Accounting Assistant - Contract

16-month contract
Location: Downtown Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (5 days a week in office with paid parking included)
Hours: 40 hours/week
Salary Range: $65,000-$85,000

The posted salary range reflects varying levels of experience, from professionals developing their expertise to those with several years of directly relevant experience. While the full range represents the potential earnings for the role, it is not typical for new hires to start at the top of the range. Placement within the range is based on qualifications, experience, and alignment with internal equity.

Westerkirk Capital Inc. (“WCI”), a private investment company based in Victoria, British Columbia, is a single-family office managing assets through internal direct investments and third-party external managers across a variety of portfolios and asset classes, including fixed income, public equity, private equity, hedge funds, infrastructure and real estate.

Reporting to the Senior Property Accountant, the Accounting Assistant is responsible for maintaining financial records, performing financial processes, and recording a wide range of financial transactions for a corporate office of a private and confidential organization which operates in a specialized niche market. This role requires an organized, client service-orientated professional that enjoys working in a fast-paced environment.

We maintain a strong commitment to service, excellence and the highest standards of professionalism, honesty and business ethics. We have a strong reputation for integrity, discretion and trustworthiness, and expect nothing less from our dedicated team members. Given the private and confidential nature of the work, we do not maintain a company website. More information about the firm will be shared as we contact short-listed candidates.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES OF THE ROLE INCLUDE

Supporting the accounts payable and receivable functions, including responding to inquiries from vendors and customers.
Setting up and maintaining customer and vendor accounts through reconciliation of monthly statements and related transactions.
Ensuring accuracy and authorization of all invoices before processing.
Assist with processing batch bi-weekly, monthly, and ad hoc payments through EFT system.
Monitoring and reconciling company credit card accounts.
Ensuring employees are reimbursed for company expenses in accordance with policies.
Coordinating treasury functions such as bank deposits, manual wire payments, and monitoring of daily bank balance.
Charging expenses to accounts and cost centers by analyzing invoices and expense reports.
Maintaining ledgers and conducting bank reconciliations.
Summarizing payroll transactions prior to posting.
Analyzing, reporting, and filing sales taxes.
Scanning, organizing, and filing historical records.
Assisting in month end and quarter end reporting, as required.
Assisting with annual financial statement and simple tax return preparation.
Assisting with special projects and ad hoc work.
Maintaining a high level of confidentiality while working with varying levels of stakeholders.

REQUIREMENTS

Self-motivated - Ability to work independently, capable of strategically prioritizing multiple tasks in a proactive manner and able to shift between priorities with minimal disruption.
Accurate and detail-oriented - Reviews work carefully, identifying discrepancies or missing information, performs self-review on tasks, and investigates issues before processing transactions.
Effective communicator - Possesses excellent verbal and written communication skills and can build and maintain a culture of trust and respect.
Intellectual curiosity - Appetite to continuously learn and develop oneself.
Collaborative - Works well with cross-functional teams in addition to Finance function and lead by example in supporting and working with stakeholders and fellow staff.
Discretion in handling and communicating sensitive information.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Minimum 3 years of relevant, hands-on accounting or administrative experience working in a professional office.
Diploma or degree in Accounting, Finance or related field considered an asset.
Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Excel, comfortable using basic formulas, sorting and filtering, and using spreadsheets to reconcile and review financial information.
Experience using Yardi accounting application is an asset.
Experience in real estate sector is an asset.
Equivalent combination of training, education, and experience will be considered.

Westerkirk Capital offers a competitive total rewards package, including comprehensive extended health and dental benefits and access to exclusive discounts and perks through WorkPerks.