Full Time - Permanent
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
As part of our succession planning, Rise Air is seeking an accomplished
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to provide strategic financial leadership for a regulated, capital‑intensive regional airline headquartered in Saskatoon, SK. This role is a key member of the executive leadership team and plays a central role in shaping the Company's financial strategy, ensuring regulatory compliance, managing risk, and supporting sustainable growth. A member of the Company's Safety Review Board who will be expected to provide leadership in maintaining a strong safety culture, the Company's preeminent value.
The CFO will work closely with the CEO, executive leadership team, and Board of Directors, and will have direct accountability for financial planning, reporting, treasury, and regulatory financial fitness requirements.
This role is well‑suited to an established finance leader with airline, aviation, or transportation experience, or equivalent exposure to complex, regulated, asset‑heavy environments.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic and Executive Leadership
- Serve as a strategic business partner to the CEO, executive leadership team, and Board of Directors on all financial and commercial matters.
- Lead the development and execution of the Company's financial strategy in support of long‑term business objectives.
- Provide insight and decision support related to airline economics, capital deployment, and growth initiatives.
Financial Planning, Reporting and Controls
- Oversee financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and performance reporting.
- Ensure the integrity of financial reporting, internal controls, and accounting policies in accordance with applicable standards.
- Provide strategic oversight of the accounting and finance functions.
Aviation and Regulatory Financial Compliance
- Ensure ongoing compliance with Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) financial fitness requirements, including required filings, funding attestations, and operating cash forecasts.
- Provide executive‑level oversight of financial matters related to Transport Canada and CTA regulatory approvals, including Air Operator Certificate (AOC) requirements, license amendments, fleet changes, and service expansions or reductions.
- Support Board‑level governance and risk oversight related to regulated operations.
Airline Economics, Fleet and Capital Strategy
- Provide financial leadership over airline‑specific unit economics, including CASM, RASM, yield, load factor, and route‑level profitability.
- Oversee financial aspects of fleet strategy, including aircraft acquisition and disposition, lease structures, maintenance reserve exposure, and lifecycle cost management.
- Support network planning and strategic investment decisions with robust financial analysis.
Treasury, Liquidity and Risk Management
- Lead treasury and capital management activities, including liquidity planning, banking relationships, and funding strategies.
- Develop and oversee financial risk management frameworks addressing fuel price exposure, foreign exchange risk, and other material cost volatility.
- Oversee and manage relationships with critical stakeholders and business partners, including independent auditors, investors, investment and banking institutions, and key customers, including establishing credit policies and overseeing the collection of receivables.
- Support financing transactions, lender engagement, and capital market activities as required.
- Provide financial guidance of aviation asset valuation, ensuring aircraft and aviation‑related assets are independently, appropriately, and defensibly valued for financial reporting, financing, insurance, regulatory compliance, and strategic decision‑making.
Operations, Workforce and Disruption Support
- Provide financial leadership during operational disruptions, including irregular operations (IROPs), weather events, and aircraft‑on‑ground (AOG) situations.
- Support executive leadership in workforce and labour cost planning, including financial modeling of collective agreements, crew productivity assumptions, and regulatory duty‑time impacts.
Systems and Technology
- Oversee financial systems and tools to ensure efficient, accurate, and compliant financial operations.
- Provide financial governance oversight of cybersecurity and IT risk mitigation related to financial and operational systems.
Qualifications And Experience - Undergraduate degree in Finance, Accounting, or a related field; MBA preferred.
- CPA designation (Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant) or equivalent certification acceptable by Canadian licensing entities.
- Minimum 10 years of progressive financial experience, including at least 5 years in senior financial leadership roles.
- Demonstrated experience with:
- Capital‑intensive operations
- Regulatory or public‑interest environments
- Complex asset or fleet‑based businesses
- Aviation, airline, transportation, or infrastructure sector experience is strongly preferred.
- Experience working with Boards of Directors and external stakeholders, including auditors, lenders, and regulators.
- Preference will be given to qualified Indigenous candidates.
Our Offer
Remuneration for the appointment will be negotiated with the successful candidate and will be dependent on experience, skills, and ability. A full range of employee benefits, including profit sharing program and leadership bonus programs, are provided. Relocate to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and take advantage of a comprehensive compensation package while contributing to a dynamic regional airline!
About Rise Air
Rise Air is western Canada's largest full-service aviation operation. Based in Saskatoon, we are a forward-thinking company with employees who have a passion for what they do and who strive for operational excellence. Rise Air is a certified Indigenous business through the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business and is 100% Indigenous owned.
Rise Air employs over 300 people in Saskatoon, Prince Albert, La Ronge, Stony Rapids, Fond-du-lac, Buffalo Narrows and Wollaston, living and working alongside our valued customers and partners. With a fleet of over 20 aircraft we provide critical services to remote communities including Saskatchewan Medevac Services, the transportation of health care providers, while also serving government and resource company needs. We are uniquely positioned to move people and goods to and from any location in the province and beyond. We offer quality, tailor-made aviation solutions which serve, support, and promote the growth and success of our airline and our province.
