Job Description

THE COMPANY

AMLB is a progressive virtual Chief Financial Officer (CFO) business that enables clients and team members to reach their potential. AMLB is growing quickly, having onboarded a portfolio of innovative clients making a real impact in a range of industries from technology to social impact. Purpose-driven and relationship-focused, they are strategic financial partners who intimately understand their clients' businesses and have built a reputation for delivering proactive advice that unleashes their clients’ performance potential.  

Background: 

Over 30 years ago, the founders’ parents immigrated to Canada and worked hard to build businesses that would provide for their families and contribute positively to society. 

Like many business owners, they were focused on serving their customers and growing, but often grappled with their financial health. 

This is AMLB’s ‘why’: they are passionate about combining their finance and tax expertise together with an empathetic approach to client care to help leaders and businesses realize their full potential. 

Service Overview: 

Cloud Accounting: AMLB takes the stress out of managing clients' day-to-day finances by providing a comprehensive cloud bookkeeping solution. From a digitized receipt capture solution to maintaining up-to-date financial records, they handle the clients' bookkeeping tasks efficiently and accurately. They also simplify accounts receivable and payable workflows by setting up and managing user-friendly AP/AR systems through tools like Plooto and Stripe to deliver a seamless, cloud-based solution for managing all incoming and outgoing payments.

Tax Planning & Preparation: AMLB offers comprehensive tax support, including the preparation and filing of T2 corporate tax returns, GST/HST filings, financial statement management, and strategic tax planning. AMLB also provides T1 tax filing for owner-managers and audit support for CRA reviews, ensuring peace of mind and compliance throughout the year.

Payroll: AMLB’s cloud-based payroll solutions enable clients to securely process payroll anytime, from anywhere. With WagePoint at the core, they manage direct deposits, T4 slips, tax remittances, and real-time updates, while leveraging collaborative tools to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and insight-driven payroll management.

CFO Advisory: Through virtual CFO services, AMLB delivers strategic financial guidance tailored to the needs of growing businesses. Their advisory offering includes financial modeling, deep dives into profit and margin leakage, audit committee and board reporting, cash flow and forecast analysis, and key performance indicator (KPI) development—all at a fraction of the cost of an in-house CFO.

Not-for-Profit Services: AMLB provides end-to-end financial compliance and advisory for not-for-profit organizations, including preparation and electronic filing of T3010 Registered Charity Returns, funder reporting, and support with government rebate programs such as HST, property tax, and public service body rebates.

Technology Enablement: AMLB stands out through its industry-leading use of cloud-first tools to automate, document, and streamline client services—leveraging platforms like Karbon for workflow management, SweetProcess and Loom for process documentation, Dext Prepare for receipt capture, QBO/Xero for accounting, WagePoint for payroll, Plooto for payments, and Microsoft SharePoint and Teams for seamless collaboration.

AMLB in the Community: 

AMLB is a purpose-driven organization committed to improving outcomes for clients, team members, and its communities. The team regularly supports various causes, such as ending youth homelessness, reducing poverty, and eliminating its carbon footprint.

AMLB's global recognition includes winning the Karbon Excellence Award for Diversity & Authenticity and being shortlisted for the Karbon Excellence Award for Sustainability.

https://futurefirm.co/the-top-50-modern-accounting-firms-of-2025/ 

https://karbonhq.com/resources/2023-karbon-excellence-awards-winners/

The AMLB Way:

• Clients- Think Like a Client: They deliver high-quality service through proactive, empathetic communication and commit to responding to all client needs within 24 hours.

• Owner- Act Like an Owner: They take initiative, think beyond individual roles, and drive the business forward with a client-obsessed mindset, as if it were our own.

• Team- Build a High-Integrity, High-Impact Team: They hire and develop top talent, act with kindness and respect, embrace diversity, and ensure everyone receives the training they need to thrive.

• Innovation- Drive Meaningful Change: They simplify work for our team and clients by continuously improving processes, embracing new ways of doing things, and applying AI with strategic intent.

• Speed- Move Fast, Deliver Excellence: They execute with efficiency and quality, make timely, calculated decisions, and consistently deliver high-standard work on schedule.

Additional Information on AMLB:

• AMLB website and LinkedIn.

