Senior Accountant

About Pacific Blue Cross

Pacific Blue Cross (PBC) has been British Columbia's leading benefits provider for over 80 years. We are an independent, not-for-profit society with strong roots in BC’s health care system. We provide health, dental, life, disability, and travel coverage to 1 in 3 British Columbians through employee group plans and individual plans.We are fueled by a commitment to keep health care sustainable for all British Columbians. Through our PBC Health Foundation, we fund projects that improve health outcomes directly related to mental health and wellbeing as well as the prevention and/or management of chronic disease. We are interested in finding people who want to make a difference and who are looking to grow their career with us.

Perks

• Work-life balance with flexible working hours of 7 hours per day, Monday to Friday (i.e., 35 hours per week).
• Paid vacation starts at 3 weeks per year, and increases with years of service.
• Hybrid work environment (i.e., a combination of work from office and work from home days).
• Generous benefits, including extended health, dental, and these benefit premiums are 100% paid by PBC.
• Education allowance up to $1,000 per calendar year.
• Onsite gym, cafeteria, and access to virtual doctors/counsellors 24/7 via our Employee Family Assistance Program!
  
  

About The Position

• We are searching for a Permanent Senior Accountant to join our Finance team.
• This position is unionized and part of the CUPE 1816 Bargaining Unit. This position is paid at hourly rates and receives wage increases in accordance with the Collective Agreement. The starting wage for this position is: $6,906 - $7,860 per month.
  
  

Job Description

Under the broad managerial direction of the Manager, Finance, provides leadership to assigned team members to promote teamwork and to ensure the provision of a skilled accounting and collections workforce. Oversees the execution of training activities and participates as a member of the selection team in new hire interviews and selection processes. Oversees the effective utilization of accounting team resources to ensure staffing levels are maintained and meets regularly with team leaders, supervisors and managers in internal departments using or interfacing with Finance. Participates in the review, design, development, and implementation of new work methods. Participates in the development of annual strategic goals for the department and contributes to the annual Finance budget process. Prepares monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements and provides analysis and interpretation. Prepares monthly, quarterly, and annual regulatory filing. Oversees daily treasury management. May perform a variety of accounting activities related to third party plan administration and PBC entities. Receives referrals and queries on complex or sensitive issues from internal and external sources. Oversees, monitors, and acts as a super user for the management of in-house accounting systems, software, bank reconciliation system, and financial reporting tools. Interprets legislation and legal case precedents, and negotiates settlements as required for the collections process. Performs various administrative duties that support the effective operation of the areas supervised.

Job Duties

Team Leadership, Staff Development and Performance Coaching

Provides leadership to assigned team members to promote teamwork and to ensure the provision of a skilled workforce by:

• Monitoring skills and abilities of team members through quality audits and observation, identifying strengths and challenges, and providing informal coaching and mentoring support on an ongoing basis to recognize results and eliminate performance gaps.
• Conducting regular formal coaching sessions to review individual performance statistics, determine requirements for additional learning and skills development, implementing performance improvement strategies such as selfpaced learning and document progress, and actions plans; monitors progress of accounting team members through review of coaching notes and ongoing consultation with management.
• Providing technical advice, subject matter expertise and transferring knowledge to team members in specific areas of accounting practices and procedures, use of online systems, policy interpretation, setting priorities and related areas. Senior Accountant, Finance Page 2
• Receiving and responding to escalated customer service issues including those involving upset, hostile or irate clients affected by an accounting-related processes.
• Preparing for and conducting formal performance reviews including preliminary/probationary appraisals for new hires and annual reviews for seasoned staff members; addressing ongoing performance challenges by providing additional performance improvement strategies or interventions, and referring continuing performance concerns to management for follow up action.
• Communicating organization and department goals and expectations to the team.
• Works with management to create individual performance objectives for direct reports.
• Conducting regular team meetings to facilitate open communication, advise on new policies and procedures, generate team discussion on ideas being implemented in other departments and introduce new initiatives.
• Receives referrals and queries on complex or sensitive issues from internal and external sources, researches the nature of the inquiry, determines appropriate action or additional referral needed to resolve concerns and responds back within established department timelines and standards.
  
