Lead Accountant, Controllership

Liberty Mutual Canada•Toronto, ON

11d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Lead Accountant, Controllership position is a key role within the growing Controllership function at Liberty Mutual Canada. This role is instrumental in strengthening the finance department by supporting operational excellence, enhancing controls, and taking consolidated ownership of the book close process. The Lead Accountant will be part of building a dedicated Controllership team responsible for book close activities for both Branch and Strategic Business Unit (SBU) operations. A primary focus will be on transferring book close responsibilities from FP&A back to Controllership, establishing robust reconciliation and control disciplines, and implementing best practices from the Global Controllership (GRS) team.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related discipline
Professional accounting designation preferred (CPA or equivalent)
5 to 7 years of progressive experience in controllership, accounting or finance roles; preferably, within insurance, financial services, or another regulated industry; Big 4 experience is an asset
Extensive knowledge of IFRS; US GAAP knowledge is advantageous
Robust hands‑on experience with book close processes and core accounting activities
Strong understanding of internal controls, reconciliations, and accounting policies
Demonstrated ability to lead process change and manage transitions across teams
Experience with process standardization, automation, or finance transformation initiatives
Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to partner effectively across Finance, FP&A, Actuarial, and global teams
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain accounting concepts clearly to non‑technical audiences
Strong analytical skills and attention to detail
Exposure to automation, data-driven processes, or emerging technologies is an asset
Advanced Microsoft Office skills. Experience with financial systems and ERPs is an asset

Nice To Haves

Big 4 experience is an asset
US GAAP knowledge is advantageous
Exposure to automation, data-driven processes, or emerging technologies is an asset
Experience with financial systems and ERPs is an asset

Responsibilities

Uphold Liberty’s values and Guidelines for Inclusion to foster a high performance, collaborative, and inclusive finance culture
Provide day to day leadership within Controllership, supporting increased scope and complexity of accounting and close activities
Assume consolidated ownership of core Controllership processes, including: Month end and quarter end book close, Account reconciliations and substantiation, Journal entries and ledger management, Intercompany accounting and settlements, Accounting policy interpretation and application, Internal controls and compliance activities
Lead the transition of book close responsibilities from FP&A to Controllership, ensuring a smooth handover with no disruption to reporting quality or timelines
Establish consistent, disciplined, and well controlled close processes aligned with best practices
Standardize and automate controllership processes where possible to support scale, efficiency, and reduced operational risk
Leverage and adopt best practices, tools, and methodologies from the Global (GRS) Controllership team to drive consistency and synergies
Ensure strong governance, documentation, and audit ready processes across all controllership activities
Proactively identify opportunities to strengthen controls, reduce risk and improve operational efficiency
Support additional finance transformation initiatives and projects as needed