About the National Film Board of Canada

Founded in 1939 and unique in its kind, the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) produces, co-produces, and distributes engaging, relevant, and innovative documentaries and animated films. A talent incubator, it is one of the world’s largest creative laboratories.

The NFB enables Canadians to tell their stories and connect with one another. Its films are also a reliable and accessible educational resource. The NFB has internationally recognized expertise in preservation and conservation, as well as a rich and vibrant collection of works that are an important part of Canada’s cultural heritage.

To date, the NFB has produced more than 14,000 works, 7,000 of which are available free of charge online at nfboff.ca. The NFB and its productions and co-productions have won over 7,000 awards, including 11 Oscars and an honorary Oscar recognizing the organization’s excellence in all areas of filmmaking.

 

Culture, Mission, and Values

The values of the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) guide all the organization’s activities and decisions. They are based on respect, diversity, generosity, integrity, courage, and fulfillment. These principles reflect the NFB’s commitment to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and bilingual environment, supporting creativity and innovation, and acting with transparency and accountability.

 

Description

Reporting to the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, the Director of Financial Operations ensures the end-to-end performance of financial operations while supporting effective governance and risk management. The incumbent interprets the federal legislative framework, makes recommendations to reduce risks, implements robust policies and controls, steers the risk-based internal control framework, and oversees audits, contributing to the optimization and simplification of financial practices.

 

Key Responsibilities

Leadership

• Designs and implements initiatives to improve practices, processes, and tools in support of the NFB’s strategic plan; partners with stakeholders to facilitate change management.
• Promotes innovation and implements process improvement initiatives through the deployment of new tools, process redesign, and team development (emerging technologies, business analytics, etc.); develops and maintains a network of collaborators, partners, and strategic contacts within the organization and other government agencies.
• Participates in strategy development, project planning, and prioritization, in collaboration with the senior management team.
• Communicates objectives and strategies to staff in the sectors under his or her responsibility, acts as spokesperson for the sectors to internal and external collaborators.
• Manages the human resources of his or her department in accordance with the values and policies of the NFB and in accordance with the collective agreements in force. Ensures that high-performing teams are built by selecting the right candidates, developing these resources through appropriate means (assigned projects, professional support, training, co-development), creating synergy and cohesion within the group, and maintaining a spirit of collaboration.

Financial Operations

• Oversees the effectiveness of accounting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and payroll functions.
• Oversees the preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements, as well as reports required for senior management and public accounts.

Governance and Risk

• Leads integrated risk management, ensures the framework is periodically updated and aligned with the three-year strategic vision, paying particular attention to priorities and directions as well as emerging and residual risks and their impacts.

Systems and Data

• Leads analyses by integrating emerging technologies, such as data analytics, artificial intelligence, and automation; makes recommendations for optimizing available financial and material resources.
• Identifies contracts, laws, and regulations that require in-depth analysis, determines the appropriate course of action, and formalizes positions using appropriate tools and methods.

Compliance and Controls

• Interprets and implements regulatory requirements (e.g., financial reporting, anti-fraud, anti-corruption, sanctions, protection of personal information related to financial data).
• Evaluates complex compliance issues and exercises sound professional judgment to interpret, analyze, and reconcile government policies, guidelines, and standards.
• Develops and oversees audit mandates based on strategic objectives; sets priorities, coordinates the annual audit plan; leads the optimization and simplification of practices, ensures control of audited processes and activities, and guides teams in achieving objectives.
• Maintains the internal control framework; directs the design, testing, corrective measures, and ongoing monitoring of controls.

 

Required Qualifications

Education

• University degree in finance, accounting, or equivalent
• Hold a recognized accounting designation (CPA)

Work Experience

• Minimum of 15 years of relevant experience, including 5 years in personnel management
• Experience in transformation or change management
• Experience in risk assessment and financial scenario modeling
• Experience using integrated management software packages, such as SAP, and data visualization solutions, such as Power Automate and Power BI
• Experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating risk-based internal control frameworks

Skills

• Understanding of Canadian regulations, accounting standards, and tax issues, ideally within the public service
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint)
• Bilingualism in both official languages (French and English), spoken and written

Abilities

• Judgment and discernment to make informed decisions
• Inspiring leadership and the ability to motivate teams
• Rigorous, integrity, and ethical in all actions
• Strategic vision and ability to anticipate risks
• Collaborative spirit and ability to build trusting relationships
• Openness to change and innovative spirit

 

Why Join the NFB

Joining the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) (founded in 1939) offers the opportunity to work for a world-renowned public producer/distributor focused on creating bold documentary, animated, and interactive works.

It is an environment that promotes innovation, diversity, equality, and the next generation, with state-of-the-art studios.

• Cultural impact and creativity: The NFB is an incubator for talent that tells authentic, creative, and engaging Canadian stories.
• International recognition: With more than 7,000 awards (including 12 Oscars and 21 Webbys), it is a prestigious institution with a global reach.
• Inclusive environment: The organization is committed to diversity, gender parity, Indigenous production, and the inclusion of racialized and LGBTQ2+ communities.
• Technical innovation: The NFB is a leader in digitization, restoration, interactive storytelling, and immersive experiences.
• Benefits and Work Environment: Employees work in modern studios, including one in the heart of Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles, with values of collaboration, generosity, and integrity.

 

Follow TALINKO on LinkedIn

Only those selected for an interview will be contacted. We are committed to employment equity.

TALINKO is an executive search firm specializing in middle and senior management recruitment, which also provides support in recruiting board members and advisory committee members. We work in a variety of industries.

Please note that the masculine form is used to simplify the text, without prejudice to the feminine form.