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:

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related discipline
• Professional accounting designation preferred (CPA or equivalent)
• 5 to 7 years of progressive experience in controllership, accounting or finance roles; preferably, within insurance, financial services, or another regulated industry; Big 4 experience is an asset
• Extensive knowledge of IFRS; US GAAP knowledge is advantageous
• Robust hands‑on experience with book close processes and core accounting activities
• Strong understanding of internal controls, reconciliations, and accounting policies
• Demonstrated ability to lead process change and manage transitions across teams
• Experience with process standardization, automation, or finance transformation initiatives
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to partner effectively across Finance, FP&A, Actuarial, and global teams
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain accounting concepts clearly to non‑technical audiences
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail
• Exposure to automation, data-driven processes, or emerging technologies is an asset
• Advanced Microsoft Office skills. Experience with financial systems and ERPs is an asset

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.