
Accounting Technician at LawZero (Montréal, Canada)
LawZero· Montréal, Canada·
Job description
As an Accounting Technician, you will help oversee LawZero’s financial and accounting operations. LawZero is a non-profit organization funded through two main sources: donations from private foundations and public grants.
Reporting to the Finance Manager, you will contribute to the smooth running of day-to-day operations in Canada and internationally. You will ensure data accuracy, transaction compliance, and the thorough preparation of accounting deliverables.
A portion of your time will also be dedicated to supporting the accounting operations of Mila, the Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute.
Your contribution
- Manage the accounts payable cycle: review and allocate costs on complex invoices to the appropriate general ledger accounts, projects, and tax codes; follow up with stakeholders as needed to ensure accuracy; enter invoices and prepare payments.
- Manage the accounts receivable cycle: review contracts, validate information with stakeholders, determine applicable sales taxes, enter invoices, review overdue accounts, and follow up on outstanding payments.
- Verify that employee expense reports comply with applicable policies.
- Collect supporting documentation for employee credit card transactions and record journal entries.
- Under the supervision of the Finance Manager, prepare month-end schedules for the organization and its international branch.
- Prepare bank reconciliations related to accounts payable and receivable activities.
- Work closely with our accounting partners.
- Suggest and contribute to process improvement projects.
- Provide occasional backup support for LawZero’s payroll processing when the person responsible for payroll is absent.
- Assist the accounting team with related tasks.
What you bring
- Education: a Diploma of College Studies (DEC) in Accounting or a bachelor’s degree in Accounting.
- Experience: at least two years as an Accounting Technician, with experience in accounts payable and receivable, month-end closing, payroll and employee expenses.
- A strong focus on accuracy, efficient data entry skills and comfort with repetitive operational tasks.
- Experience in a growing organization with multiple entities and international operations.
- Experience in a non-profit organization is an asset.
- Ability to adapt to a dynamic and constantly evolving environment.
- Strong analytical skills, thoroughness and attention to detail.
- Independence, resourcefulness and excellent organizational skills.
- Ability to work as part of a team and collaborate with partners across different organizations.
- Proficiency in French and English.
- Strong working knowledge of Google Workspace (Google Sheets, Google Docs) and/or Microsoft Office (Excel, Word).
- Knowledge of NetSuite or another ERP system is an asset.
What we offer
- The chance to contribute meaningfully to a globally critical initiative
- Comprehensive health benefits (including mental health and wellness management account)
- 20 days of vacation per year upon start
- Employer contribution of 4% to your retirement savings, with no required employee match
- Additional compensation totaling 8% of your salary to apply towards additional retirement savings or bonuses (independent of group and individual performance)
- A team of passionate world-class experts in their field
- A collaborative and inclusive work environment in our vibrant office space in the heart of Little Italy, in the trendy Mile-Ex district, close to public transportation
About LawZero
LawZero is a non-profit organization committed to advancing research and creating technical solutions that enable safe-by-design AI systems. Its scientific direction is based on new research and methods proposed by Professor Yoshua Bengio, the most cited AI researcher in the world. Based in Montreal, LawZero’s research aims to build non-agentic AI that learns primarily to understand the world rather than to act in it, giving truthful answers to questions based on transparent and externalized probabilistic reasoning. Such AI systems could be used to accelerate scientific discovery, to provide oversight for agentic AI systems, and to advance the understanding of AI risks and how to avoid them. LawZero believes that AI should be cultivated as a global public good—developed and used safely towards human flourishing. For more information, visit www.lawzero.org
You belong here
At LawZero, diversity is important to us. We value a work environment that is fair, open and respectful of differences. We welcome applications from highly qualified individuals interested in working towards our mission in a respectful, inclusive and collaborative setting.
Your personal information will be collected and processed by LawZero to evaluate your application for employment in compliance with our Privacy Policy. Under privacy laws in force in your country of residence, you may have several privacy rights, such as to request access to your personal information or to request that your personal information be rectified or erased. Details on how you can exercise your rights can be found in our Privacy Policy.
Why work at LawZero
- Highly Mission-Driven: A rare opportunity to work on fundamental AI safety research at a nonprofit, free from the commercial pressures of major AI labs. The explicit goal is to build AI as a global public good.
- World-Class Leadership: Work directly under and alongside Yoshua Bengio and a leadership team with deep expertise in AI.
- Growth Trajectory: The organization is in a rapid scaling phase (growing from 15 to 100+ people), offering early employees significant influence and rapid career growth.
- Prime Location: Based in Montréal, a major AI research hub with access to talent from Mila and top universities.
- Policy Impact: Involvement with a high-profile global advisory council that includes former heads of state, offering a chance to shape AI governance.
- Work Environment: The culture emphasizes safety, mission integrity, and rigorous scientific research. The organization is structured as a research lab, not a commercial entity.