Controller, Financial Operations - Canada

Job Description

Overview

Alpaca is a US-headquartered self-clearing broker-dealer and brokerage infrastructure for stocks, ETFs, options, crypto, fixed income, 24/5 trading, and more. Our recent Series D funding round brought our total investment to over $320 million, fueling our ambitious vision. Amongst our subsidiaries, Alpaca is a licensed financial services company, serving hundreds of financial institutions across 40 countries with our institutional-grade APIs. This includes broker-dealers, investment advisors, wealth managers, hedge funds, and crypto exchanges, totalling over 9 million brokerage accounts. Our global team is a diverse group of experienced engineers, traders, and brokerage professionals who are working to achieve our mission of opening financial services to everyone on the planet. We are deeply committed to open-source contributions and fostering a vibrant community, continuously enhancing our award-winning, developer-friendly API and the robust infrastructure behind it. Alpaca is proudly backed by top-tier global investors, including Portage Ventures, Spark Capital, Tribe Capital, Social Leverage, Horizons Ventures, Unbound, SBI Group, Derayah Financial, Elefund, and Y Combinator.

Your Role

As the Controller, Financial Operations (Canada), you will be the financial and operational anchor of our newly launched Canadian Broker-Dealer. Working directly with our CFO, you will design and implement the financial infrastructure required to meet CIRO standards, translating complex regulatory obligations into scalable, repeatable workflows. You will own the full financial lifecycle of a carrying broker—from daily settlements and client asset segregation to monthly MFRs, Form 1 filings, and ongoing capital management. This is a hands-on leadership role for a finance expert who wants to build best-in-class controls, shape our operational strategy, and ensure our Canadian expansion is grounded in accuracy, compliance, and long-term scalability.

Key Responsibilities

• Financial Oversight and Reporting:
  
  
  
  • Oversee and own the preparation and filing of the monthly MFR (Monthly Financial Report) and support the bridge from internal reporting to the General Ledger and Form 1.
  
  
  • Conduct analysis on fails, inventory, client receivables/deficiencies, borrow fees, and FX P&L.
  
  
  • Lead the preparation of IFRS financial statements and notes for quarterly and annual reporting.
  
  
  • Manage GST/HST/QST filings and intercompany accruals, invoices, and netting.
  
  
  • Ensure adherence to CIRO rules on margin, client positions, and financing arrangements, including securities borrowing/lending.
  
  
  
  


• Daily Operations and Control:
  
  
  
  • Manage daily reconciliations (trust accounts, bank reconciliations, custody statements, client ledgers) and ensure exceptions are resolved promptly.
  
  
  • Ensure daily reconciliations to CDS/DTCC statements and ensure proper segregation of client assets.
  
  
  • Partner with operations to review fails, settlements, and custody reconciliations, escalating issues as needed.
  
  
  • Ensure appropriate escalation and approvals for unsettled client trades and pre-borrow activities.
  
  
  • Provide dual-control approvals on trust and operational cash and securities movements.
  
  
  • Maintain and manage the incident log for trust breaks, settlement breaks, and PAD spikes, ensuring issues are tracked and addressed promptly.
  
  
  
  


• Risk Management and Compliance:
  
  
  
  • Prepare and review the weekly RAC report. Lead the Form 1 audit process and coordinate with external auditors.
  
  
  • Support periodic capital stress testing and contribute to vendor oversight, including SOC reports.
  
  
  • Ensure compliance with all applicable Canadian securities regulations.
  
  
  • Ensure compliance with segregation of client securities and free credit balances, in accordance with CIRO Rules.
  
  
  • Provide oversight of liquidity risk management, including daily capital utilization and funding requirements.
  
  
  
  

Who You Are (Must-Haves)

• Bachelor\'s degree in Accounting or Finance; CPA designation is preferred.


• Familiarity with CIRO (formerly IIROC) reporting requirements; Form 1/MFR experience is a strong asset.


• 5-7 years of relevant experience in a finance or financial operations role within a carrying broker-dealer or other financial institution in Canada.


• Excellent data analysis and reporting skills.


• Strong attention to detail, accuracy, and reliability, with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.


• Must possess the ability to adapt to a changing business and regulatory environment.


• Team-oriented with a desire to help and support other team members.


• Nice to have: Investment Representative (IR) registration with CIRO, or a willingness to obtain.

How We Take Care of You

• Competitive Salary & Stock Options


• Health Benefits


• New Hire Home-Office Setup: One-time USD $500


• Monthly Stipend: USD $150 per month via a Brex Card

Alpaca is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace dedicated to pursuing and hiring a diverse workforce. Recruitment Privacy Policy