Accounting and Payroll Lead

Job Description

Accounting & Payroll Lead Job Description 1 Version 2 – Approved July 2025

Accounting and Payroll Lead Title Accounting and Payroll Lead

Organization Purpose Forward

Location Fully remote, must be legally entitled to work in Canada

Reports To Chief Executive Officer

Position Type Permanent Full-Time (35 hours/week)

Base Salary $70,000-85,000 annually

Target Bonus Up to 15% of annual salary

Target Start Date By September 8, 2025

About Purpose Forward

We are a national non-profit that was founded in 2021 with a mission to activate operational capacity

throughout the grassroots social purpose sector. Currently, we do this through ongoing back-office

support (finance, HR, payroll, basic IT), consulting services, training, and research. Our team is fully

distributed and has been remote since inception, providing monthly allowances to cover your home

internet and a WFH reimbursement to ensure your home setup is suitable for your needs.

Objective

You keep the financials of us and our clients up to date with your exceptional attention to detail, critical

thinking, and customer service skills. Your expertise in fund accounting, full-cycle accounting, payroll,

and non-profit grant management will ensure our clients are well positioned to understand their

financial story. You will have a savvy for identifying inefficiencies, documenting, and recommending

business process improvements along the way. Overseeing the Accounting Specialist and working

closely with the CEO, our Operations & Client Success Lead, and directly with our non-profit clients,

the Accounting & Payroll Lead will be central to us achieving our mission of activating operational

expertise across the grassroots social purpose sector.

Duties and Responsibilities

The duties of this role will vary as the organization evolves, making adaptability a core competency

for the incumbent to possess. The primary focus areas for this position are:

Finance & grant management

1. Oversee and review full cycle accounting duties for Purpose Forward as well as multiple

clients, primarily in QuickBooks Online.

2. Ensure payroll, payables, and receivables are processed in a timely manner for clients.

3. Lead the period end (month, quarter, year) processes to ensure the accuracy of financial

information.

4. Manage all grants and funding restrictions, including supporting budget preparation,

maintaining QBO and other systems, tracking cost allocations, generating financial reports,

monitoring the receivables cycle, and generating funder reports.

5. Develop and prepare remittances and reports for various stakeholders, including

management, Boards, funders, government, and staff.

6. Act as the primary support for the external auditors for our clients, gathering backup and

coordinating responses.

7. Lead the development of budgets, financial packages, process audits, and portfolio reviews to

our clients.

8. Oversee internal control procedures to document compliance with regulations and policies.

Job Description

Accounting & Payroll Lead Job Description 2 Version 2 – Approved July 2025

Payroll

1. Lead the administration and processing of all payroll, benefits, and pensions for us and our

clients using various systems.

2. Prepare remittances and reconciliations for various stakeholders, including management,

Boards, funders, government, and staff.

3. Oversee the year-end payroll processing for us and our clients.

4. Load payroll journal entries, calculate accruals, allocate labour costs, and coordinate the

development of updated labour projections as needed.

5. Provide labour costing to clients for the development of new project budgets upon request.

Client Support & Technical Training

1. Respond to client requests in a timely and professional manner, maintaining details within our

ticketing system.

2. Act as the first escalation point for most client requests and the primary point of contact for

others, ensuring the client needs are met to their satisfaction.

3. Work directly with clients and internal stakeholders to develop ticketing processes, immediate

feedback loops, and other client-centric user enhancements.

4. Develop training guides and knowledge bases for services we support broadly.

Process Automation & Standardization

1. Under the leadership of the CEO and our IT team, you will automate routine activities (such

as data collection, reporting, etc.) using Microsoft PowerApps, PowerAutomate, and PowerBI

to improve efficiency and accuracy.

2. Maintain and enhance existing automations, becoming the subject matter expert for

automating financial processes internally and with our clients.

3. Identify, consult, and execute initiatives to standardize our procedures across clients to

improve data quality, reduce risk, and implement best practices.

Qualifications and Requirements

The ideal candidate:

1. Has a Canadian CPA designation and at least 3 years of relevant industry/assurance

experience OR has a minimum of 5 years of full-cycle accounting experience in the Canadian

non-profit sector.

2. Is an advanced MS Excel user or has relevant programming experience to effectively

manipulate data for automated posting and reporting. PowerQuery and multi-level formulas

will be evaluated during the interview process.

3. May also have a payroll designation and/or payroll experience, which are a strong asset.

4. Will be able to demonstrate good judgement, critical thinking skills, adaptability, and ability to

communicate effectively.

5. Will be comfortable with using technology and have a desire to learn new tools that make time

for you to focus on the creative part of the job.

6. Proficiency in English (written and verbal) is required, while French is considered an asset.

How to Apply

The application form will close automatically on Sunday, August 10, 2025. No responses will be

accepted after that time. Applications will only be accepted through our website at

https://www.purposeforward.org/join-our-team/.

https://www.purposeforward.org/join-our-team/

Job Description

Accounting & Payroll Lead Job Description 3 Version 2 – Approved July 2025

Purpose Forward is dedicated to building an organization that reflects the diversity of communities

across Canada. This includes diversity in languages spoken, culture, race, sexual orientation, and

gender identity. Requests for accommodation due to disability can be made at any stage in the

recruitment process by emailing joinus@purposeforward.org.

mailto:joinus@purposeforward.org