We are a highly successful, family-owned real estate investment and operating platform with more than 50 years of sustained growth across Eastern Canada and the United States. With billions in portfolio value spanning industrial, office, retail, and residential assets, the company stands among the largest private industrial real estate owners in Eastern Canada. Through disciplined acquisitions, value-add repositioning strategies, and institutional-level asset management, the organization has achieved consistent annual growth exceeding 10% for decades. Headquartered in Montréal with operations across North America, we combine entrepreneurial ownership agility with sophisticated financial and operational infrastructure.
This is a defined CFO succession opportunity designed to attract a senior real estate finance executive — a Senior Controller, VP Finance, Director of Finance, or comparable leader — who is ready to step into enterprise-level financial leadership. The successful candidate will join the organization in a structured 2–3 year transition alongside the current Chief Financial Officer, who is preparing for retirement. During this period, you will gain comprehensive exposure to ownership strategy, capital structuring, portfolio performance, lender relations, and cross-border operations, ultimately assuming full CFO authority and becoming the sole financial leader of the organization.
As CFO Designate, you will oversee the entire finance function across Canadian and U.S. entities, operating as both a strategic advisor to ownership and an executive leader to the accounting and finance teams. This role requires deep technical real estate expertise combined with executive presence, commercial acumen, and the ability to lead within a multi-entity, cross-border real estate platform.
Responsibilities
- Provide executive oversight of all accounting, finance, and reporting functions across a multi-entity real estate portfolio.
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Lead and develop department heads (AR, AP, General Ledger, and related functions) and a team of accounting professionals, establishing rigorous performance standards and accountability.
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Oversee consolidated financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, and portfolio-level analytics across U.S. and Canadian operations.
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Partner directly with ownership and the current CFO on capital allocation, refinancing strategies, acquisitions, dispositions, and long-term portfolio growth initiatives.
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Ensure full compliance with Canadian and U.S. tax regulations, financial reporting standards, and internal control frameworks.
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Drive financial process optimization, system automation, and reporting enhancements across platforms including Yardi, Caseware, payroll, and treasury systems.
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Oversee treasury management, lender relationships, covenant compliance, and capital stack reporting.
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Provide strategic insight into asset-level performance, portfolio optimization, and enterprise risk management.
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Transition into full Chief Financial Officer leadership upon retirement of the current CFO.
Qualifications
- CPA designation (non-CGA) with strong tax expertise.
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8+ years of progressive leadership within real estate finance, ideally at the Senior Controller, Director, or VP level.
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Deep expertise in real estate accounting, including multi-entity consolidations, joint ventures, debt structures, equity partnerships, and property-level reporting.
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Experience managing cross-border U.S. and Canadian entities and tax considerations.
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Proven ability to lead high-performing finance teams while serving as a strategic partner to ownership.
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Bilingual proficiency in English and French.
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Advanced proficiency with Yardi, Caseware, and Microsoft Office Suite.
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Executive presence, strong communication skills, and the ability to operate confidently within an ownership-led environment.
Compensation
- Competitive base salary of $200,000–$250,000, with total on-target earnings potential of $275,000–$350,000 (flexible for exceptional candidates).
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Comprehensive health, dental, and retirement benefits.
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Clearly defined succession path to sole CFO within 2–3 years.
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Direct exposure to ownership and leadership within a billion-dollar real estate investment platform.
