenu Québec, CNESST, proof of insurance, bonds) and monitor their expiry dates.
• Verify subcontractors’ RBQ licences and certificates before payment.
• Prepare and file GST and QST returns and remittances.
• Record payroll entries and source deduction remittances processed through Nethris, and reconcile them with statements.
• Perform bank, credit card and sales tax account reconciliations.
• Produce job cost reports and work-in-progress tracking (estimated vs. actual, projected cost at completion).
• Prepare cash flow forecasts and support management in developing the annual budget.
• Act as liaison with the external accountants during the annual review engagement or audit.
• Keep insurance and bonding files up to date, in support of the President.

Internal Controls Related to the Position

• Prepares payments but does not authorize them and holds no bank signing authority. Authorization rests with the President or the Director of Operations.
• Has no role in preparing or approving payroll, which is the responsibility of the Human Resources Manager.
• Any change to a supplier’s or employee’s banking information is validated by management before being applied.

Desired Profile

• DEC in Accounting and Management Technology or equivalent training.
• Minimum one year of accounting experience in a CCQ (construction industry) environment.
• Solid command of progress billing, holdbacks, releases and notices of contract.
• Experience with multi-company accounting and intercompany entries, an asset.
• Comfortable with an integrated accounting system (NetSuite, an asset) and advanced Excel.
• Strong openness to new technologies and interest in automating accounting processes.
• Responsiveness, sense of urgency and firmness in collecting receivables.
• Autonomy, rigour, discretion and respect for deadlines.
• Excellent written French; functional English an asset.