Reporting To: CEO
Purpose: To provide strategic financial leadership to BC Parks Foundation, ensuring the integrity of financial operations, compliance, and reporting, and building lasting capability within the finance function.
Overview:
BC Parks Foundation (BCPF) is the official charitable partner and conservation financing mechanism to British Columbia’s world-class system of parks and protected areas. Our role is to build a diverse and active community of support. Our mission is to create the greatest system of parks and Indigenous protected areas in the world.
We Are:
- A charitable, purpose-driven organization passionate about enjoying and protecting nature in British Columbia
- People who value spark, respect with caring, reciprocity, and greatness
- A warm, positive, hard-working team who operate in a spirit of gratitude and celebration
- Connected to a wide variety of community groups, First Nations, businesses, governments and other partners
You Are:
- Solutions-oriented with the ability to step into a dynamic environment, diagnose needs, and deliver measurable impact within a defined term
- A collaborative, entrepreneurial non-profit leader who can contribute to overall organizational performance, culture and effectiveness
- Able to inspire your team and lead through change
- Knowledgeable about Canadian charitable regulations, fund accounting, and sector best practices, with the keen ability to effectively communicate technical information to stakeholders and build capability in those around you
- Experienced in ERP optimization and energized by driving process efficiency and with scalability in mind
Role Summary:
The VP, Finance is a term role covering a parental leave. The incoming VP will be responsible for the Finance and Accounting function, leading the Finance team to handle all aspects of budgeting, forecasting, financial data recording and reporting.
A key priority for the term is to review and enhance processes for charitable compliance across fund accounting, earned revenue, and other regulatory areas, and to train and support the finance team to build capability and ensure adherence to best practices.
In parallel, the VP will drive the ongoing automation and optimization of financial processes, maximizing the capability of BCPF’s Acumatica ERP system to improve efficiency, accuracy and scalability.
The VP, Finance is a trusted advisor, resource and collaborator with the CEO and senior leadership team on strategic direction, financial, risk management, compliance and legal considerations, and has a key role in building and maintaining the positive culture of the organization.
Responsibilities:
The VP, Finance is responsible for:
CEO & Board Support
- Serve as a trusted resource and highly regarded technical expert on financial, risk management and compliance matters to both the CEO and Board
- Provide key insight to the CEO when undertaking strategic direction setting and operational planning for BCPF.
Leadership
- Lead the finance team on a day-to-day basis, recognized as a trusted and approachable expert and exemplifying BCPF’s culture
- Lead the finance function to be a credible provider of timely, accurate financial information and knowledge throughout the organization
- Establish and maintain efficient and effective processes, systems and finance team structure that keep pace with the needs of BCPF.
- Review and enhance processes for charitable compliance across fund accounting, earned revenue, and other regulatory areas; train and support the finance team to build capability and ensure adherence to best practices
- Drive the ongoing automation and optimization of financial processes, maximizing the capability of BCPF’s Acumatica ERP system to improve efficiency, accuracy and scalability
Budgeting, Forecasting & Financial Reporting
- Partner with the CEO and executive team to develop an annual budget that supports the strategic and operational objectives of BCPF, leaving budget owners with a sense of understanding and ownership
- Present the budget to the F&A Committee and Board and obtain approval; monitor compliance with course correction as necessary
- Deliver accurate, timely financial reporting for all internal and external stakeholders including financial statements, board reporting, grantor/funder reporting, budget vs. actual analysis, forecasts, liquidity planning, deferred revenue, program reporting, and investment performance
Audit, Compliance, Risk & Legal
- Ensure all audits, tax returns, statutory compliance filings and other requirements are fulfilled on time and in line with Canadian regulations, with appropriate financial controls in place
- Assess organizational risk and put in place controls to mitigate residual risk to acceptable levels; liaise with the Operations team on commercial insurances
- Maintain necessary records evidencing existence and ownership of BCPF assets and manage processes to assure the security of digital and physical assets
- Provide input on legal matters, collaborate with external counsel and CEO as necessary, and report to the CEO and Board where required
Investment Management
- Work with the Investment Committee to manage the financial assets of BCPF, including tracking investment performance and providing analysis to the CEO, Investment Committee and Board.
Qualifications and Experience:
- CPA designation required
- 10+ years of progressive finance experience, with at least 2 years in a senior finance leadership role
- Experience in the charitable or non-profit sector is required, including familiarity with Canadian charitable regulations, fund accounting, earned revenue treatment and funder reporting requirements
- Demonstrated ability to lead, develop and support a hard-working finance team, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture
- Experience working with ERP systems, with hands-on involvement in system optimization or automation initiatives; familiarity with Acumatica is a strong asset
- Proven track record of building and maintaining effective financial processes and internal controls
- Experience reporting to and working with executive leadership and/or a Board of Directors
Commitment to Equity:
BC Parks Foundation is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce.
- Preference may be given to qualified Indigenous candidates or those from or with experience of other diverse cultures
- Those identifying as being part of groups which are underrepresented or facing barriers to the labour market are encouraged to apply
Work Environment:
- This is a full-time, temporary role for the period Sept 1 – October 31, 2027
- The position will work on a hybrid schedule of 2 days per week in office
