Assistant Controller

Are you a seasoned accounting professional who takes quiet pride in careful, meticulous work, and is ready to step into a role with real long-term scope? Do you value a small, close-knit team where people look out for each other — and a workplace where discretion, precision, and steady judgment are respected above all else?

Our client, a family-run commercial real estate holding company with a growing portfolio of over one million square feet across the Ottawa-Gatineau region, is seeking an Assistant Controller to support the financial operations of the portfolio, with a clear, well-supported runway to senior Controller responsibilities over the coming years. This is a high-trust role in a lean, entrepreneurial office where ownership is actively involved in the day-to-day business and the current, longstanding Controller is planning a gradual, multi-year transition into retirement.

Your New Role

The Assistant Controller will support full-cycle accounting across the real estate portfolio — including oversight of A/P, A/R, and general ledger activity; month-end and year-end close; financial statement preparation; and budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis. You will maintain audit-ready records, prepare bank reconciliations across multiple property and operating accounts, manage fixed asset and depreciation schedules, reconcile CAM and operating cost recoveries, and support HST/GST filings, year-end external audit, property tax and insurance renewals, and lender covenant reporting.

Working closely alongside the current Controller through a planned, multi-year transition, you will gradually take on expanded responsibility — including access to cash management platforms and banking relationships — with a clear runway to the Controller position. You will also partner with the on-site accounting clerk on A/P, A/R, and administrative support, providing guidance and oversight as your responsibilities expand. A more detailed corporate job description is available.

Keys to Success

The successful candidate will bring a minimum of four years of progressive accounting experience, including senior-level responsibility, and a strong full-cycle accounting foundation. High accuracy, discretion, and trustworthiness are essential, particularly given the eventual access to cash management systems. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel is required. Experience with Yardi Breeze or comparable software is helpful, and prior commercial real estate exposure is a nice-to-have — the emphasis here is squarely on accounting strength.

The person who will thrive here is calm, even-keeled, and meticulous — someone who takes real care with the work. This is a small, family-run team that has been together for a long time and genuinely enjoys the work; people look out for each other, take pride in doing things well, and know when to laugh at the end of a long day. Comfort with autonomy in a lean, entrepreneurial environment matters, as does being a firm-but-fair team player — low-drama, a few steps ahead, and with the broad shoulders to think complex issues through independently.

What We Offer

This is a rare kind of opportunity — a high-trust role in a family-run business where the growth path is not aspirational; it is planned. Starting compensation range is $ 80,000–$ 90,000, with room to grow into the higher end of the range over time. The role includes three weeks of vacation to start and group health benefits — medical, dental, and long-term disability. The role is based in the Ottawa area, with standard business hours of approximately 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. and some flexibility (including an earlier finish on Fridays during the summer months). Please note that candidates may be asked to complete a job-related task as an assessment tool for the hiring company.

If you are interested in discussing this opportunity in greater detail, please forward a current copy of your resume. If this position isn’t quite the right fit, but you are open to considering other interesting career opportunities in accounting, finance, or property management, please contact us for a confidential discussion.