Business Accounting Specialist
Ponoka, AB, CA, T4J 1V3
Department: Sales
Employment Type: Full-Time
Requisition ID: 2136
Date Posted: October 22, 2026
Closing Date: November 5, 2026 or until filled
Position Summary
The Business Accounting Specialist provides leadership and accountability for the financial, transactional, administrative and business-control functions of the crop input retail operation. The position ensures customer transactions, inventory records, accounts receivable, accounts payable, product costing, pricing, financial reporting and administrative processes accurately reflect the physical activities of the business.
This role is the primary financial and transactional control partner to the Operations Manager and Regional Operations & Commercial Manager. It extends beyond traditional bookkeeping or office administration by creating financial visibility, transactional discipline and reliable business information that supports commercial and operational decisions.
Key Accountabilities
- Manage day-to-day financial operations including accounts receivable, accounts payable, customer payments, supplier payments, bank reconciliation, invoices, credits, expenses and month-end support.
- Own transactional integrity across the lifecycle: Purchase Order → Receipt → Inventory → Customer Order → Shipment/Delivery → Invoice → Payment → Reconciliation.
- Monitor and resolve open purchase orders, unprocessed receipts, open customer orders, delivered-but-unbilled orders, transfers, returns, credits, manual adjustments, pricing overrides and unit-of-measure exceptions.
- Own financial inventory integrity including ERP reconciliation, inventory valuation, costing, adjustments, transfers, negative inventory, aging and physical-to-book variance analysis.
- Manage customer account setup, credit administration, payment processing, statements, AR aging, collections, account reconciliation, credit holds, financing programs and prepayments.
- Manage supplier invoices, PO/receipt matching, freight invoices, vendor statements, credits, rebates, discounts and payment preparation.
- Provide commercial analysis of sales, gross margin, product/customer margin, freight recovery, discounts, service revenue, supplier rebates, inventory carrying costs and write-downs.
- Develop concise weekly and monthly management reporting focused on performance, exceptions and decisions.
- Support annual budgets, monthly forecasts, expense planning, capital planning, labour-cost analysis, inventory planning and working-capital forecasting.
- Lead applicable administrative employees and ensure customer records, transaction processing, document management, payroll/timekeeping administration and record retention are accurate and efficient.
- Identify and eliminate duplicate processes, spreadsheet dependencies, data-quality issues and unnecessary manual work; improve ERP utilization and internal controls.
- Support transition to UFA systems, processes and operating standards while maintaining customer service and business continuity.
Financial & Transactional Controls
- Maintain clear separation between physical inventory custody and financial reconciliation.
- Investigate the cause of inventory differences before processing adjustments.
- Maintain appropriate PO → Receipt → Invoice controls wherever practical.
- Review pricing, costing and unit-of-measure exceptions that can create margin leakage or inventory distortion.
- Ensure delivered product is billed promptly and accurately.
- Track outstanding supplier credits, rebates and other recoveries through completion.
Management Reporting Expectations
- Sales and gross margin versus budget and prior period.
- Product-category and customer performance where appropriate.
- Inventory value, aging and reconciliation exceptions.
- Accounts receivable aging and significant credit exposure.
- Unbilled deliveries, open orders and outstanding receipts.
- Pricing, costing and transaction exceptions.
- Supplier credits and rebates outstanding.
- Working-capital and cash-flow indicators.
- Key issues requiring management action or decision.
Decision Rights
- Require correction or supporting documentation for incomplete or inaccurate transactions.
- Place transactions into exception status pending resolution when financial or inventory integrity is at risk.
- Recommend customer credit controls and escalate material exposure to the Regional Operations & Commercial Manager.
- Challenge pricing, costing, inventory or process exceptions and coordinate root-cause resolution.
- Recommend process, system and administrative changes that improve control, efficiency or management visibility.
Key Performance Measures
- Invoice and customer-account accuracy.
- Accounts receivable aging and collection performance.
- Delivered-but-unbilled orders and transaction backlog.
- Book-to-physical inventory reconciliation accuracy.
- Month-end timeliness and reporting accuracy.
- Pricing, costing and unit-of-measure accuracy.
- Supplier credit and rebate recovery.
- Accounts payable processing accuracy.
- Budget and forecast quality.
- Reduction in manual adjustments and recurring transaction exceptions.
- Administrative process efficiency and data integrity.
Qualifications & Experience
- Diploma or degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, Agribusiness or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Progressive experience in finance, accounting, operational finance, inventory accounting or business administration.
- Strong accounts receivable, accounts payable, reconciliation and financial-reporting capability.
- Strong Microsoft Excel skills and experience working with ERP/accounting systems.
- Agricultural retail, distribution, inventory-intensive or seasonal business experience is a significant asset.
- Strong analytical, organizational, communication and problem-solving skills.
Leadership Competencies
- Connects financial transactions to the physical and commercial reality of the business.
- Investigates why discrepancies occur rather than simply correcting balances.
- Maintains strong attention to detail while understanding broader business priorities.
- Communicates effectively and professionally with customers, employees, suppliers and leadership.
- Can respectfully challenge incomplete, inaccurate or inefficient processes.
- Uses technology and data to improve business visibility and reduce administrative effort.
- Understands the importance of long-term customer relationships while maintaining sound financial controls.
- Maintains confidentiality, integrity and consistent financial discipline.
You and UFA. Let’s Grow Together.
UFA is one of Canada’s largest and most progressive agricultural co-operatives. We’re a multi-billion-dollar organization that offers the products, services, and support our 127,000+ members need to build, grow and succeed. While our roots will always be in agriculture, we’re proud to support the industries and communities that drive Western Canada’s economy. We need your skills, expertise and ideas to help us keep growing.
- A Business with a Purpose - Join a member-owned co-operative with a mission that matters: improving the well-being of our members, helping them feed the world, and enabling investment in local communities.
- Recognized and Rewarded for Your Performance - At UFA, success is shared. You’ll own your work and be recognized for both individual and organizational results.
- Work-Life Success - We prioritize safety, respect your time, and offer flexible options and comprehensive benefits to support your life inside and outside of work.
- We Help Each Other Grow - Our collaborative culture fosters growth through hands-on experience, mentorship, training, educational support, and diverse career paths.
Diversity Equity, and Belonging
At UFA, we care about our employees and what makes them unique. We strive to create an inclusive environment that welcomes employees from diverse backgrounds, where everyone can do their best work. If you require accommodation during the application or selection process, please contact careers@ufa.com.
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We thank all applicants for their interest. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.