Location

Head Office

Overview

Reporting to the Director, Finance, the Controller will be directly responsible for managing the overall financial operations of various entities and responsible to provide accurate information, including analysis, budgeting, forecasting and preparation of financial reports. They will also be responsible for leading the team in the execution of the responsibilities below.

As part of the portfolio finance team overseeing a group of real estate investment funds, the role will act as a key business partner to the asset management and investments teams to help provide insightful, timely, and accurate financial and operational information to assist with optimizing decisions surrounding the operation of the properties, allowing Starlight to maximize returns for our investors. The role will develop and leverage relationships with all internal stakeholders including asset management, investments, shared service finance teams including treasury, property accounting (CORE), tax, and other business lines as required to successfully execute their responsibilities. The role will also be responsible for full oversight and completion of the year end audits and financial statements for investors.

As part of Starlight’s commitment to innovation, the successful candidate will embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies as core tools of the modern finance professional — not only applying them personally but championing their adoption across the team so Starlight stays ahead of the rapid changes reshaping the profession.

Duties and Responsibilities

Investor Reporting and Financial Reporting

- Lead and oversee the accounting operations for the portfolio, ensuring the accuracy, completeness, and integrity of journal entries, balance sheet reconciliations, and monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements.
- Oversee the timely preparation and review of monthly, quarterly, and annual operating results for each portfolio and issuance of all reporting outputs required while ensuring delivery of complete, accurate, and timely financial reporting
- Ownership of drafting, accuracy and completeness of consolidated, pooled, and statutory financial statements, including all supporting schedules and note disclosures as required for your fund’s

Financial Accounting and Analysis

- Lead the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of monthly financial close for your funds, including variance/management reporting issuance process consistent with standardized Starlight approach
- Ensure accuracy of general ledger and other financial operating data in various systems
- Review work prepared by team for certain accruals and other amounts required for corporate records to book journal entries and ensure the integrity of financial ledgers and other financial information




- Lead the annual audit process by coordinating with external auditors, preparing and reviewing audit working papers, managing information requests, and ensuring the timely completion of audited financial statements
- Act as a key advocate for continuous improvement by identifying and organizing the execution of process improvement projects to optimize accounting processes consistently
- Oversee the preparation of financial information required to file Canadian corporate tax returns in collaboration with the Tax Centre of Excellence and external advisors, ensuring compliance with all regulatory filing deadlines
- Ensure all systems are accurate and complete for your portfolio reporting outputs and partner with other departments to remediate where required (act as data steward to remediate processes that may cause incorrect data outputs)
- Assist with other analysis including the review and preparation of certain budget inputs / outputs for properties / fund’s

Treasury & Cash Management

- Review monthly cash calls submitted by property managers to ensure funding requests trends are clearly identified and articulated to senior management
- Review weekly cash flow forecasting and liquidity reporting prepared by treasury and ensure any funding requirements are addressed by partnering with treasury team
- Oversee all loan compliance and covenant reporting ensuring timeliness and accuracy and proactive identification of any forecasting issues with any covenants, if any

Transaction support (Acquisitions, Dispositions, Financing, etc.)

- Lead the financial aspects of property acquisitions, dispositions, and property financing activities, reviewing work completed by the team, as required
- Lead the accounting for acquisitions, dispositions, refinancings, and other complex transactions, including the preparation or review of journal entries, purchase price allocations, statements of adjustments, and related financial reporting
- Partner with internal stakeholders to support acquisitions, dispositions, financing transactions, and other strategic initiatives through financial analysis, due diligence, and accounting guidance

Coaching and Mentorship

- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of Managers and Accounting professionals by providing coaching, performance feedback, technical guidance, and professional development opportunities while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement

AI& Technology Adoption





- Act as an early adopter and role model for AI and automation within the team, treating these tools as a core part of how work gets done for you and your team
- Proactively apply approved AI tools to enhance the efficiency and quality of accounting, analysis and reporting workflows, and help turn those gains into repeatable processes
- Identify, test and implement AI-enabled process improvements across the team, coaching direct reports on adoption and sharing learnings more broadly
- Apply strong professional judgment to review and validate AI-assisted output, safeguarding accuracy, data integrity and compliance

Requirements
- University degree in Accounting, Finance or Business
- MBA, CPA or CFA required
- Minimum of 5 years of progressive accounting/finance experience, including at least 1 – 2 years leading a team (2+ direct reports); real estate industry experience strongly preferred
- Proficient communication, interpersonal and organizational skills
- Experience overseeing audits performed by external audit firms
- Knowledge of accounting principles, practices and applications
- Advanced knowledge of MS Office and Excel, with ERP knowledge required (Yardi nice to have) and Power BI and/or Workiva an asset.
- Proven ability to optimize AI prompts, recognize a wide array of AI technologies, and successfully implement AI-driven business process improvements

Soft Skills

- Leadership Skills / People Management: Proven ability to lead, mentor and develop a team. Starlight is an approved CPA training office, so willingness to teach and train staff working toward their CPA designation is required
- Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to guide the team toward the end goal and help resolve problems along the way while meeting reporting deadlines
- Working Under Pressure / Multi-Tasking / Prioritization: Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to lead a team through multiple portfolios and competing deadlines under pressure
- Finance Transformation / Operational Excellence: Demonstrated ability to lead a team through technology-driven change, including experience leveraging AI and automation to improve finance and accounting processes, and the ability to adapt to and learn new software
- Relationship Management with Stakeholders: Strong relationship-management skills, with experience overseeing audits performed by external audit firms and representing Starlight with lenders and other external partners
- Business Understanding: Robust sense of ownership and accountability for the role, with good problem-solving skills and sound judgment to make decisions and move the work forward; while the role involves significant review and oversight, comfortable getting into the detail when needed

📌 Controller (Toronto)
🏢 Starlight Investments
📍 Toronto