Accounting Manager

Posted Tuesday, January 6, 2026 at 5:00 AM

What We Do

Smart & Biggar has been at the forefront of intellectual property (IP) and technology law for over 125 years. We practice in every area of IP on behalf of an exceptional international clientele, and we are consistently ranked as Canada’s leading IP firm. We are committed to hiring people with different backgrounds and experience, who represent the best talent in their field.

We are part of the IPH Group. IPH Limited is the holding company for intellectual property (“IP”) and associated companies offering a wide range of IP services and products. IPH companies employ a highly skilled multidisciplinary team of over 1,200 people in Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Thailand. IPH companies service a diverse client base of Fortune Global 500 companies, multinationals, public sector research organizations, SMEs, and professional services firms worldwide.

We are passionate about what we do and what we can achieve. The IPH Group is committed to promoting and maintaining a workplace culture of shared respect across companies to enable us all to feel valued and be the best we can be.

The Opportunity

Smart & Biggar is currently looking for an Accounting Manager to join our National Finance Team. The successful candidate will be a proactive, collaborative team player who thrives in a fast-paced environment.

You will play a key role in financial reporting, month‑end and year‑end close, audits, internal controls, and financial system implementations.

This role will fill an existing vacancy.

Responsibilities

- Lead and manage the month‑end and year‑end close processes, including preparation and review of journal entries related to banking transactions, intercompany billings, expense allocations, and accruals

- Oversee general ledger accounting, account reconciliations, and vendor master data management

- Prepare and review financial statements for submission to the Director of Finance

- Perform monthly and quarterly financial reporting and variance analysis against budget and forecast

- Support the budgeting and forecasting processes, including the development of financial metrics to enhance business performance and enable data‑driven decision‑making

- Maintain and validate internal controls to ensure the integrity of financial processes and compliance with standards

- Coordinate and manage external and internal audit processes to ensure timely and compliant outcomes

- Assist with indirect tax compliance, including preparation and submission of sales tax filings

- Document, implement, and communicate financial policies, procedures, and best practices

- Maintain open and effective communication with finance leadership and cross‑functional teams to ensure alignment across departments

- Other duties may be assigned or amended as required

Qualifications, competencies and experience

- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or related field

- CPA designation (Chartered Professional Accountant) required

- 5+ years of progressive accounting and financial analysis experience

- Strong understanding of internal controls and accounting best practices

- Proven expertise in general ledger accounting, account reconciliations, budgeting, forecasting, and variance analysis

- Experience with financial reporting and coordination of audits

- Familiarity with IFRS accounting standards (considered an asset)

- Experience with vendor master data and sales tax compliance

- Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills

- Highly organized, detail‑oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities in a high‑volume environment

- Proficiency in Microsoft Excel; experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a strong asset

Compensation

The base salary for this role will be positioned between $100,000 - $132,000 taking into consideration factors such as location, job‑related knowledge, prior experience, qualifications, and internal equity.

Our recruitment process uses AI‑enabled tools to assist with the assessment of applications based on job‑related criteria.

No recruiters or agencies please.

#LI-HYBRID

Benefits

- A competitive compensation structure based on transparency, clarity and fairness;

- A flexible benefits program (effective from day one);

- A fitness subsidy;

- Personal days to help balance personal and professional commitments.

Smart & Biggar is a proud member of the Law Firm Diversity and Inclusion Network (LFDIN), working to promote diversity and encourage a culture of inclusion in our Firm and the broader legal profession.

We welcome applications from all qualified individuals. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

#J-18808-Ljbffr