Careers

Reporting to the Controller, the Manager will be a key member of our Core team, which is responsible for the review of financial results coming from our third-party property managers. The team’s mandate is the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of financial results from our property management partners that align with Starlight’s standardized accounting and reporting policies. This team is a critical function for our financial reporting process and helps ensure data integrity and provides a foundation for key public, private, and institutional investor reporting for the various investment funds managed by Starlight as well as the foundation for financial insights used for our finance team to act as a key business partner to internal and external stakeholders.

The Manager will have ownership of the Core review team’s mandate for the applicable portfolios and business lines mentioned, whereby those individual responsibilities naturally will evolve over time to gain broader exposure to the full close cycle processes. These responsibilities include overseeing a team and assisting with the execution of the first review of financial results related to revenue, expenses, assets, and liabilities through reviewing property variance analysis and balance sheet reconciliations provided by the property managers. The team analyzes using technology and trends relative to budget, underwriting, and historical results to develop expectations for such figures to help optimize the efficiency of the review and determination of accuracy. The ultimate goal is to automate as many month-end tasks and train property managers to improve their close cycle. As a result of the technology and data involved in such processes, the successful candidate requires knowledge of typical accounting processes but also knowledge of, or the ability to navigate, large data sets using screening techniques and tools embedded in our software. This knowledge is critical for this role to ensure all team members are maximizing its integration into all of the team’s processes on an ongoing basis and top of mind continuously.

As part of Starlight’s commitment to innovation, the successful candidate will embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies as core tools of a modern finance professional — proactively applying them to work smarter and elevate quality and helping colleagues adopt them so the team stays ahead of the rapid changes reshaping the profession. This role specifically involves the ability to leverage and be on the leading edge of integrating evolving technology, including the integration of AI capabilities into our ongoing processes, which will be an invaluable asset to your career longer term given the evolution of the accounting profession.

Financial Accounting and Analysis

• Own the execution and team oversight of the financial analysis and review of financial results for the applicable portfolio’s and business lines as follows:
  • Review monthly variance / financial reports from Property Managers using technology and analysis to ensure accuracy and completeness of PM reporting on property results. 
  • Use available tools to understand key risks and variances in monthly financials and that either results are adjusted to ensure accuracy/​completeness or variances are clearly understood and documented based on internal policy.
  • Oversee a team of 2 – 4 to ensure the timeliness of all reporting is adhered to and managed appropriately.
  • Oversee/​approve the recording of correcting entries required to ensure accuracy of financial results. 
  • Work closely with portfolio finance and core stewardship to ensure critical issues are communicated to internal stakeholders appropriately to avoid rework across teams.
  • Structure training and improvement for PM’s to continuously improve property variance reporting and accounting.
• Manage certain aspects of the audit process for funds, as well as support quarterly/year-end reviews as required
• Oversee the Commercial business line’s monthly financial review of property manager results including:
  • Review of cost recoveries and cost pools for all commercial properties.
  • Prepare and review of monthly CAM and Tax recovery accruals and annual final CAM and Tax billing, including setting up recoveries in excel and Yardi. 
  • Develop and train internal teams on the execution of such reviews using best in class processes/​technology.
  • Lead the process of lease reviews, lease audits, and lease interpretation discussions.
  • Assist with the review of budgets and analysis for budget inputs for the properties as part of each annual budgeting cycle for your funds.

• Work with peers in the Core stewardship team to ensure acting as one team and that the stewardship of data and financial results is top of mind. The Core stewardship team, which this role would work closely with, is responsible for:
  • Ensure accuracy, timeliness, and completeness of monthly financial results using technology by overseeing audits of data integrity based on Starlight policies and following up to reinforce process with Property Managers.
  • Record correcting entries where remediation is required to ensure accuracy of financial results. 
  • Review certain monthly financial reports provided by property managers to assist with ensuring the accuracy of financial results which are less technology dependent in the review of such figures. 
  • For certain consolidated reconciliations, maintain and review reconciliations where required and apply technology to improve processes, including the preparation and/​or review of corporate and/​or property bank reconciliations. 
  • Assist with monthly and quarterly government filings like WSIB, EHT, etc. for the various entities.

Transaction support (Acquisitions, Dispositions)

• Assist with acquisition/​disposition, debt/​refinancing entries, and preparation of necessary backup for audit purposes
• Assist with other business transactions to provide financial support, as required.
• Perform acquisition, disposition, and refinancing accounting.

Coaching and Mentorship

• Manage, mentor, and develop members of the finance team by providing coaching, performance feedback, and opportunities for professional growth while fostering a collaborative and high-performing work environment.

AI and Technology Adoption

• Act as an early adopter and role model for AI and automation within the team, treating these tools as a core part of how work gets done
• Proactively apply approved AI tools to enhance the efficiency and quality of accounting, analysis and reporting workflows, and help turn those gains into repeatable processes
• Identify, test and help implement AI-enabled process improvements, sharing learnings with peers and more junior staff.
• Apply strong professional judgment to review and validate AI-assisted output, safeguarding accuracy, data integrity and compliance.

• 2 – 4 years of accounting / financial reporting experience, preferably in commercial real estate accounting
• University degree in accounting/​finance
• Ideally on the CPA path
• Thorough understanding of accounting principles (IFRS, ASPE)
• Moderate Microsoft Excel skills, ERP experience, and Power BI knowledge are an asset but not required
• Optimization of AI prompts, recognition of a wide array of AI technologies, and ability to implement business processes through AI are an asset

Soft Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and strong interpersonal skills preferred
• Strong organizational, analytical, and time management skills.
• Detail oriented, self-motivated/proactive and resourceful with demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team; guide team members, review their work and train them. Acts with a sense of urgency with a focus on teamwork, communication, and consistency. Can maneuver in & out of the big picture and its execution seamlessly.
• Able to prioritize, multi-task and able to work in a changing, fast-paced environment and under pressure.
• Able to recognize and suggest process efficiency ideas leading to improved reviews and a shorter month-end cycle