Senior Manager, Independence

Putting people first, every day

BDO is a firm built on a foundation of positive relationships with our people and our clients. Each day, our professionals provide exceptional service, helping clients with advice and insight they can trust. In turn, we offer an award-winning environment that fosters a people-first culture with a high priority on your personal and professional growth.

Your Opportunity

Our National Office in Toronto or Montreal has an immediate opening for a Sr Manager, Independence on its National Risk Management team. This is an internal risk management position focused on independence and ethics. We are also open to candidates located anywhere across Canada. The individual will have the following responsibilities and will report to the Partner, Independence and Ethics, National Risk Management.

• Through training and mentorship, gain a deep understanding of the independence, conflict of interest and ethical matters that apply to professional services firms;
• Assist Partners and practitioners across Canada through consultations on independence and/or conflict of interest matters, including personal independence matters as well as scope of services;
• Develop and enhance independence processes, including the personal independence monitoring program and execute annual audits of practitioners;
• Liaise with partners and practitioners both domestically and abroad as required on independence and conflicts matters;
• Maintain key risk management procedures related to independence, conflicts and other risk areas;
• Play a key role in various transformation projects on independence processes;
• Research and understand the applicable regulatory standards, including the CPA Code of Professional Conduct and IESBA International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants, and be able to apply them to various situations;
• Assist with internal and external inspections, including coordinating information requests, investigating findings and assisting with remediation;
• Evaluate learning needs of BDO staff and partners related to independence and other risk management topics through the firm;
• Develop course content and deliver training for independence and other risk management training programs to partners and practitioners;
• Assist with researching and writing effective risk management guidance materials and policies for Partners and practitioners.

How do we define success for your role?

• You demonstrate BDO's core values through all aspect of your work: Integrity, Respect and Collaboration
• You are able to build trusted relationships and understand your client’s industry, challenges, and opportunities; clients describe you as a trusted advisor - positive, professional, and delivering high-quality work
• You are able to research, interpret and apply regulatory standards produced by professional accounting bodies, including the CPA, IFAC, AICPA, PCAOB and SEC
• You thrive in an unstructured and agile environment, able to work independently and as part of a collaborative team
• You share in an inclusive and engaging work environment that develops, retains and attracts talent
• You actively participate in the adoption of digital tools and strategies to drive an innovative workplace
• You grow your expertise through learning and professional development

Your experience and education

• You have a CPA designation, legal designation or risk/compliance experience
• Audit or professional services experience is highly preferred
• You have strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• You have excellent verbal and written communication skills
• You have the ability to prioritize workloads and manage multiple tasks and deadlines
• You have interest and experience in innovation and transformation
• Bilingual in English and French is required due to the frequent and complex contact with our English-speaking partners and clients in Quebec and outside of Quebec, and the need to draft documents in English, knowledge of English is essential for this position.

Why BDO?

Our people-first approach to talent has earned us a spot among Canada’s Top 100 Employers for 2025. This recognition is a milestone we’re thrilled to add to our collection of awards for both experienced and student talent experiences.

Our firm is committed to providing an environment where you can be successful in the following ways:

• We enable you to engage with how we change and evolve, being a key contributor to the success and growth of BDO in Canada.

• We help you become a better professional within our services, industries, and markets with extensive opportunities for learning and development.

• We support your achievement of personal goals outside of the office and making an impact on your community.

Giving back adds up: Where company meets community. BDO is actively involved in our communities by supporting local charity initiatives. We support staff with local and national events where you will be given the opportunity to contribute to your community.

Total rewards that matter: We pay for performance with competitive total cash compensation that recognizes and rewards your contribution. We provide flexible benefits from day one, and a market leading personal time off policy. We are committed to supporting your overall wellness beyond working hours and provide reimbursement for wellness initiatives that fit your lifestyle.

Everyone counts: We believe every employee should have the opportunity to participate and succeed. Through leadership by our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leader, we are committed to a workplace culture of respect, inclusion, and diversity. We recognize and celebrate the valuable differences among each of us, including race, religious beliefs, physical or mental disabilities, age, place of origin, marital status, family status, gender or gender identity and sexual orientation. If you require accommodation to complete the application process, please contact us.

Flexibility: All BDO personnel are expected to spend some of their time working in the office, at the client site, and virtually unless accommodations or alternative work arrangements are in place.

Our model is a blended approach designed to support the flexible needs of our people, the firm and our clients. It’s about creating work experiences that meet everyone’s needs and providing flexibility to adjust when, where and how we work to meet the expectations of our role.

Code of Conduct: Our Code of Conduct sets clear standards for how we conduct business. It reflects our shared values and commitments and includes guiding principles to help us make ethical decisions and maintain trust with each other, our clients, and the public.

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Ready to make your mark at BDO? Click “Apply now” to send your up-to-date resume to one of our Talent Acquisition Specialists.

To explore other opportunities at BDO, check out our careers page.