Lead Accountant, Controllership

Lead Accountant, Controllership

Department: Finance

Location: Toronto, ON

Reports To: Manager, Accounting Policy & Business Advisory

Company Overview:

Liberty Mutual Canada is the Canadian operation of Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. We offer a broad suite of commercial insurance products and solutions to mid-size and large Canadian companies with Canadian, North American and/or multinational risks. Liberty Mutual Canada has over 300 employees and services its clients coast-to-coast from our regional offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax.

At Liberty Mutual Canada, diversity is about all of us. Our promise to you is a culture that is collaborative, rewarding and empowering. We are committed to attracting and retaining employees across all dimensions of diversity and believe that recognizing, appreciating, and applying the unique insights, perspectives and backgrounds of each person cultivates an atmosphere of trust and respect. At Liberty Mutual Canada, our values are to foster a high-performing, equitable and inclusive culture where the best talent of all backgrounds can bring their whole selves to work and succeed. 

If you are unsure whether your experience matches every requirement below, we encourage you to apply anyway. We are looking for varied and diverse perspectives and experiences that we can add to our team!

Our core values guide all our decision-making and come to life through our benefits and employee programs.

We offer:

• A premier flexible work environment (a combination of on-site & remote work) supporting our employees in their pursuit of a healthy work-life balance
• Competitive health & dental benefits plan
• Market-leading pension plan
• Competitive time off policy
• External education & tuition reimbursement programs
• Employee & Family Assistance Programs
• An opportunity to get involved and become a member of one of our national employee committees – social responsibility, employee engagement, diversity, equity & inclusion

The Opportunity:

There is a growing need to strengthen the Controllership function at Liberty Mutual Canada to support operational excellence, enhanced controls, and consolidated ownership of the book close process. The Lead Accountant is a key part of building out a dedicated Controllership team that assumes responsibility for book close work for both Branch and Strategic Business Unit (SBU) activities under a single, independent team.

The Lead Accountant will play a critical role in transferring book close responsibilities from FP&A back to Controllership, establishing discipline around reconciliation and controls, and adopting best practices from the Global Controllership (GRS) team.

Duties & 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

Skills & Qualifications:

Core Expertise:

• A degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related discipline, with a CPA (or equivalent) designation highly preferred
• 7 - 10 years of progressive experience in controllership, accounting, or finance, ideally within insurance, financial services, or another regulated environment
• Strong, hands-on experience owning or contributing to the end-to-end close process, including reconciliations, journal entries, and financial reporting

Technical Strength:

• Advanced IFRS expertise, with the ability to interpret and apply accounting standards across complex transactions and reporting requirements
• Proficiency in advanced Excel and data analysis, with experience working with large datasets, building efficient reconciliations, and supporting automation initiatives
• Familiarity with financial systems/ERPs and an interest in leveraging technology to improve accuracy and efficiency

Controls, Governance & Process Excellence:

• Strong understanding of internal controls, reconciliations, and audit-ready processes, with a focus on consistency and risk reduction
• Experience standardizing and improving processes, including exposure to automation or finance transformation initiatives
• Ability to bring structure and discipline to complex or evolving environments

Leadership & Business Partnership:

• Proven ability to lead initiatives and influence stakeholders across Finance, FP&A, Actuarial, and global teams
• Strong communicator who can translate technical accounting concepts into clear, actionable insights for non-financial audiences
• A proactive, solutions-oriented mindset with the confidence to challenge and improve the status quo

Additional Assets:

• Experience in a Big 4 environment or similar fast-paced, high-performance setting
• Exposure to US GAAP, global reporting environments, or multinational organizations
• Interest in data-driven decision making and emerging finance technologies

Liberty Mutual Canada is committed to pay transparency and fair, equitable hiring. For roles based in Ontario, we publish a Target Hiring Range in compliance with the Ontario Pay Transparency Act.

This posting is for an active, current vacancy.

Target Hiring Range: CAD $110,000 – 130,000

This range represents the expected annual base salary for this role, however, offers above the published maximum may be approved with appropriate business authorization. Final offers will be determined based on each candidate's qualifications, relevant experience, internal equity, and the needs of the role. The posted range does not include variable compensation (bonus), allowances, or benefits. We encourage all qualified candidates to apply.

We do not use AI‑based screening tools in our hiring process. Candidates who complete an interview and remain under consideration may request, and will receive, feedback within 45 days.

Liberty Mutual Canada is committed to fostering an inclusive, accessible environment where all employees feel valued and supported. We are committed to building a workforce that is representative of the communities we operate in and serve. If you require accommodation for the recruitment/interview process due to a disability (which may be invisible or visible, temporary or permanent), please let us know and we will work with you to meet your needs.