Overview
Vice President, Finance Jobs in Greater Toronto Area, Canada at Morson Edge (Canada)
Title: Vice President, Finance
Company: Morson Edge (Canada)
Location: Greater Toronto Area, Canada
Our client is a Canadian defence technology company designing and manufacturing unmanned aerial systems for the Canadian Armed Forces, allied NATO governments, and partners in active operational theatres.
They are seeking Vice President, Finance which will be the most senior finance leader, reporting directly to the CEO and partnering closely with the executive team and Board. This is a build role: the VP Finance owns the full financial engine of a growth-stage defence manufacturer – planning and analysis, accounting and controllership, treasury and cash, capital and lender relationships, and government cost compliance – while standing up the team, systems, and controls that a scaling, government-contracting business requires.
You will run lean initially, working hands-on alongside the Controller, and you’ll be expected to grow scope and team as the company scales. This is a rare opportunity to shape the financial foundation of a sovereign defence platform from the ground up.
Key Responsibilities
- Financial Planning & Analysis
- Own enterprise FP&A. Lead budgeting, multi-year forecasting, and the long-range financial model across all platforms, variants, and markets, translating strategy into credible, defensible financial targets.
- Drive decision support. Build and maintain sophisticated financial models for pricing, product mix, gross-margin evolution, capacity investment, and scenario planning; deliver the analysis that informs executive and Board decisions.
- Establish performance frameworks. Define and report the KPIs and management dashboards that hold the business accountable to plan, including unit economics and margin bridges by platform.
- Accounting, Controllership & Cash
- Lead the accounting function. Oversee the Controller and all core accounting operations — month-end close, GL integrity, AP/AR, payroll, and audit readiness — ensuring accurate, timely, GAAP-compliant reporting (ASPE/IFRS as applicable).
- Manage cash and liquidity. Own cash-flow forecasting and working-capital management through a high-growth, capital-intensive manufacturing ramp; ensure the company always has visibility and runway.
- Strengthen the control environment. Implement and mature internal controls, financial policies, and approval frameworks appropriate to a defence contractor and a future audited, financed entity.
- Project-Based Cost Accounting & Government Compliance
- Stand up project cost accounting. Implement project- and contract-level cost accounting to the standard required for Government of Canada (PSPC / Procurement Canada) contracting, including cost segregation, allowability, allocation, and auditable cost-to-complete reporting.
- Own contract financials. Support bid pricing, contract cost build-up, and post-award cost tracking on defence programs, ensuring financial data withstands government and customer audit.
- Lead government grant finance. Manage the financial administration, eligible-cost tracking, claims, and reporting obligations of federal and provincial grant and incentive programs, ensuring full compliance with funding agreements.
- Capital, Investor & Lender Relationships
- Support the capital raise. Partner with the CEO on fundraising — financial model, data room, diligence, and investor materials
- Manage banking and debt relationships. Own day-to-day relationships with banks and lenders, including credit facilities, covenant compliance, treasury operations, and financing for working capital and growth.
- Report to the Board. Prepare Board- and committee-ready financial reporting, and represent finance in Board and investor settings with clarity and credibility.
- Team Build & Leadership
- Build the finance function. Run lean initially alongside the Controller, then design, hire, and scale the finance and accounting team — structure, roles, systems, and processes — as the business grows.
- Mature the finance stack. Evolve systems and tooling (from QuickBooks Online toward an ERP suited to manufacturing and project costing) and the broader finance operating model to match scale.
- Partner across the business. Act as a strategic partner to operations, manufacturing, business development, and the executive team, embedding financial discipline across the company.
Qualifications
Required
- 12+ years of progressive finance experience, including a senior finance leadership role in a scaling organization.
- Direct experience in defence, aerospace, or complex/regulated discrete manufacturing — with a working understanding of manufacturing cost structures, BOMs, inventory, and gross-margin drivers.
- Deep FP&A and financial modeling expertise; able to build and own complex models independently, not just review them.
- Strong technical accounting and controllership grounding, including cash-flow management, month-end close, and audit.
- Demonstrated experience with project-based / contract cost accounting – ideally in a Government of Canada (PSPC / Procurement Canada) or comparable government-contracting environment.
- Track record managing investor and banking/lender relationships and supporting capital raises or financing transactions.
- Hands-on experience administering government grants and incentive programs (eligible-cost tracking, claims, compliance reporting).
- Proven experience building and scaling a finance team and the underlying systems and controls.
- CPA designation (or equivalent).
- Eligible for and willing to obtain a Government of Canada Secret (Level II) personnel security clearance.
Preferred
- Experience in a growth-stage / venture- or institutionally-backed company that scaled through a financing and a manufacturing ramp.
- Familiarity with the Controlled Goods Program, defence trade controls, and government contracting compliance.
- Experience selecting and implementing an ERP in a manufacturing context.
- Exposure to international / multi-jurisdiction operations and foreign-government customers.
- CFA, MBA, or equivalent strategic-finance credential.
Please note, this is a real and current job vacancy. Morson Edge does not use artificial intelligence to screen or select candidates.
