Accounting Manager, Manufacturing & Operations
Vital Bio • Oakville, Ontario • Full Time
Posted on Tue, Jun 2, 2026
Vital Biosciences is transitioning from an R&D-stage startup into an active manufacturing and commercial operation.
The Accounting Manager in our Manufacturing & Operations functions is a player-coach owning month-end close while also being instrumental in building our manufacturing cost accounting function from the ground up. This is a hands-on role requiring someone who has owned standard costing, WIP tracking, and inventory valuation inside a real manufacturing environment - not someone who has been adjacent to it. You will work closely with operations, procurement, and finance leadership to ensure production activity is accurately captured, costs are properly allocated, and management has the visibility it needs to make good decisions.
What you’ll do
Cost accounting & inventory
- Design and implement standard costing and BOM costing structures within our new ERP, in coordination with operations and procurement
- Own WIP tracking, COGS accounting, inventory valuation, and overhead allocation as we move from R&D into production
- Maintain perpetual inventory records, support cycle count processes, and reconcile physical inventory to the general ledger
- Track job costs and material consumption against contract budgets, with particular focus on our instrument delivery program
- Ensure accurate capitalization and expensing of production costs in line with ASPE standards
- Prepare and distribute monthly manufacturing variance reports - purchase price, usage, labour, and overhead - with clear root-cause commentary
- Partner with operations to investigate and explain cost variances, and support corrective action where needed
- Provide cost data and analysis to support management decision-making, budgeting, and forecasting
ERP & systems
- Serve as the finance partner on costing and inventory modules within our ERP
- Define costing methodology, item master structure, and reporting hierarchies in the new system
- Document and test costing processes end-to-end prior to go-live; support adoption post-launch
- Lead the monthly close process end-to-end: prepare and review journal entries, complete account reconciliations, and ensure the trial balance is clean and on schedule
- Oversee and review the work of the AP Manager and Junior Finance Operations Associate, providing day-to-day guidance and ensuring accuracy across payables, receivables, and bookkeeping
- Lead monthly bank reconciliations and daily cash position reporting across our banking relationships
- Identify and implement process improvements across accounting operations as the company scales from startup to active manufacturer
- Support external audit and SR&ED tax credit documentation for manufacturing-related eligible expenditures
- Assist with HST/GST filings, payroll source deductions, and other tax compliance requirements as needed
What you need
- 3–6 years of progressive accounting experience, with at least 2 years in a dedicated cost accounting capacity within a manufacturing environment
- Demonstrated hands-on experience with standard costing, BOM costing, WIP accounting, and inventory valuation - you must be able to speak to this concretely
- Strong knowledge of ASPE and/or US GAAP as it applies to inventory and cost of goods sold
- Experience working inside a manufacturing ERP (QT9, NetSuite, SAP Business One, Epicor, or similar); ERP implementation experience is a must
- CPA designation or actively enrolled in the CPA PEP program and on track to complete
- Advanced Excel proficiency and comfort working with large data sets
- Able to operate independently in a lean environment where process doesn’t yet exist and you are expected to build it
- Background in medical devices, diagnostics equipment, pharmaceuticals, or precision hardware manufacturing
- Prior experience at a pre-revenue or early-commercial-stage company
- Exposure to contract manufacturing or milestone-based delivery environments
Why join us?
At Vital Bio, you will:
- Help build the finance and accounting foundation for a company moving from R&D into manufacturing and commercialization. This is a hands-on role where you’ll have real ownership of manufacturing cost accounting, month-end close, and the systems and processes that give leadership clear visibility into the business.
- You’ll work closely with operations, procurement, and finance leaders on meaningful problems that directly affect production, margins, and decision-making. If you enjoy building processes from the ground up and want to grow with a fast-moving company at a pivotal stage, this is a great opportunity to make a visible impact.
This role is a current, onsite vacancy.