  

In consultation with Senior Accountant colleagues, oversees the execution of training activities for assigned staff to ensure new staff are trained and proficient. Ensures learning tools such as training manuals and job aids are in place, are current and meet learning needs of accounting staff. Prepares and delivers training modules as required.

Participates as a member of the selection team in new hire interviews and selection processes; provides related recommendations to the team on selection decisions.

Approves vacation and flex time schedules and recommends approval of overtime within established guidelines; reviews leave requests and forwards to the Manager for final approval.

Workforce Management and Department Effectiveness

Oversees The Effective Utilization Of Assigned Team Resources To Ensure Staffing Levels Are Maintained, Accounting Tasks Are Administered In Accordance With Service Level Objectives And Department Operation Is Efficient And Productive By

• Organizing, scheduling, and coordinating work assignments; monitoring incoming work volumes to determine where established work assignments require adjustments both at an individual employee level and at the respective accounting team level to ensure individual and team service level objectives and deadlines are met.
• Consulting regularly with management to review area status and troubleshoot workflow challenges.
• Tracking attendance and identifying trends in accordance with established attendance management program guidelines; refers ongoing attendance issues to management.
  
  

Meets regularly with leadership in internal departments using or interfacing with Finance to ensure effective working relationships are maintained, to promote the smooth flow of communication, and to identify process improvement opportunities.

As a member of the Finance Leadership Team, participates in the review, design, development, and implementation of new work methods, procedures and standards governing accounting operation and staff deployment by providing input and recommendations to management on proposed changes.

Participates in the development of annual strategic goals for the area supervised and in the design of the tactical plan to achieve those goals. Participates in the creation of individual objectives for direct reports. Senior Accountant, Finance

Participates as required on special projects as a subject matter expert on accounting processes and requirements from project inception through implementation, communication, and training of team members

Financial Reporting and Analysis

Prepares Monthly, Quarterly And Annual Financial Statements In Accordance With Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) And International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) By

• Calculating and preparing journal entries to record investment purchases, sales, accrued interest, amortization, dividends and other financial transactions;
• Managing investment activities, such as preparing journal entries and wires, as directed by Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Investment Officer.
• Reviewing entries for reasonableness, investigating discrepancies and correcting as required.
• Researches and assess accounting treatment of ongoing, new, and non-routine accounting practices under IFRS and GAAP upon management request.
  
  

Prepares and reconciles financial transactions for distributor type agreements.

Provides analysis and interpretation of the prepared financial statements by identifying trends, researching variances for resolution, and correcting entries, which may result from accounting errors or missing transactions and responding to queries from leadership.

Oversees and monitors the routine maintenance of in-house accounting software, and financial reporting tools to ensure changes are being made in accordance with established security and risk management parameters. Identifies emerging trends, determines longer term requirements for new reports, and implements major changes which require re-balancing of existing reports such as adding new schedules. Monitors and supports the effective operation of the bank reconciliation system by acting as a super user in the assignment of individual access, building custom reports, and ensuring ongoing functionality.

Oversees the financial statement month-end close processes using in-house accounting software. Researching and correcting operational journal entry errors, and identifying and resolving unposted transactions.

Oversees the preparation, balancing and posting of department cost statements for management and responds to management queries.

Oversees the execution of daily treasury activities by preparing daily cash flow, forecasting requirements, and making recommendations on overnight investment options; forwards to Finance management for action and approval.

Ensures that all journal entries are accurately prepared by deadlines and that general ledger accounts are reconciled on a timely basis; reviews, approves, and posts team members’ journal entries and reconciliations.

Prepares and calculates monthly, quarterly, and annual Provincial and Federal tax fillings for PBC and its entities.

