Onboarding Lead

Zenbooks is a fully remote Canadian accounting firm founded in 2015 and headquartered in Ottawa. We serve 200+ small and mid-sized businesses coast to coast — companies in the $1M to $10M revenue range across professional services, SaaS and tech, marketing and creative agencies, e-commerce, and non-profits. Every client is on a monthly recurring engagement. Our regulated practice operates as Zenbooks Tax Services Professional Corporation under CPA Ontario.

In 2026, we were named to the Financial Times’ Americas’ Fastest Growing Companies list. In 2024, the Globe and Mail ranked us among Canada’s Top Growing Companies. Both rankings are based on independently verified compound revenue growth.

We don’t just do the work - we shape the conversation. Our team has been published in the Toronto Star, Policy Options, Canadian Accountant, The Hill Times, Le Devoir, BetaKit, and the Ottawa Business Journal, and has appeared on CBC and CTV on tax policy, small business finance, and the future of the accounting profession. Through OpenSME, we led national advocacy for Canadian SMEs, including a 30,000-signature CRA petition that generated 25 media interviews in five days. We also hosted the Small Business Big Insights podcast, with guests including mayors and executives from Wagepoint, Mastercard, and Wealthsimple.

We're now seeking an Onboarding Lead who's highly organized, detail-oriented, and committed to delivering an exceptional client experience. You ask thoughtful questions, pick up new tools quickly, and are always looking for ways to improve how things are done.

You're a self-starter who takes ownership without waiting to be asked, does right by the client even when it's not the easy path, and builds trust through consistency and follow-through.

Key Responsibilities:

Client Onboarding and Offboarding

• Lead all aspects of client onboarding from kickoff to handoff.
• Gather required financial documents, system access, and background information. 
• Set up clients in core systems (QBO/Xero, Dext, Plooto, Karbon, Ignition, etc.). 
• Coordinate client offboarding, ensuring data transfer, timely removal of system access (QBO/Xero, Dext, Plooto), proper archiving of documents and work items in Karbon, and clear communication of next steps to the client and internal teams.
• Develop and refine onboarding templates, checklists, and SOPs to improve efficiency and consistency and ensure alignment with company goals. 

Process Creation & Improvement 

• Build new workflows tailored to client needs, ensuring scalability and clear documentation. 
• Audit existing client processes (AP, AR, payroll, month-end, expense management, etc.) and identify gaps or inefficiencies. 
• Recommend and implement improvements, including automation opportunities and system enhancements. 
• Partner with the accounting, payroll, and tax teams to maintain best-practice processes across the firm. 
• Partner with L&D to assist in the development of training materials as needed 
• Set up custom reporting for clients as needed during the onboarding stage 

Client Support & Troubleshooting 

• Act as a point of escalation for client issues related to systems, processes, and communication gaps. 
• Diagnose root causes of recurring problems and implement long-term solutions. 
• Coordinate with internal specialists to resolve complex or technical issues quickly. 
• Proactively monitor client onboarding and health metrics, such as total dollar value of clients in onboarding, the number of days each client has been in the onboarding phase, and turnaround times for delivering first and second sets of financial statements for newly transitioned clients, and escalate any concerns to departmental leaders as needed. 

Relationship Management 

• Build strong relationships with clients, ensuring they feel supported and heard. 
• Provide client training on cloud tools and processes as needed. 
• Maintain regular check-ins for high-touch onboarding periods or process overhauls. 
• Support client retention efforts through consistent communication and service quality. 
• Conduct semi-annual check-ins with each team member to review their full client list, assess client satisfaction levels, and identify opportunities for support or improvement for our clients. 

Internal Collaboration 

• Collaborate on special projects as needed, working closely with the Advisory team and the Director of Operations to prioritize and deliver out-of-scope and catch-up work. 
• Provide feedback to Operations on recurring pain points to drive system-wide improvements. 
• Participate in internal meetings to share insights, update on onboarding progress, and surface client risks.

Core Competencies:

• Attention to Detail and Strong Organizational Skills
• Customer Service-Oriented with Excellent Communication
• Adaptability and Effective Problem-Solving Skills
• Time Management and Multitasking Abilities
• Collaboration and Initiative in Team Settings

Experience + Requirements:

• 2-3 years of experience working in a client-facing position within public accounting.
• Experience with cloud accounting software (such as Xero and/or QBO) is required
• Must pass a criminal background check and/or education and employment verification.
• Working from home is a requirement, including access to high-speed internet and availability during core business hours.

Benefits & Perks

Job Type: Full-time

Salary: $75,000 to $85,000 per year

• 5 Personal Days + 10 Vacation days + 1 week during the winter holidays
• 100% Employer-paid Health benefits (medical, dental, disability, life insurance) and a flexible health spending account
• RRSP matching program