Employment Type: Full-Time

Location: Toronto, ON (In office)

Salary: $140,000–$155,000

Industry: Non-Profit — Arts, Culture & Environment

Position Type: New Role

About the Opportunity

Toronto Botanical Garden (TBG) is a registered charity and one of Toronto's leading destinations for sustainable horticulture, environmental learning, and community connection, welcoming 300,000 visitors a year with free admission. Now in its 70th year, TBG operates on a mixed revenue base: memberships, education programs, summer camps, retail, venue rentals, philanthropy, grants, and sponsorships, transacting across QuickBooks Online, Shopify, Eventbrite, EventPro, and Blackbaud.

In partnership with the City of Toronto, TBG is preparing for a landmark operational and capital expansion, growing from its current 4-acre garden toward phased oversight of a 35-acre site, with a major fundraising campaign to follow. That growth is why this role exists. Reporting to the CEO and serving on the Leadership Team, you are the senior-most finance person in the organization.

You will own the month-end close and the day-to-day accounting, and you will also build the annual budget with department leads, model multi-year cash flow, and advise the CEO, Board, and Finance & Audit Committee.

Key Responsibilities

Controllership, Audit & Compliance

- Own the full-cycle month-end close and deliver clean, timely financial statements
- Review and approve journal entries and account reconciliations
- Prepare the year-end audit file and act as primary contact for the external auditor
- Close the control gaps identified through audit and maintain controls appropriate to a lean finance team
- Ensure registered charity compliance, including T3010 filing, donation receipting, and HST rebates

Revenue & Cash
- Bring rigor to revenue recognition across earned, unearned, and deferred revenue from a high volume of transactions across multiple platforms
- Monitor accounts payable and manage cash flow actively
- Support grant budgeting, tracking, and funder reporting,



including government funders

Planning & Forecasting
- Build the annual budget bottom-up with non-financial department leads
- Develop multi-year operating plans and cash flow forecasts supporting the capital expansion
- Provide financial guidance on capital projects, grants, sponsorships, and revenue-generating activities

Building the Finance Function
- Professionalize the finance function, including documented policies and procedures
- Assess and upgrade the finance systems, including replacing Excel-based workarounds and fixing gaps between QuickBooks Online and the platforms feeding it
- Transition core finance work from the current outsourced model to a stable in-house operating model with clear roles, cadence, and ownership
- Lead and develop the finance team as it builds out

Board & Stakeholder Partnership
- Act as trusted advisor to the CEO and Leadership Team on financial sustainability, capital planning, and risk
- Serve as primary staff liaison to the Finance & Audit Committee, which meets monthly
- Prepare board materials and establish a reporting cadence the CEO and Committee trust
- Partner with leaders across Development, Marketing & Audience Engagement, Horticulture, Learning, and Guest Experience on budgets and performance

What You Bring

- CPA designation, plus a bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field
- 8 years of progressive finance experience, including 3 years at Controller, Finance Manager, or Director level
- Experience in a lean finance team at a smaller organization, where you owned the hands-on accounting and the strategic layer at the same time




- Demonstrated experience building or professionalizing a finance function, including documented policies and procedures
- Direct people management experience
- Track record as a trusted advisor to a CEO or executive team
- Comfort operating in a dynamic, multi-stakeholder environment with a high volume of transactions and few pre-defined processes
- A practical, resourceful approach — you find the simpler way to do something rather than adding resources to the existing way

Nice to Have
- Not-for-profit or charitable-sector financial management experience, including registered charity compliance
- Experience with both earned and contributed revenue in a single organization
- Experience selecting or upgrading a GL system
- Capital project or capital campaign finance experience
- Experience presenting to a Board or Finance & Audit Committee, and translating financial information for non-finance leaders

Next Steps

We do appreciate all interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Clarity Recruitment is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible recruitment process and workplace. If you require accommodation, please let us know in advance and we will work with you to meet your needs.

Please note: We use AI-assisted tools for notetaking during the screening process.

JOB ID # 3647298

About Clarity Recruitment

Clarity is an executive search and recruitment firm specializing in Finance & Accounting talent across Canada - from accountants to CFOs. Additionally, Clarity partners with organizations to hire exceptional talent in HR, Operations, and IT, helping build the teams that power business success. Our process is designed to minimize risk, maximize alignment, and move quickly.

With dedicated practices in Executive Search, Full-Time Search, and Project & Interim Consulting, we help organizations grow with confidence. Visit findingclarity.ca to learn more!

📌 Director of Finance (Toronto)
🏢 Clarity Recruitment
📍 Toronto