Sterling Rivers is looking for a passionate and driven Controller to lead its finance function with both operational and analytical oversight, ensuring the accuracy, integrity, and timeliness of all financial activities. Reporting to the CFO, the Controller is responsible for managing financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, compliance, payroll, and risk.
This role also provides guidance and review over the work of the finance team, with a strong focus on costing, gross margin analysis, revenues, and import operations. The Controller will maintain robust accounting practices and systems, support ERP implementation, and serve as a key financial liaison to internal and external stakeholders.
Here’s what you need to know about this opportunity:
- Full-time, salaried position
- Standard business hours
- Comprehensive benefits package
- 3-weeks of paid vacation days per year
- 4 paid personal days per year
- On-Site/Hybrid role
- Location: 1245 Caledonia Road #200, North York
And here’s what we need from the person who fills this role:
Leadership & Management:
- Directly manage the Financial Reporting Specialist, Financial Operations Specialist, and two part-time contractors (AR and payroll support); report to the CFO.
- Conduct performance reviews, set team goals, and manage training and development.
Financial Reporting & Compliance:
- Oversee the month-end close process led by the Financial Reporting Specialist by reviewing key journal entries, reconciliations, and reports to ensure accuracy, completeness, timeliness, and ASPE compliance.
- Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual financial and business reports, KPIs, dashboards, and executive summaries for leadership and investors. Explain variances to budget, forecast, and prior periods, identify business drivers, and recommend actions to the CFO and CEO.
- Oversee all government and CRA filings and remittances, including corporate taxes, sales taxes, payroll related remittances, annual filings.
- Lead the external review engagement process.
- Maintain internal financial policies, processes, and control frameworks to safeguard assets and ensure transparency.
Treasury & Cash Flow Management:
- Lead communications with corporate banks regarding operational banking matters.
- Collaborate with the CFO on capital planning and optimizing the use of lines of credit.
- Oversee weekly rolling cash flow process prepared by the Financial Reporting Specialist, ensuring cash flows are understood, comply with credit facilities and sufficient cash flow in projections for business needs.
- Review and approve weekly payment proposals to ensure alignment with available funds and business priorities.
- Document weekly payment meetings, as a control to ensure there is a record and alignment.
- Ensure invoice approvals adhere to the corporate Delegation of Authority.
- Prepare liquidity and treasury KPIs to support business continuity and financial agility.
- Responsible for the monthly margining and other reports required by financial institutions
Budgeting, Forecasting & Financial Planning:
- Lead the annual budgeting process and quarterly forecasting processes in collaboration with the CFO and functional teams.
- Set timelines and collect inputs from across the organization.
- Prepare and update financial forecasts, deliver variance analysis, KPIs and dashboards and executive summaries to explain results and inform leadership decisions.
- Partner cross-functionally to support cost management and improve margin performance.
Cost Accounting & Inventory Control:
- Lead cost accounting processes, including inventory valuation, landed cost analysis, adjustments and alignment in the financial reporting system of inventory by locations to external WH and internal inventory reports.
- Analyze and report on gross margins, SKU-level profitability, and operational cost drivers.
- Ensure accuracy of freight, duty, and brokerage charges and accruals required.
- Support operations and procurement with financial insights related to sourcing, pricing, and inventory decisions.
- Prepare inventory KPIs to understand aging, provisions and valuation adheres to ASPE.
Payroll & Employee Cost Oversight:
- Manages the Payroll Coordinator to ensure payroll accuracy and compliance with CRA remittance requirements.
- Maintain payroll controls, support vacation and bonus accruals, and oversee reconciliation processes.
Financial Systems, ERP & Operational Finance:
- Maintain the integrity and controls of QuickBooks Enterprise (QBE) and associated reporting tools.
- Support the finance-side implementation and project management of a new ERP system.
- Identify and implement process improvements and automation opportunities across finance operations.
- Manage the financial team to provide oversight and support to AP/AR functions through the Financial Operations Specialist and Financial Reporting Specialist.
- Support the CFO with insurance renewals.
We are looking for someone with the following experience and attributes:
Must-haves
- 7+ years of progressive accounting experience, including 2+ years in Leadership and team management, ideally in a manufacturing, distribution or inventory based environment.
- CPA designation (or equivalent) designation with experience reporting to Canadian GAAP - ASPE.
- Experience in an entrepreneurial environment with the ability to lead, develop and motivate a small finance team.
- Proficient in financial systems and advanced Excel (e.g., pivot tables, index match, lookups), and financial modeling.
- Excellent communication skills at all levels of an organization, with strong problem solving, analytical and organizational skills and strong attention to detail.
- Experience with QuickBooks Enterprise and Google Workspace.
Nice-to-haves
- Background in international trade or supply chain finance.
- Experience in e-commerce and B2B channels.
- Familiarity with trade spend, manufacturing charge backs and payment deductions.
- Experience with ERP implementations.
Career Development Opportunities:
This role is critical to the financial foundation of the company and provides a clear path to the CFO role or other senior leadership positions within the company as it grows.
A little bit about us:
Sterling Rivers is a new player in the online retail industry with a growing team! We are a team of passionate members and are looking to add some new key players to support our development. Joining our team now will mean that you will grow with us!
Sterling Rivers operates under the brand Sudio Design which develops, imports and retails bathroom vanities and home and office furnishings on some of the major eCommerce platforms such as Wayfair, Home Depot and Houzz. For more information please visit:
- Our website: https://sudiodesign.com/
- Our LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sterling-rivers-inc/about/
We are proud to be an equal-opportunity employer:
Sterling Rivers is an equal-opportunity employer. We are committed to inclusive, barrier-free recruitment and selection processes, including our work environment.
For those with disabilities, accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. Please inform us within your application if you require any accommodations and every effort will be made to meet your needs.