Executive Director, Finance

Location: Vancouver, BC

Department: Finance

Employment Type: Full Time / Hybrid / Term (3-year fixed term contract)

Language Designation: English Essential

Posting Close Date: February 9, 2026

About Destination Canada

Tourism is the heartbeat of communities from coast to coast to coast. At Destination Canada, our aspiration for the tourism industry is to generate wealth and wellbeing for all of Canada and enrich the lives of our guests. Our mission is to influence supply and build demand for the benefit of locals, communities and visitors through leading research, alignment with public and private sectors, and marketing Canada nationally and abroad. We seek diverse, ingenious thinkers teeming with intellectual curiosity and a deep desire to grow Canada’s tourism industry – strengthening the socio-cultural, environmental and economic vitality tourism brings to Canada.

About the role

We are seeking a senior finance leader to fundamentally modernize and elevate Destination Canada’s finance function.

This role carries a clear and deliberate mandate to transform a finance organization that must evolve rapidly from manual, fragmented, and compliance-heavy processes into a modern, automated, data-driven function, while preserving the discipline, accuracy, and governance expected of a Crown corporation.

This is a senior, hands-on Executive Director role, grounded in deep technical accounting expertise, strong operational discipline, and a proven ability to execute change. Strategic insight and business partnership matter, but success in this role will be defined by clean books, strong controls, scalable systems, and tangible progress in finance transformation.

This is an opportunity to rebuild and future-proof the finance function of a national institution. You will help ensure that Destination Canada’s financial operations are not only compliant and trusted, but also modern, intelligent, and capable of supporting Canada’s tourism sector in an increasingly complex and competitive world.

Key accountabilities

Finance Transformation Mandate

Over the next phase of Destination Canada’s evolution, the Executive Director, Finance will lead a step-change in how finance operates:

• Rebuild core finance processes that are overly manual, spreadsheet-dependent, or difficult to scale
• Accelerate close, reconciliation, and reporting cycles through automation and system redesign
• Introduce AI-enabled finance capabilities such as anomaly detection, forecasting support, and intelligent reconciliations that are explainable, auditable, and aligned with public-sector risk and governance expectations
• Elevate finance from a reporting function to a trusted, real-time source of insight for executive decision-making
• Establish modern finance standards that are resilient, transparent, and built to support Destination Canada’s long-term strategy

What You Will Lead

Accounting and Financial Operations

• Own all accounting functions, including general ledger, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, fixed assets, and program accounting
• Ensure accurate, timely month-end, quarter-end, and year-end close processes
• Maintain the integrity of financial records in accordance with Canadian public-sector accounting standards and applicable GAAP requirements
• Oversee consolidated financial reporting across programs

Financial Reporting and Stewardship

• Lead internal and external financial reporting for executive leadership, the Board, and government stakeholders
• Deliver accurate monthly and quarterly financial statements with clear, decision-oriented analysis
• Prepare financial reporting, analysis, and briefing materials for the Board and Audit and Risk Committee
• Support statutory and Crown-specific reporting requirements and coordination with central agencies
• Lead external audits and ensure consistent accounting policies, documentation, and controls
• Oversee treasury activities, including cash management and Crown-specific funding and drawdown processes

Controls, Compliance and Risk

• Design, implement, and continuously strengthen internal controls and financial governance frameworks appropriate for a Crown corporation
• Ensure compliance with the Financial Administration Act, Treasury Board policies, and other applicable Crown corporation requirements
• Oversee tax, payroll, and statutory compliance, coordinating with external advisors where required
• Lead financial risk management activities, including insurance, contractual financial review, and exposure assessment

Finance Systems, Automation and AI Enablement

• Own the finance function’s ERP and financial systems, with accountability for modernization, data integrity, and scalability
• Lead automation of core finance processes, including close, reconciliations, reporting, and transactional workflows
• Own and deliver AI-enabled finance capabilities that materially improve accuracy, speed, and insight within clear governance frameworks
• Build standardized, high-quality financial data structures that support real-time visibility and advanced analytics
• Partner closely with Technology and Data teams to align finance transformation with Destination Canada’s broader digital and AI strategy

Team Leadership and Change Management

• Lead and develop the finance and accounting team, building capability in modern finance practices, automation, and analytics
• Foster a culture of accountability, stewardship, curiosity, and continuous improvement
• Lead the people and change aspects of finance transformation, ensuring adoption, capability uplift, and sustainability
• Act as a hands-on leader who can engage in technical detail while maintaining executive-level perspective

Business Partnership and Organizational Impact

• Partner with leaders across the organization to support program delivery, investment decisions, and resource allocation
• Provide practical, accounting-grounded financial guidance that improves decision-making and performance
• Support financial analysis and due diligence related to initiatives, investments, and program design
• Translate improved systems and data into clearer insights on performance, risk, and value creation

What you need

• CPA designation required
• 10 or more years of progressive finance and accounting leadership experience, including senior-level accountability
• Deep technical accounting expertise, including audit, controls, and compliance
• Demonstrated experience modernizing finance functions, including automation, ERP optimization or implementation, and process redesign
• Experience introducing AI or advanced analytics into finance environments with strong governance expectations
• Proven ability to lead teams through significant change while maintaining operational stability and trust
• Strong judgment, precision, and a clear commitment to public-sector stewardship

Compensation

Salary range: $142,000 - $184,600

Within the range, the base pay offered is determined by multiple factors, including job-related skills and relevant education/experience. Please note starting salaries for new hires typically fall between the minimum and mid-point of the range, to support internal equity and allow room for progression as employees grow and excel in their roles. The range above reflects base pay only and does not include the competitive at-risk pay program and benefits that we offer!

Other components of our total rewards offerings include:

• Extended health and dental benefits
• Minimum 4 weeks of accrued vacation plus other paid time off
• Employee assistance program
• Defined contribution pension plan
• Generous parenthood top-up
• Flexible working options like compressed workweek and hybrid model
• Support towards your professional growth with learning and development opportunities, mentorship and more.

Things you should know:

• This is a three-year term role, consisting of an 18-month maternity leave cover followed by an additional period of continuing to lead Finance transformation initiatives.
• This role follows a hybrid work arrangement, where work is performed onsite at least 3 days per week. Please note the work arrangement is subject to change.

At Destination Canada, we believe that Canada's diversity is its greatest asset and is what touches travellers' hearts most deeply. To that end, we are committed to inclusive leadership within our workplace, workforce, and interactions with partners and travellers alike. Destination Canada is an equal opportunity employer committed to reflecting Canada's diversity through fair and accessible hiring and employment practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. If you require accommodations at any point in the recruitment process, please reach out to [email protected].

We know that applying for a new job can be both exciting and intimidating, and we sincerely appreciate your interest and effort. Only those applicants under consideration will be contacted.