Senior IFRS Accountant
Reporting to the Controller, the Senior IFRS Accountant is responsible for the technical application, interpretation, and ongoing compliance with IFRS 17, while also supporting other IFRS technical areas, and serves as a primary finance counterpart to actuarial, systems and audit teams. The role will actively contribute to the development of the company's IFRS accounting framework and play a key role in building robust IFRS reporting processes within a growing insurance organization. This role is for a current vacancy.
What will you do?
IFRS 17 Technical Accounting & Compliance
- Own and maintain IFRS 17 accounting policies, interpretations, and position papers, ensuring alignment with evolving standards and regulatory guidance.
- Apply IFRS 17 measurement models (e.g., GMM, PAA where applicable), including identification of contract boundaries, coverage units, and discounting methodologies.
- Ensure accurate recognition and measurement of insurance revenue, insurance service expenses, and insurance finance income or expenses.
- Monitor standard updates, interpretations, and industry practices related to IFRS 17 and assess impacts on financial reporting.
Contractual Service Margin (CSM) & Risk Adjustment
- Work with actuarial team to validate inputs, assumptions, and outputs used in IFRS 17 accounting.
- Translate actuarial results into accounting entries, reconciliations, and disclosures.
- Design and maintenance of data flows between actuarial models, sub‑ledgers, and the general ledger.
- Investigate and resolve data issues, reconciliation breaks, and model‑to‑ledger differences.
Actuarial & Data Integration
- Prepare monthly management reporting dashboards including commentary focused on financial statement results.
- Provide financial variance commentary related to accounting movements (e.g. timing differences, accruals, reclassifications).
- Ensure consistency, completeness, and accuracy of results across entity-level and consolidated reporting views.
Financial Close & Disclosures
- Prepare and review IFRS 17 journal entries, reconciliations, and supporting schedules as part of the monthly and quarterly close.
- Lead the preparation of IFRS 17 disclosures, roll‑forwards, and notes to the financial statements in coordination with the reporting team.
- Perform the quarterly transition from IFRS to HGB using Group‑approved, tool‑based processes, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and consistency of results.
- Work closely with Group Finance to identify, analyze, and explain differences between IFRS and HGB, including those arising from IFRS 17 measurement, assumptions, and presentation.
- Prepare technical analysis and supporting explanations for Supervisory Board, Group, and audit requests related to IFRS vs. HGB differences.
- Ensure completeness, accuracy, and audit readiness of IFRS 17 working papers.
Compliance & Governance
- Serve as a key point of contact for internal and external auditors on IFRS 17 matters.
- Prepare technical memos, audit support, and responses to accounting and actuarial queries.
- Design, document, and maintain internal controls over IFRS 17 calculations, data, and processes.
- Ensure compliance with internal governance frameworks and regulatory expectations.
Process Improvement
- Identify opportunities to streamline IFRS 17 processes, improve automation, and enhance data quality.
- Develop IFRS 17 systems implementation, enhancements, and post‑implementation optimization.
- Contribute to the development of standardized templates, tools, and documentation to support scalable IFRS 17 operations.
Secondary Responsibilities
- Contribute to the enhancement of the company’s IFRS accounting framework for insurance operations.
- Support the establishment of accounting policies, technical interpretations, and documentation for new transactions and evolving IFRS requirements.
- Assist in designing scalable accounting processes and controls for IFRS-based financial reporting.
- Active technical accounting role and interpretation of other IFRS standards as required, including financial instruments, leases, tax, and presentation related standards.
- Assist with complex accounting analyses of other IFRS standards (e.g., new transactions, policy assessments, or emerging IFRS issues).
- Provide technical accounting support to the reporting team during monthly and quarterly close.
- Work closely with investment, actuarial, and finance peers to ensure appropriate accounting treatment and alignment between IFRS 17 insurance contract accounting and IFRS 9 investment accounting.
- Support the team as an effective team player and provide guidance/training to junior members of the team.
- Ad hoc reporting for internal management.
About You:
- University degree in Accounting or Finance.
- CPA (or equivalent international accounting) designation required.
- 7+ years of experience in IFRS technical accounting, preferably within the insurance industry or with exposure to IFRS 17.
- Experience with IFRS 17 implementation or ongoing application required.
- Deep expertise in IFRS 17 and strong foundation in IFRS accounting principles.
- Experience working with actuarial models, finance sub‑ledgers, and general ledger systems.
- Strong analytical, investigative, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver high-quality work within reporting timelines.
- Excellent communication and organizational skills with internal stakeholders, clients and management.
- Attention to detail and accuracy, a high degree of conscientiousness
We Offer:
- Competitive Base Salary including annual bonus plan
- Generous Employer Paid Benefits Plan, including RSP matching & Fitness Credit
- Location is a combination of remote work from home and from our head office in the heart of Toronto’s Financial District
ARAG Legal Solutions Inc., part of the ARAG Group, is a global leader in legal expense insurance operating in 19 countries offering an innovative and comprehensive range of legal expense products and services for brokers, underwriting agents and insurers across Canada.For more information about ARAG Canada please visit: www.arag.ca/en/
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer
ARAG Legal Solutions Inc., are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of citizenship, race, place of origin, ethnic origin, colour, ancestry, disability, age, creed, sex/pregnancy, family status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, receipt of public assistance (in housing) and record of offences (in employment).
ARAG Legal Solutions Inc., is committed to providing employment in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Any assessments and selection materials or processes used during the recruitment process will be available in an accessible format to applicants with disabilities, upon request. If contacted for an interview, please advise the Human Resources Manager if you require disability-related accommodation.