• Check out their team here 

THE POSITION

AMLB is seeking a Payroll and A/P Manager to lead and further build a centralized, high-performing payroll function while expanding its mandate to include accounts payable. This is a fully remote leadership opportunity designed for a payroll professional who is excited by ownership, continuous improvement, and building scalable operating rhythms in a growing, cloud-based firm environment.

The Payroll & A/P Manager will provide day-to-day leadership to a small team (expected to be 2–3 direct reports initially, with growth potential) and will shift the function away from relying solely on the Director, CFS and Co-Founder for day-to-day oversight. While the team will continue to execute payroll processing, this role’s focus is on leadership, quality assurance, process design, coaching, and operational excellence, ensuring work is delivered accurately, consistently, and on time.

A core element of this mandate is bringing accounts payable into the payroll/AP function, transitioning AP activity currently handled across cloud accounting resources into a more centralized model over time. This includes clarifying workflows, building controls and review processes, and ensuring the team has the training, tools, and documentation required to deliver a strong, repeatable client experience.

Client service is central to success in this role. AMLB is looking for someone who can think like a client, own service delivery and communication related to payroll (and increasingly AP), and help design a function that clients consistently experience as best-in-class. The role offers meaningful impact, autonomy, and the opportunity to build and improve how AMLB delivers payroll and AP services as the business continues to scale.

THE PRIORITIES

The successful candidate will have the following key priorities:  

• Build and lead a high-performing, centralized Payroll & AP function: Take full ownership of the department by establishing clear accountability, coaching and developing the team (2–3 direct reports initially), implementing strong QA/review controls, and creating consistent operating rhythms that improve accuracy, timeliness, and reliability of delivery.
  
  
• Elevate the client experience while expanding the mandate to Accounts Payable: Centralize and strengthen client communication related to payroll (and increasingly AP), design scalable processes and documentation, and lead the transition of AP work from cloud accountants into the payroll/AP function, ensuring service remains proactive, consistent, and best-in-class as the business grows.

THE CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Functional Leadership & Team Management
  
  
• Lead, coach, and support a small payroll team (anticipated 2–3 direct reports initially), with a focus on performance, development, and accountability.
  
  
• Establish clear expectations, service standards, and operational routines to ensure consistent delivery across the function.
  
  
• Partner closely with the Director, CFS (and broader leadership as needed) to align priorities, capacity, and execution.
  
  
• Quality Assurance, Oversight, and Service Excellence
  
  
• Own the QA approach for payroll deliverables, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and compliance across a diverse client base.
  
  
• Review outputs, identify recurring issues, and implement preventative controls and escalation paths.
  
  
• Drive consistent service delivery, ensuring clients experience a high-touch, “best payroll function we’ve ever worked with” standard.
  
  
• Payroll Function Oversight
  
  
• Oversee end-to-end payroll administration delivered by the team, ensuring appropriate execution and compliance with payroll standards and regulatory requirements (use of tools like Wagepoint and other apps).
  
  
• Provide leadership support on complex payroll matters and ensure consistent handling of exceptions and special cases.
  
  
• Ensure payroll-related client communication is centralized, timely, and aligned with AMLB service standards.
  
  
• Accounts Payable Function Build and Transition
  
  
• Lead the integration of AP into the payroll/AP function, including planning, workflow design, and staged transition from cloud accountants.
  
  
• Build foundational AP processes, review standards, and documentation (recognizing this function is still being developed within the department).
  
  
• Utilize cloud-based AP tools (including Plooto) and related systems to support consistent, scalable execution.
  
  
• Process Improvement & Documentation
  
  
• Design, implement, and continuously improve processes across payroll and AP, with a focus on efficiency, accuracy, and scalability.
  
  
• Create internal documentation, step-by-step procedures, and training materials (including video-based training where helpful).
  
  
• Identify pain points, assess root causes, and implement sustainable improvements that reduce rework and enhance quality.
  
  
• Client-Centric Communication and Stakeholder Partnership
  
  
• Own and improve the client communication model related to payroll (and increasingly AP), ensuring responsiveness and proactive expectation-setting.
  
  
• Collaborate cross-functionally with cloud accounting and leadership stakeholders to coordinate client needs, transitions, and operational changes.
  
