At a glance
Pay shows the low (10th percentile) to high (90th percentile) Canada-wide wages for Financial managers, from Job Bank (2023–2024), as yearly amounts for full-time work. Pay varies by province, city and experience. See wages by region on Job Bank
Before you post
Answer these questions first. They shape the title, the pay you offer and who applies.
Controller or CFO?
A controller runs accounting, reporting and controls; a CFO also leads strategy, financing and investor relations. Be clear which you need now.
How big is the team?
Say how many people they'll lead, from a one-person finance team to several accountants.
What's broken today?
Late closes, cash crunches, audit findings or a system migration all call for different strengths. Name the main challenge.
Job description template
Log in to copyCopy this into the job form and change the parts in brackets.
Financial Controller
About the role
We're looking for a Financial Controller to lead our finance function. You'll own reporting, budgets, cash flow and controls, lead our accounting team and give leadership the numbers to make good decisions.
What you'll do
- Lead monthly, quarterly and year-end close and financial reporting
- Own budgeting, forecasting and cash-flow management
- Set and maintain strong internal controls
- Manage the audit or review and tax filings with external accountants
- Lead and develop the accounting team
What you bring
- CPA designation
- 7+ years in accounting or finance, with at least 3 in a leadership role
- Experience preparing financial statements under ASPE or IFRS
- Strong skills with ERP or accounting systems and Excel
- Clear communication with leadership and the board
Nice to have
- Experience in our industry
- Experience leading a system implementation
Languages: French and English — [how each language is used, and the level needed for speaking, reading and writing].
Pay: [$ – $ per year or hour]. Location: [city, province] — [on-site / hybrid / remote].
Hiring bilingual talent
Every job on Bilingo requires at least two languages. Here's how to hire a bilingual Financial Controller who can really work in both.
Say how each language is used
"Bilingual" is too vague. Describe the real tasks, for example "serve clients by phone in French and English" or "write reports in English and present them in French", and the level you need for speaking, reading and writing.
Test languages the way the job uses them
Self-ratings aren't reliable. Hold part of the interview in each language, and add a short task the job really needs, such as answering a client email or a role-played call. Use the same test for every candidate.
Recognize the skill in pay
Bilingual people can usually choose between many offers. Many employers pay a bilingual premium or place bilingual roles higher in the pay range. Show it in the posting.
Hiring in Quebec?
French comes first. If the job also needs English or another language, the Charter of the French language requires you to show why the duties need it, and to say so in the posting.
Where to find bilingual candidates
- Bilingo: every candidate here is looking for a bilingual job, and the language requirement is on every posting
- French immersion and French-language programs at Canadian colleges and universities, including bilingual campuses in Ontario and New Brunswick
- Francophone community and newcomer organizations across Canada
- Cities where bilingual workers are concentrated, such as Montreal, Ottawa–Gatineau and Moncton
Where to find candidates
- Bilingo Canada's job board for bilingual jobs. Post for free, set the languages the job needs, and reach candidates who are looking for exactly that. They apply with a complete profile and résumé. Post a job
- LinkedInSearch for controllers and finance managers with a CPA in your industry.
- Provincial CPA bodiesCPA job boards and events reach designated accountants ready for a leadership step.
- Finance recruitersSpecialist finance recruitment firms can present senior candidates quickly, for a fee.
- Job Bank The Government of Canada's free job board. If you plan to hire a temporary foreign worker, advertising here is usually part of the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process.
Interview questions
Ask every candidate the same core questions so you can compare answers fairly.
- How have you shortened a month-end close?
- Tell me about a control weakness you found and fixed.
- How do you build a cash-flow forecast, and how often do you update it?
- Walk me through how you'd prepare for our next year-end.
- How do you develop the people on your team?
30/60/90-day plan
Share this plan on the first day so your new hire knows what success looks like.
First 30 days
- Meet leadership, the finance team and external accountants
- Review the last year's statements, budget and controls
- Understand cash flow and banking
Days 31–60
- Lead month-end close
- Deliver a first forecast update
- Identify control and process gaps
Days 61–90
- Present a finance improvement plan
- Set goals for each team member
- Prepare the plan for year-end or audit
Hiring rules in Canada
The CPA designation is regulated by provincial CPA bodies. Controllers don't need a public accounting licence unless they also offer audit or review services to outside clients.
Employment law in Canada is mostly provincial, so the rules depend on where the job is. These are the ones that most often affect a job posting and hiring process.
Put the pay in the posting
- British Columbia — since November 1, 2023, every employer (except federally regulated ones) must include the expected pay or pay range in publicly advertised job postings. Vague terms like "competitive" or "up to" don't count.
- Prince Edward Island — since June 1, 2022, publicly advertised job postings must include the expected pay or pay range.
- Ontario — for postings made on or after January 1, 2026 by employers with 25 or more employees, the posting must include the expected pay or a range no wider than $50,000 a year (unless pay goes above $200,000).
- Newfoundland and Labrador — its Pay Equity and Pay Transparency Act includes pay ranges in job postings and a ban on asking about pay history; check whether it applies to your organization yet.
Even where it isn't required, postings with a pay range get more and better-matched applicants. Add it in the salary fields of the Bilingo job form.
Ontario: more posting rules from 2026
Ontario employers with 25 or more employees must also:
- Say in the posting whether AI is used to screen, assess or select applicants
- Say whether the posting is for an existing vacancy
- Not ask for Canadian experience in the posting or application form
- Tell interviewed applicants whether a hiring decision has been made within 45 days of their last interview
- Keep copies of postings and those notices for 3 years
Quebec: French first
Under the Charter of the French language, job postings in Quebec must be available in French, at the same time and with similar reach as any other language version. If the job requires a language other than French, such as English, you must be able to show why the duties need it, and say so in the posting.
Hire without discrimination
Human rights laws in every province and territory (and the Canadian Human Rights Act for federally regulated employers) ban discrimination on grounds such as age, sex, gender identity, race, religion, disability, and family or marital status. Only list requirements the job truly needs, ask every candidate job-related questions, and offer accommodation in the hiring process when asked.
Protect applicants' personal information
Privacy laws, including PIPEDA and the private-sector privacy laws of Alberta, British Columbia and Quebec, apply to the CVs and information you collect. Only ask for what you need to make a hiring decision, store it securely, and don't keep it longer than you need. Get consent before checking references or doing background checks.
Check the right to work
Before someone starts, confirm they can work in Canada and get their Social Insurance Number (SIN) for payroll. Hiring a foreign national usually needs a work permit, and often a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) from Employment and Social Development Canada.
This is general information based on official government sources, checked on October 3, 2026. It isn't legal advice; check the rules for your province or territory, or ask an employment lawyer. Ontario · British Columbia · Job Bank
Ready to make an offer? Use our employment contract templates, with a language requirements clause.
Related hiring guides
Hire your Financial Controller on Bilingo
Posting is free. Add the languages and pay range, and your job reaches bilingual job seekers across Canada.
