Robert Half Management Resources is the worldwide leader in specialized consulting and staffing services for senior-level accounting, finance and business systems professionals.
Our client, a private school in Ottawa, is seeking an experienced Interim Chief Accountant for a 3-month contract to provide interim hands-on support. This highly visible role requires a professional who has great interpersonal skills, can work independently, manage the full accounting cycle and maintain strict confidentiality. This role is 100% on-site, Monday to Friday in Ottawa.
The Chief Accountant duties will include:
Manage full-cycle accounting, including AP, AR, general ledger, bank reconciliations, and month-end close
Oversee payroll administration and employee contract tracking with a third-party provider
Support budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and budget-to-actual analysis
Manage tuition billing, parent invoicing, collections, and payment processing
Process vendor invoices, payment runs, HST filings, donation receipts, and other transactions
Prepare financial information for board meetings, finance committee discussions, and annual audits
Liaise professionally with parents, school leadership, board members, and external stakeholders
Identify opportunities to strengthen financial processes, controls, and reporting accuracy
Occasional attendance at monthly Board meetings may be required
The ideal candidate will have the following skills and experience:
5+ years of progressive accounting experience with full-cycle accounting responsibility
Strong knowledge of AP, AR, payroll, budgeting, forecasting, reconciliations, and financial reporting
Advanced Excel skills and experience with QuickBooks or similar accounting systems
Solid understanding of Canadian accounting principles and reporting requirements
Experience in a private school, not-for-profit, educational, or community-based environment is an asset
Payroll knowledge and experience in a collective agreement environment are considered assets
Robert Half is the world’s first and largest specialized talent solutions firm that connects highly qualified job seekers to opportunities at great companies. We offer contract, temporary and permanent placement solutions for finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, and administrative and customer support roles.
Robert Half works to put you in the best position to succeed. We provide access to top jobs, competitive compensation and benefits, and free online training. Stay on top of every opportunity - whenever you choose - even on the go. Download the Robert Half app and get 1-tap apply, notifications of AI-matched jobs, and much more.
This job posting is for a current vacancy with our client.
Our specialized recruiting professionals apply their expertise and utilize our proprietary AI to find you great job matches faster.
Questions? Call your local office at 1.888.490.3198. All applicants applying for Canadian job openings must be authorized to work in Canada.
Only job postings for jobs located in Quebec appear in French.
© 2025 Robert Half. By clicking “Apply,” you’re agreeing to Robert Half’s Terms of Use and Privacy Notice .
