About Merriam Music Merriam Music is one of Canada’s premier music education and piano retail organizations, operating multiple campuses across the Greater Toronto Area, serving thousands of students annually. The Finance Team supports a multi-entity structure spanning music education (Canadian and US Divisions), piano retail, instrument service, and event production.
Position Summary The Senior Bookkeeper is responsible for the full‑cycle month‑end close for Merriam Music’s multi‑entity operations. Reporting to the Senior Director of Operations and directly supervising the Accounting Clerk, this role sits at the heart of the finance department — bridging transactional bookkeeping with Controller‑level review and producing a GAAP‑ready trial balance each period. This is a hands‑on senior role for an experienced bookkeeper who has been responsible for close cycles in complex, multi‑entity environments and is comfortable with reconciliations across a wide range of bank accounts, merchant processors, and accounting subsystems.
Key Responsibilities Month‑End Close Responsible for the close calendar and ensure all tasks are completed within the published deadlines
Review the Accounting Clerk’s transactional work prior to posting and provide coaching on coding accuracy where necessary
Produce the trial balance for review each period
Coordinate with cross‑functional teams (operations, inventory, payroll) to capture all required close inputs
Bank and Merchant Reconciliations Reconcile numerous bank and merchant processor accounts each month, including a mix of operating accounts
Reconcile a broad range of payment processors used across retail and education operations
Prepare full bank reconciliations on multi‑currency operating accounts (CAD and USD)
Review and post journal entries based on the Accounting Clerk’s transaction summaries
Process electronic transfers as required
Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, and Balance Sheet Preparation Reconcile retail and school AR balances to the subledger each month
Manage miscellaneous AR journal entries and cash matching




Review AP coding and prepare cheque runs for signature
Post AP accruals (Visa, American Express, general) and reconcile the AP clearing account
Manage prepaid amortization adjustments and fixed asset depreciation entries
Inventory Accounting Receive inventory with corresponding AP invoice matching
Capitalize related labour timesheet costs into inventory
Maintain landed cost, serialized inventory records, and trade‑in valuations
Complete actual cost fields on sales orders, including freight, mileage, and import schedule values
Ship and invoice sales orders
Reconcile the inventory clearing account each month
Prepare quarterly margining reports and lead the year‑end inventory reconciliation
Coordinate with operations on shipment GL posting and undelivered inventory review
Revenue Recognition Prepare and post monthly school revenue entries for the Canadian and US (MMOA) divisions
Manage deferred revenue mechanics for summer lessons, summer camps, examinations, and the August year‑end roll‑over to the new school year
Post entries for school instrument rental, school lesson and credit requests, and seasonal program revenue
Payroll Review and Compliance Review payroll registers prior to transmission and post related journal entries
Calculate commissions and prepare commission continuity entries
Manage vacation pay accruals and reconcile the payroll clearing account
Prepare WSIB payments each month and prepare the annual WSIB reconciliation and return
Prepare the EHT annual reconciliation and return
Manage full‑time, part‑time, and last‑month payroll accruals and reversals
Review T4 reports for prepare any adjustments




Coordinate with payroll service to prepare T4’s
Tax Filings and Other Close Items Calculate, file, and remit GST/HST on the required schedule
Reconcile long‑term debt balances and post deferred financing charge entries
Allocate piano tuning costs to the appropriate accounts
Calculate and post the income tax expense provision
Maintain entries related to vehicle and travel cost tracking
Required Qualifications Minimum 5 years of full‑cycle bookkeeping experience, preferably in a multi‑entity environment
Registered Professional Accountant (RPA) designation
Demonstrated ownership of month‑end close — accountability for the close cycle and trial balance, not task‑level execution alone
Strong reconciliation discipline across high‑volume bank and merchant processor accounts
Multi‑currency reconciliation experience (CAD and USD)
Inventory accounting experience in a retail or distribution business, including landed cost, serialized inventory, and inventory subledger reconciliation
Hands‑on experience with Ontario payroll, WSIB, EHT, and CRA GST/HST filings
Working knowledge of Canadian ASPE or a comparable GAAP framework
Advanced Microsoft Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, large data sets)
Demonstrated supervisory experience, or clear readiness to take on direct supervision responsibilities
Preferred Qualifications CPA Professional Education Program (PEP) designation preferred
Experience working within an ERP platform in a multi‑entity setting
Experience in a hybrid service and retail business with both recurring revenue and product sales
Work Arrangement Hybrid: Anchored at the Oakville head office, with 1–2 days of remote work per week
In‑office presence is required during the close week, cheque run cycles, and as needed for audit preparation
Salary Expectations & Benefits $60,000 to $75,000 salary range
Merriam Music full‑time employees enjoy membership in a co‑op benefits package, which offers coverages for dental, medical, and other various benefits.

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📌 Senior Bookkeeper (Ontario)
🏢 Merriam Music
📍 Ontario