Finance Manager

The University of British Columbia; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of British Columbia is looking for a Finance Manager to oversee budget management and financial reporting within the Faculty of Medicine. This role requires a thorough understanding of financial principles and the ability to effectively communicate insights to senior management. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in finance, strong analytical skills, and the ability to manage complex financial processes.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in finance or accounting.
• Extensive experience with ERP systems preferred.
• Ability to perform complex financial analyses.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic financial support and budget management.
• Develop and implement financial processes and reports.
• Advise on financial matters affecting the Faculty.

Skills

Financial management

Budgeting

Financial analysis

Communication

Tact and diplomacy

Education

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline

Completion of CPA Accounting program (CA, CGA or CMA)

Tools

Financial application software

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Staff - Non Union

Job Category
M&P - AAPS

Job Profile
AAPS Salaried - Accounting, Level D

Job Title
Finance Manager

Department
Academic Finance | Financial Services | Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range
$7,622.83 - $11,886.67 CAD Monthly
The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End Date
June 19, 2025

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

This position is expected to be filled by promotion/reassignment and is included here to inform you of its vacancy at the University.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Description Summary

The role of the Finance Manager is to provide strategic support in high level financial and budgetary analysis and reporting to the Faculty of Medicine within assigned portfolio of units, in support of strong budget management.

The Finance Manager is responsible for planning, budgets, financial management, and reporting for General Purpose Operating (GPO) and endowment accounts for portfolio of units within the Faculty of Medicine (FoM). This position reports to the Director, Finance for that portfolio of units and works closely with the School/Department/Centre Head/Director and the Senior Administrator to contribute to strategic planning and to ensure objectives are met by identifying risks, issues and funding opportunities. The Finance Manager is responsible for providing senior level accounting and financial management; crafting detailed financial statements to respond to the FoM planning initiatives and providing timely reports on budget versus actual expenditure; recommending and implementing financial systems to manage all aspects of the GPO, special purpose, research and endowment accounts.

Organizational Status

The Faculty of Medicine (FOM) is composed of nineteen academic basic science and/or clinical departments, three schools, and a number of research centres and institutes. The Faculty s annual consolidated budget is over $600 million including operating, research, special purpose, endowment and trust funds. The Faculty has approximately 2200 administrative support, technical/research and management and professional staff, as well approximately 650 full-time academic and 8500 clinical faculty members. Together with its partners including BC s six Health Authorities and their affiliated teaching hospitals, the Faculty provides innovative programs in the areas of health and life sciences through a province-wide delivery model. University-based teaching, research, and administrative sites include UBC Point Grey, UBC Okanagan, Diamond Health Care Centre, and the Universities of Victoria and Northern BC, home to our affiliated medical school training programs as well as other education centres. Faculty, staff and students are also located within our clinical academic campuses in hospital settings and other regionally based centres across the province.

Work Performed

Develops and implements processes to create, gather and compile complex financial data, statistics and estimates into meaningful financial formats to support creating ad hoc or one-time financial reports or analyses for specific projects as well as annual reports requiring a high level of financial expertise and a deep understanding of the complexity of the Faculty of Medicine; works collaboratively with units within the Faculty and University to develop internal and external financial reports for the unit heads/administrators, various funders, government agencies, and donors.

As an expert in the university and Faculty information systems and tools, guides, trains and supports others in techniques and best practices for complex analysis and reporting.

Effectively manages and coordinates a variety of financial processes across the Faculty, in particular in relation to year-end reviews, adjustments, and compilation of Faculty data from all units.

Works with senior members of the Central Finance and Budget office to resolve sensitive or complex budget and financial issues within the Faculty.

Fills senior gaps in financial management due to short or long-term vacancies in other portfolios, using expert knowledge of Faculty finances and processes to be able to be flexibly and immediately take responsibility in a wide variety of complex situations.

Oversees the documentation of existing and revised processes, policies, procedures, and internal controls.

Reviews and approves funding sufficiency of appointments, including high risk faculty appointments, through ePaf, eRecruit or manual paper form within the portfolio.

Keeps current on regulatory requirements of GAAP, research granting agencies and new complex endowment arrangements (such as CRCs and LEEF Chairs) to effectively advise and guide Faculty units of policies and procedures.

Develops recommendations for overall budgeting and financial planning for the units in conjunction with the Senior Administrator and Head/Director.

Provides budget projections, monitoring and assessing performance and assessing impact of surpluses/deficits.

In consultation with department and division or unit heads within the portfolio, evaluates, manages and reports on all variances to budget, providing business reasons and where applicable recovery plans for unfavorable variances. Oversees the tracking and reconciliation of GPO and endowment accounts, makes recommendations on budget initiatives, assesses alternatives and consequences, and provides leadership in the implementation of budget policy and priorities.

Manages the monthly or quarterly projections for the units. Identifies risks and resolves issues.

As a member of the finance team, composed of other Finance Managers, is accountable for the development and the delivery of the tools, models and guidelines for each year s annual budget process, including costing, position budgeting, and other templates.

Develops the standard reporting to be used for comparison across departments.

