Accounting Analyst - Contract (4-6 Months)

About Element Event Solutions
Element Event Solutions, is Canada’s premier provider of tent and event services, orchestrating over 30,000 memorable events annually in partnership with top venues, caterers, planners, corporate partners, and private hosts. Established in 1911 as Chair-man Mills, our company has grown through a legacy of excellence with renowned brands including Event Rental Group, Contemporary Furniture Rentals, Regal Tents & Structures, Advanced Tent Rental, A&B Partytime, Loungeworks, MacFarlands, and Higgins Event Rentals.

Driven by our mission to craft engaging spaces that foster remarkable experiences and connections, we provide the infrastructure essential for Canadians to unite through social, corporate, philanthropic, and community gatherings. Proudly Canadian-owned and operated, we are committed to family values and investing in our local communities.

Position Summary

Element Event Solutions is seeking a Contract Staff Accountant to provide hands-on accounting and month-end support to the Finance team for an initial 4–6 month term.

The primary objective of this role is to support the Senior Controller by taking ownership of recurring accounting activities, maintaining balance sheet schedules and reconciliations, and assisting with the month-end close process. The successful candidate should be comfortable working independently on routine accounting tasks while escalating unusual or higher-judgment matters appropriately.

This role is intended to provide immediate accounting capacity while also helping improve the quality, organization, and consistency of recurring Finance schedules and processes.

This is a hybrid role, 3 days in office, two days remote. Reporting to our Stoney Creek location. 

Key Responsibilities

Month-End Close & General Accounting

• Prepare recurring month-end journal entries, including accruals, prepaids, reclassifications, and other assigned entries.
• Prepare and maintain assigned balance sheet reconciliations.
• Investigate and clear reconciling items on a timely basis.
• Maintain supporting schedules for recurring balance sheet accounts.
• Assist with month-end cutoff and completeness procedures.
• Prepare supporting documentation for Senior Controller review.
• Assist with month-end variance analysis and account-detail review as required.
• Support Finance in meeting established month-end close deadlines.

Balance Sheet & Schedule Maintenance

• Prepare and maintain schedules for accounts including:
  • Prepaid expenses
  • Accrued expenses
  • Corporate and purchasing cards
  • Bank accounts
  • Fixed assets / rental product assets
  • Other receivables and liabilities
  • Other assigned balance sheet accounts
• Ensure supporting schedules reconcile to the general ledger.
• Identify aged or unusual balances and bring them forward for resolution.
• Improve existing schedules where opportunities exist to make them easier to maintain, review, and understand.

Bank & Credit Card Reconciliations

• Prepare assigned bank reconciliations.
• Investigate outstanding deposits, payments, and other reconciling items.
• Assist with corporate credit card and purchasing-card reconciliations.
• Ensure expenses are appropriately supported, coded, and approved.

Accounts Payable / Accounts Receivable Support

• Provide accounting support to AP and AR as required, particularly during month-end or periods of higher volume.
• Assist with AP or AR subledger cleanup and reconciliation where necessary.
• Support investigation of unapplied, aged, or unusual transactions.
• Assist with vendor and customer account reconciliations as required.

The role is not intended to replace the ownership of the existing AP or AR functions but may provide support when accounting or reconciliation work is required.

Capital Assets / Rental Product Assets

• Assist with maintenance of fixed asset and Rental Product Asset supporting schedules.
• Support the accounting for additions, disposals, transfers, and capital expenditures.
• Assist with reconciling asset schedules to the general ledger.
• Support Senior Controller review of capital expenditures and related documentation where required.

Audit, Reporting & Finance Support

• Prepare supporting documentation for external audit and other financial reporting requirements.
• Assist with audit requests and supporting schedules.
• Perform account analysis and ad hoc accounting work as assigned.
• Support Finance projects and process-improvement initiatives as required.

Process Improvement & Documentation

As part of the assignment, the Staff Accountant will also be expected to:

• Identify recurring manual processes that can be simplified or standardized.
• Improve the organization and quality of existing Finance schedules.
• Document recurring accounting procedures where appropriate.
• Assist with developing or updating supporting SOPs and Finance documentation.
• Leave assigned processes and schedules in a clean, well-documented, handover-ready state.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Approximately 2–4 years of progressive accounting experience.
• Diploma or bachelor’s degree in accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field.
• CPA designation or active progress toward CPA designation is considered an asset, however not required
• Hands-on experience with:
  • Month-end close, Journal entries, Balance sheet reconciliations, Bank reconciliations, Accruals and prepaid expenses, General ledger accounting
• Strong Microsoft Excel skills.
• Experience working within an ERP environment.
• Microsoft Dynamics 365 experience is an asset.
• Experience in a multi-entity, multi-location, rental, distribution, manufacturing, logistics, or service environment would be beneficial.

Key Competencies

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to independently prepare accounting schedules for review.
• Good understanding of general accounting principles.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Ability to meet month-end deadlines.
• Willingness to investigate discrepancies rather than simply carrying reconciling items forward.
• Ability to communicate clearly with Finance and operational stakeholders.
• Comfort working in a changing environment and taking on a broad range of accounting responsibilities.
• Good judgment regarding when to resolve issues independently and when to escalate.

Measures of Success

During the contract term, success would include:

• Assigned reconciliations and schedules completed accurately and on time.
• Reduction in recurring accounting workload currently performed by the Senior Controller.
• Timely resolution of aged and unexplained balance sheet items.
• Improved quality and organization of Finance schedules.
• Increased capacity within the Finance team during month-end.
• Processes and schedules documented sufficiently for another Finance team member to maintain them.
• Ability to independently prepare assigned accounting work with Senior Controller review rather than significant rework.