Lease Accounting Manager – Commercial Property

Location: 4 days onsite in client’s downtown office, Toronto, ON

Duration: 18-month contract

Compensation: $110,000 – $140,000 annually

Our client, a large and highly respected organization in the real estate sector, is seeking a Manager, Lease Accounting to join their Finance Operations team on an 18-month contract basis. This leadership role will oversee lease accounting, recovery analysis, financial reporting, and a team of accounting professionals supporting a diverse commercial real estate portfolio.

This position offers an opportunity to partner closely with operational and business stakeholders while driving financial accuracy, process improvement, and strategic decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

Lease Accounting & Business Partnership

Provide oversight of lease interpretation and abstraction activities to ensure accurate application of lease terms.
Support lease setup and maintenance within accounting systems, ensuring consistency between legal documentation and financial records.
Serve as a key resource to internal stakeholders on lease-related accounting matters.
Provide financial analysis and support related to lease renewals, amendments, and other commercial agreements.
Assist in resolving complex tenant billing inquiries and accounting issues.
Ensure data integrity, compliance, and audit readiness across the portfolio.

Recovery Accounting & Financial Analysis

Oversee recovery accounting processes, including common area maintenance (CAM), property taxes, utilities, and other recoverable expenses.
Review and approve reconciliations, accruals, and recovery calculations.
Support budgeting and forecasting initiatives.
Analyze revenue variances, recovery trends, and key financial drivers.
Identify opportunities to improve recoverability, financial performance, and operational efficiencies.
Support due diligence activities related to acquisitions, dispositions, and portfolio changes.

Reporting & Process Improvement

Ensure timely and accurate financial reporting and month-end deliverables.
Maintain strong internal controls and support risk mitigation initiatives.
Lead process improvement, automation, and system enhancement projects.
Drive consistency and standardization across reporting, accounting processes, and portfolio management activities.

Leadership

Lead, mentor, and develop a team of accounting and finance professionals.
Manage workload allocation, priorities, and deliverables.
Review team output to ensure accuracy, quality, and insightful analysis.
Foster a collaborative and high-performance team environment.

Requirements
Qualifications

7+ years of experience in lease accounting, real estate accounting, recovery accounting, or related financial analysis.
Previous people leadership or supervisory experience at least for the past 2+ years.
Post-secondary education in Accounting, Finance, Business, or a related field.
CPA designation completed or in progress is considered a strong asset.
Strong understanding of IFRS and real estate accounting principles.
Advanced Excel skills with experience working in ERP and property management systems.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively with cross-functional stakeholders.
Detail-oriented with a focus on accuracy and continuous improvement.