Prepares quarterly and annual external reporting requirements including annual financial reports, premium tax remittances, and BCFSA reporting, and communicates with these external organizations and regulatory bodies as required.

Ensures reconciliation, balancing, and preparation of T4A slips for disability payments and unincorporated consultants, and T5 slips for life claims. Senior Accountant, Finance

May Provide Client Accounting Services Including

• reviewing and approving clients’ monthly journal entries, producing standard and customized reports to meet trustee information requirements on third party plan administration activities, member status, accounts payables/receivables or other financial indicators.
• reviewing trustee meeting minutes and following up on action items specific to accounting and financial agenda items.
• overseeing cash flow in Third Party Administrator accounts and ensuring plans are appropriately funded for member use.
• Overseeing standard monthly plan billings conducted by plan administrators and client accounting team members to ensure accuracy and completeness, and preparing additional billings as directed by subsidiary leadership.
• preparing monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements in accordance with GAAP and/or IFRS.
• preparing quarterly and annual reporting as required by other affiliated entities such as the Canadian Association of Blue Cross Plans (CABCP).
  
  

Oversees the process for managing Unclaimed Property (i.e., uncashed cheques). 23. Ensures all tax letters for disability payments are prepared by Collections team.

Oversees the execution of disability claims overpayment administration, Group, and Third Party collections. Reconciling and reporting collections activities as required.

General Team and Department Support

Provide support to the Financial Planning and Analysis team and participates in the development of the annual Finance and subsidiary budgets by analyzing historical costs, forecasting future requirements, recommending capital purchases, and providing support to department management during the budget process.

Supports the external audit process by being the primary staff contact for the external auditors, providing information on processes as well as data, and responding to their queries as required.

Supports internal auditors with data gathering as required.

In consultation with Information Technology and management, assists with planning and testing processes associated with system upgrades, patches, or new software purchases by participating in the testing process, identifying user issues with system operation and/or reporting; monitors installations in real time and maintains liaison with IT staff to address unforeseen impacts on accounting operations.

Maintains up-to-date knowledge of leadership techniques, accounting rules, policies, procedures, and best practices, system requirements, terminology and other information related to the provision of accounting services through continuous learning initiatives.

May conduct department tours for potential clients, visitors, and new employees. On a voluntary basis, may attend client meetings, conferences, or other public forums as a representative of Pacific Blue Cross.

On an occasional relief basis, performs duties of the Intermediate Accountant, Accounts Receivable Administrator, Finance Administrator, and Collections team members.

Performs other assigned duties related to the provision of supervisory leadership, accounting services and/or administrative support which do not affect the rating of the job.

Qualifications

• Completion of a recognized accounting designation such as a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA)
• Bachelor’s degree in Business/Commerce with a specialization in Finance and/or Accounting, or equivalent discipline
• 5 years of previous related experience, including 2 years as an Intermediate Accountant or equivalent position
• Completion of a Basic Supervision Course (36 hours), or equivalent education/experience
• Completion of an Intermediate/Advanced Supervision Course (36 hours), or equivalent education/experience
• Demonstrated proficiency with Basic Word and Advanced Excel
• Completion of an Advanced Excel course (36 hours), or equivalent
• Demonstrated experience using Financial Accounting Software
• Demonstrated experience in supervising and leading others
• Demonstrated experience with financial reporting and analysis
  
  

If you’re excited about taking on this opportunity, we invite you to apply today and start the conversation with us about this position.

Please apply via our website this week at http://www.pbchbs.com/company/careers/



While we thank all applicants for their interest, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

PBC is an Indigenous Works employer of choice, an Insurance Business Canada Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion award winner, one of Canada’s Greenest employers, a Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) employer partner, and a Pride at Work partner.

We strive to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and employees feel empowered to freely participate and contribute regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ability, education level, parental status, or socioeconomic status. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from all qualified candidates.

To request an accommodation in completing this job application, testing, interviewing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to [email protected]. These accommodation requests will be reviewed confidentially and, on a case-by-case basis by Human Resources.