What We Do.
Smart & Biggar has been at the forefront of intellectual property (IP) and technology law for over 125 years. We practice in every area of IP on behalf of an exceptional international clientele, and we are consistently ranked as Canada’s leading IP firm. We are committed to hiring people with different backgrounds and experience, who represent the best talent in their field.
We are part of the IPH Group. IPH Limited is the holding company for intellectual property (“IP”) and associated companies offering a wide range of IP services and products. IPH companies employ a highly skilled multidisciplinary team of over 1,200 people in Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, and Thailand. IPH companies service a diverse client base of Fortune Global 500 companies, multinationals, public sector research organizations, SMEs, and professional services firms worldwide.
We are passionate about what we do and what we can achieve. The IPH Group is committed to promoting and maintaining a workplace culture of shared respect across companies to enable us all to feel valued and be the best we can be.
The Opportunity.
Smart & Biggar is currently looking for an Accounts Receivable Team Lead to join our National Finance Team.
In this role, you will support the day-to-day operations of the AR team. This includes guiding colleagues, reviewing work, and stepping in where needed to keep things moving. The Accounts Receivable Team Lead is primarily responsible for overseeing the processing of payments, trust administration, and providing hands-on support to the team.
Responsibilities.
- Process incoming wire and cheque payments, post to client accounts, and distribute monthly statements
- Correspond with clients regarding missing payment information and investigate credits, arranging refunds where appropriate
- Complete vendor forms and banking confirmations as requested
- Oversee trust activities ensuring compliance with applicable law society requirements, including review of trust reporting prior to submission
- Review and remove duplicate WIP entries and approve cost write-downs in accordance with the Delegation of Authority
- Review team write-off and refund requests for completeness prior to submission
- Maintain communication with the Manager and Director of Finance on unapplied and unallocated funds
- Liaise with Operations on AR processes and invoice-related issues
- Collaborate with the Manager and colleagues to identify inefficiencies and drive process improvements
- Other duties necessary to support the Finance team, as assigned.
Qualifications, competencies and experience.
- Diploma or degree in accounting, finance, or a related field, with 5+ years of progressive experience in accounts receivable or a related finance function
- Strong understanding of internal controls, finance procedures, and a track record of identifying inefficiencies and proposing practical solutions
- Experience mentoring or guiding colleagues in a team environment
- Proficiency in Excel, including pivot tables and formulas; experience with Concur and/or Elite 3E is an asset
- Able to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, high-volume environment with strong attention to detail and a high degree of accuracy
Compensation.
The base salary for this role will be positioned between $70,000 - $80,000 taking into consideration factors such as location, job-related knowledge, prior experience, qualifications, and internal equity.
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Our recruitment process uses AI-enabled tools to assist with the assessment of applications based on job-related criteria. These tools do not make the final decisions. All decisions related to screening, interviewing and selection are made by our Talent Acquisition and hiring teams.