  
• Support AMLB’s growth by improving the reliability and client experience of core service delivery.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE PROFILE

The ideal candidate is an experienced payroll and accounting operations leader with a strong track record of managing people, processes, and client service in a fast-paced, cloud-based environment. They are energized by stepping into a hands-on leadership role where they can take ownership of a centralized Payroll & Accounts Payable function, build structure and consistency, and elevate both team performance and the client experience while remaining close to day-to-day operations.

• Payroll Leadership & Credentials: Holds a PCP designation (or equivalent) with deep knowledge of Canadian payroll legislation and proven experience leading payroll teams, providing oversight, and supporting complex payroll environments rather than focusing solely on transactional processing.
  
  
• People & Functional Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop a small team, establish clear accountability, and create a strong operating rhythm for a payroll/AP function that is still being formalized.
  
  
• Quality Assurance & Operational Control: Strong focus on review, quality assurance, and risk mitigation, with the ability to implement controls and standards that improve accuracy, timeliness, and consistency across client deliverables.
  
  
• Process Design & Function Build: Experience building or significantly improving payroll and/or AP processes, including documentation, training, and scalable workflows, well-suited to an environment where the AP mandate is being brought into the function.
  
  
• Accounts Payable Capability: Exposure to accounts payable and a clear interest in leading the transition of AP work into a centralized payroll/AP team, including defining roles, workflows, and review structures.
  
  
• Client Service Orientation: Client-first mindset with the ability to centralize and strengthen payroll-related communication, proactively manage expectations, and ensure a high-touch, best-in-class service experience.
  
  
• Technology & Cloud Proficiency: Comfortable operating in a fully cloud-based environment, leveraging payroll and AP systems (including tools such as Wagepoint and Plooto) to drive efficiency, visibility, and consistency.
  
  
• Ownership & Growth Mindset: Entrepreneurial and proactive, motivated by building something meaningful, taking full ownership of a critical function, and contributing to AMLB’s continued growth in a fully remote setting.
  

THE ATTRACTIONS

• A comprehensive, cost-shared benefits package that includes long-term disability and critical illness coverage, a cell phone allowance, a new laptop, and a $500 contribution towards your home office set-up to make your workspace more comfortable. 

• The autonomy to lead a team and directly contribute to the growth of an innovative, fast-growing, and aspirational organization. 

• A trust-based culture that allows you to work from anywhere, flexible hours, half-days on Fridays in August, and emphasizes results delivered over hours worked. 

• The chance to work in a fun, entrepreneurial, and collaborative environment for an organization with a strong growth mandate that embraces innovation and new ideas, has an employee-focused culture, forward-thinking leadership, and an incredible upward trajectory, including a performance bonus. 

• The opportunity to join a diverse, driven, and talented team (check them out), in a role of significant impact and visibility.  AMLB’s Co-founders (former Fortune 500 executives) prioritize learning, a collaborative culture, and professional development through ongoing coaching and mentorship. 

• Exposure to the latest technology, with autonomy to test and explore new platforms, and access to leading AI tools, including ChatGPT Plus; significant investment in your AI learning journey to future-proof your career. 

• As a highly client-facing role, you will work with and have significant exposure to a diverse group of companies, ambitious entrepreneurs, and non-profit executives across Canada. Many clients are high-growth start-ups at various stages. You will get to work with owners directly and have excellent visibility into how these companies operate (pre-revenue to IPO). 

• If you want to work at an entrepreneurial business where you will have the opportunity to make a real impact and gain experience using tools that are disrupting the way accounting is done, this is an excellent opportunity. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Oxford + Richmond is a progressive, retained boutique management and executive-level search firm. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards and the greatest commitment to providing exceptional customer service.  We live and breathe our core values of Integrity, Humility, Innovation, Trust + Transparency, Relationship-focus, and Diversity

• At Oxford + Richmond, we respect the privacy and confidentiality of the personal information provided by potential candidates, our clients, and outside parties who assist us in our searches. We are committed to keeping the personal information you share with us, whether over the Internet, on the telephone, or in person, confidential. The use of such information will only be for the purpose for which it was collected. For more information on our privacy policy, please visit https://oxfordandrichmond.com/privacy-policy/