Bilingual Senior Business Advisor - Financial Management, Business Transition AND Strategy, Montreal

We are banking at another level.

Choosing BDC as your employer means working in a healthy, inclusive, and skilled workplace that puts forward the best conditions to bring together unique teams where employees are empowered to act. It also means being at the centre of ambitious economic and financial projects to see further and to do things differently, to fuel the success of Canadian entrepreneurs.

Choosing BDC as your employer also means:

• Flexible and competitive benefits, including an Employee Savings and Investment Plan where BDC matches part of your voluntary contributions, a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, a $750 wellness and health care spending account, to name a few   

• In addition to paid vacation each year, five personal days, sick days as necessary, and our offices are closed from December 25 to January 1

• A hybrid work model that truly balances work and personal life

• Opportunities for learning, training and development, and much more... 

Explore the BDC Way in our Culture Book

POSITION OVERVIEW

At BDC, the only bank dedicated exclusively to Canadian entrepreneurs, your work contributes directly to the success and growth of small and medium-sized businesses across Canada. As a Senior Business Advisor, you lead and deliver high-value advisory engagements that help entrepreneurs strengthen financial performance, improve decision-making, and build enterprise value.

This role combines a primary focus on Financial Management (approximately 70%) with a complementary focus on Business Transition and Strategy (approximately 30%). You provide practical, actionable advice that supports growth, ownership transitions, integration initiatives, and strategic change within SME environments.

CHALLENGES TO BE MET

Financial management (primary focus | approximately 70%)

• Deliver financial management advisory engagements for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
• Assess financial performance, management practices, and financial processes to identify improvement opportunities.
• Develop and implement:
  • Financial plans
  • Financial forecasts
  • Cash flow models
  • Scenario analyses
  • Key performance indicators (KPIs)
  • Dashboards
  • Costing models and analyses
  • Management reporting tools
• Improve client capabilities in:
  • Budgeting
  • Forecasting
  • Working capital management
  • Profitability analysis
  • Cost management
  • Financial controls
  • Financial decision-making
• Translate financial analysis into operational and strategic recommendations for business owners and leadership teams.
• Advise clients on:
  • Business performance
  • Investment decisions
  • Financing requirements
  • Financial and business risks
  • Value creation opportunities
• Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of financial management methodologies, advisory tools, and service offerings.
• Apply digital tools and artificial intelligence solutions to support analysis, modelling, forecasting, and decision-making.

Business transition & strategy (complementary focus | approximately 30%)

• Advise entrepreneurs on business transition initiatives, including:
  • Ownership transfers
  • Succession planning
  • Sale preparation
  • Mergers and acquisitions (M&A)
  • Post-transaction integration
• Assess:
  • Financial readiness
  • Enterprise value drivers
  • Strategic and financial risks
• Develop transition and succession roadmaps to support continuity, value preservation, and stakeholder alignment.
• Support strategic planning engagements through:
  • Strategic analysis
  • Evaluation of strategic options
  • Development of implementation plans
• Design and implement strategy execution frameworks incorporating:
  • Objectives
  • Performance indicators
  • Governance mechanisms
  • Accountability structures
  • Follow-up processes
• Use digital and AI-enabled tools to support scenario planning, business analysis, and operational effectiveness.

Engagement delivery, collaboration & business development

• Manage advisory engagements including scope, budget, timelines, risks, client expectations, and deliverable quality.
• Oversee and review work completed by external delivery partners when required.
• Conduct client diagnostics and contribute to the development of customized advisory proposals.
• Support business development activities and the sale of advisory mandates.
• Collaborate with Client Partners and Business Advisors to deliver integrated solutions and share technical expertise.
• Develop and present thought leadership content, knowledge-sharing materials, and practice-related insights.
• Participate in special projects that support the growth and evolution of BDC Advisory Services.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Language

• Perfect bilingualism in French and English, due to the responsibilities of the position

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.

Professional experience

• Approximately 10 years of progressive experience in one or more of the following areas:
  • Financial leadership
  • Financial management
  • Financial advisory services
• Experience advising business owners, entrepreneurs, executive leaders, or management teams on:
  • Financial planning
  • Financial modelling
  • Financial performance management
  • Cost management Process improvement
• Experience developing and implementing:
  • Financial forecasts
  • Cash flow models
  • Budgets
  • Management reporting tools
  • Performance measurement frameworks
• Experience managing client-facing advisory or consulting engagements.
• Practical experience supporting one or more of the following:
  • Business transition
  • Succession planning
  • Mergers and acquisitions (M&A)
  • Post-merger integration
  • Strategic planning
  • Strategy execution

Technical and business skills

• Financial analysis
• Financial planning and analysis (FP&A)
• Financial modelling
• Cash flow management
• Budgeting and forecasting
• Working capital management
• Cost accounting
• Profitability analysis
• Key performance indicators (KPIs)
• Dashboard and management reporting design
• Process improvement
• Business performance management
• Strategic analysis
• Enterprise value assessment
• Project management within a client-service environment
• Use of digital tools and artificial intelligence for analysis and decision support.

Core competencies

• Client-focused advisory approach.
• Analytical problem-solving and sound business judgment.
• Ability to translate complex financial and strategic concepts into practical recommendations.
• Executive-level written, verbal, facilitation, coaching, and presentation skills.
• Relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.
• Collaboration, adaptability, and business development orientation.

Preferred qualifications

Education & credentials

• Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation.
• Master of Business Administration (MBA).
• Other relevant professional designations related to finance, strategy, consulting, or business transition.

Professional experience

• Experience in management consulting, business consulting, professional services, or advisory services.
• Experience delivering both standardized and customized consulting mandates for SMEs.

Proudly one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers and one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, we are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, inclusive and accessible environment where all employees can thrive and feel empowered to bring their whole selves to work. If you require an accommodation to complete your application, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected].

While we appreciate all applications, we advise that only the candidates selected to participate in the recruitment process will be contacted.