Vice President, Finance
Coulson Aviation

The Coulson Group of Companies (“Coulson Group”) is a dynamic, diversified, family-owned enterprise operating businesses in the aviation, manufacturing and entertainment sectors. Headquartered in Port Alberni, British Columbia with roots in the logging industry, new generations of the family have since evolved the small logging company into a conglomerate of companies working in a variety of industries including aviation, manufacturing, dining, and gaming. Over the last 64 years, the Coulson Group has consistently provided clients and customers with quality services and products, highly qualified technical staff and innovative support solutions.

During the 1990s, the Coulson Group expanded into aviation and has since become a global leader in specialty aviation services with an employee base of over 550 people. As the only aerial firefighting company operating both fixed-wing Large Air Tankers and Type 1 helicopters, Coulson Aviation (Coulson Aircrane Ltd.) is fully equipped to carry out aerial firefighting across the globe. With its proprietary technology, multiple aircraft types, and highly experienced attack crews, the company is able to fight fires on multiple continents simultaneously. Coulson Aviation has full-time operating business locations in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Chile, leveraging its worldwide support staff during busy times to conduct audits and cross-train over year-round fire seasons. Coulson is now a world leader in aerial firefighting.

The Vice President, Finance (VP, Finance) assists the Corporation in reaching its growth plans by having overall responsibility for all day-to-day accounting practices and procedures for multiple Group entities, and by providing leadership to administration and accounting staff.  As a senior member of the Accounting Department, the VP, Finance will also be involved in helping to define and execute the overall strategy for the business in collaboration with other senior leaders. Key elements of this role will be elevating the organization’s cost accounting expertise, optimizing the new Eclipse Accounting system, supporting global risk management, and continuing to develop a solid, centralized finance and accounting team.

The ideal candidate brings demonstrated success in progressively senior positions in an accounting/finance role with specific cost accounting expertise, including at least 8 years in a management or leadership role where they would have been responsible for all aspects of a finance department. Preferably, the ideal candidate has worked in a family-owned business and possesses sound knowledge of the aviation or the international aerial firefighting industry. All candidates must;

• have demonstrated their ability to work collaboratively and proactively with management in the development of systems, processes and reporting that drives effective decision making and operational excellence at all levels.
• have been a trusted advisor to executive leadership.
• have been an effective change agent and influencer who understands how to achieve buy-in to change initiatives and deliver results.

This role is based in Port Alberni, British Columbia.