Develops and leads the preparation of the annual budget, forecast and 5 year plans by ensuring consistent assumptions, guidelines and practices within the portfolio and the Faculty as a whole; Monitors accounts, oversees the reconciliation of ledgers, provides cash flow projections, and ensures timely and accurate financial reporting.

Conducts the preparation of interim financial statements and financial feasibility studies; provides detailed analyses of financial statements and reports; and ensures that appropriate financial allocations are provided to meet any funding shortfalls.

Implements new financial processes and internal controls to improve the efficiencies of the financial information workflow within the portfolio and integration with the University s financial system.

Develops and oversees systems and processes to identify and resolve problems with the view of improving management of the units financial resources.

Ensures that all current and new University financial policies and procedures are implemented fully comprehended and communicated effectively and in a timely manner.

Ensures that all account expenditures under the realm of the units are in accordance with the policies and guidelines of the University and are in financial order at all times and that any discrepancies are addressed and immediately corrected.

Participates in all training programs associated with new programs and software implementations by the University and ensuring a level of expertise to provide guidance to other management personnel in the units.

Maintains a full understanding and expertise of all financial policies and procedures to ensure compliance by the units.

Provides financial guidance and support to senior faculty and staff to ensure effective financial management.

Develops and prepares a variety of financial and analytical reports (e.g. comparative budget analysis of multiple year expenditure/revenue patterns, etc.).

Manages year-end reconciliation of accounts for the units and its revenue generating programs and activities.

Advises senior management on any financial matters that affect the unis financial position, including the causes of large variances between budget and actual expenditures.

Works closely with the Faculty of Medicine Development Office and the Senior Administrator on fund development and participates in policy development and on-going fundraising planning.

Completes all other projects as requested by Director of Finance, Academic.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

The Finance Manager must have a thorough understanding of the principles of accounting and sound financial management skills. He/she is required to apply this theoretical knowledge to research the information needs of faculty management, develop structures to collect the data required, and create processes to compile the data into meaningful reporting formats which enable financial results and risks to be readily determined. The position is required to use judgment to interpret financial information received from a variety of sources, assess financial risks and problems, and make recommendations to manage the risks and resolve financial issues.

Reports reviewed and shared by this position must be correct, contain the appropriate, complete information, and present the information in a manner that enables them to be easily understood by Unit leaders. Errors in the information/reports prepared by this position could result in poor financial decisions by Senior Management. If reports to funders (such as the Ministry of Health) are incorrect, this could damage the relationship with the funder, cause significant reputation losses to the Faculty. In addition, if the information presented does not support appropriate financial monitoring, then problems could be overlooked and continue to worsen over time and thus jeopardize the financial health of the Faculty and the University.

Supervision Received

Reports to the Director, Academic Finance, Faculty of Medicine. Is expected to work independently in a collaborative and professional environment.

Supervision Given

Supervises Senior and Financial Analysts, depending on the size of portfolio.

Minimum Qualifications

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one's own
- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one's own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline and completion of the CPA Accounting program (CA, CGA or CMA).A minimum of 7 years of experience or the equivalent combination of education and experience.Experience in post-secondary education or health care sectors preferred.

Experience in fund accounting, budgeting, financial analysis and development of financial tracking and reporting systems.

Extensive experience with large ERP systems is preferred.

Experience working collaboratively with Senior Leadership and Management and other professionals.

Experience with and ability to consolidate and interpret financial data, present findings and assist non-financial managers in understanding financial reports. Ability to apply generally accepted accounting principles in an appropriate manner. This includes the ability to utilize principles, methods, techniques, and systems of financial management. Thorough knowledge of and ability to use generally accepted accounting principles and practices, financial processes and general business practices, as well as knowledge of UBC administrative policies, procedures, guidelines to mission.Working knowledge of integrated financial application software packages. Ability to develop and monitor budgets. Ability to manage complex financial arrangements. Financial management skills, including strategic and multi-year planning, forecasting budgeting, oversight and report preparation.This includes the ability to develop, apply and adjust financial plans to attain objectives. Ability to perform complex financial analyses and synthesis. Ability to deal with a diversity of people (e.g. staff, students, faculty and University Administration) in a calm, courteous, and effective manner as well as the ability to exercise tact and discretion.Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing including independent composition of correspondence. Strong administrative management skills with a demonstrated ability to take initiative. Ability to analyze and redesign work flow/business processes to make them more efficient and effective.Ability to exercise independent judgment in the solution of financial problems and the administration of a financial management program. Ability to anticipate problems and issues and plan ahead. Ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines. Ability to be thorough, accurate, and have a high level of attention to detail.Ability to effectively use the Microsoft Office Suite (e.g. Outlook, MS Word, MS Excel) and Internet navigation at an intermediate level. UBC FMS certification will be required. Strong time management and multi-tasking skills.Ability to consolidate data from various sources to develop budgets and financial reports to support Senior Management decision making. Must be able to deal with sensitive issues with tact and diplomacy. Initiative, creativity and flexibility to develop options for the resolution of complex financial issues. Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail while maintaining an overall big picture perspective.