Finance Service Partner

University of Alberta; Edmonton; Hybrid; CAD 73,000 - 122,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Alberta is seeking a Finance Partner to deliver strategic financial solutions and advice to deans, faculty and staff across faculties and service units. Reporting to a Senior Finance Partner, you will collaborate with service partners and COEs to drive initiatives and manage a broad client portfolio.

You will provide professional financial guidance, develop regular and ad hoc reports, support budgeting and forecasting, and help improve financial processes.

Qualifications

• Degree in business or related field with a professional accounting designation (CA, CMA, CGA, CPA). Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.
• 3-5 years of related experience.
• Strong analytical, problem solving and critical thinking skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and in a team.
• Extensive knowledge of financial reporting and budgeting, especially financial performance measurement.
• Ability to work within policies, procedures and regulations.
• French language fluency is an asset.
• Experience with financial modeling, grants/contracts and PSAS is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Provide professional financial advice to general managers, directors, managers, and supervisors on financial matters.
• Representing as a financial expert in strategic planning.
• Develop regular financial reporting and ad hoc reporting for senior management, including variance analysis and forecasting.
• Support improvements in financial processes and procedures.
• Provide training on financial policies, procedures, and processes.
• Monitor/oversee key financial data and analytics for assigned areas.
• Collaborate with academic leadership to set annual and multi-year budgets.
• Coordinate annual budget planning and allocation for assigned areas.
• Prepare budgeting assumptions, targets, contingency plans and risk mitigation.
• Coordinate year-end processes including accruals, variance analysis, and audit trails.
• Present financial results to Senior Leadership and facilitate learning opportunities.
• Maintain relationships across Finance partners to ensure consistency and implement initiatives.
• Provide cost estimates for new activities or changes to programs or services.
• Understand contracts and grant agreements and prepare external sponsor reporting.

Skills

Financial analysis

Budgeting

Communication

Collaboration

Training/mentoring

Data analytics

French (asset)

Education

Accounting designation (CA/CMA/CGA/CPA)

Degree in business or related field

Tools

PSAS knowledge

Job description

Location -This role is hybrid with a mix of remote and in-person. Work primarily takes place at North Campus, Edmonton.

Are you an ambitious, collaborative and service-focused professional who loves to work in a dynamic and challenging environment? Someone who is excited by change and new challenges? Reporting to a Senior Finance Partner, the Finance Partners are responsible for the delivery of strategic financial solutions and advice to the leaders, faculty and staff within their client portfolios across the faculties and service units.

As a Finance Partner, you will act as a strategic professional advisor to the dean, faculty general manager, or other senior leaders such as Associate Vice President within your portfolio. You will collaborate with your fellow service partners, the Centres of Expertise (COE's) within Finance, Procurement & Planning and the Shared Services Centre to foster collaborative relationships, leading and delivering on strategic initiatives while managing a large breadth of client services.

• Provide professional level financial advice to general managers, directors, managers, and supervisors on financial matters including interpretation of University financial policies and procedures
• Representing as a financial expert in the strategic planning process in the assigned area(s)
• Develop regular financial reporting and ad hoc reporting to assist senior management in strategic decision making including preparation of variance analysis and forecasting to highlight issues
• Provide continuous support by recommending and developing improvements in financial processes and procedures
• Be an expert for financial matters including providing training on financial policies, procedures, and processes
• Monitor/oversee key financial data and analytics for assigned areas
• Work with academic leadership to set the annual and multi-year financial plan and budget for the area
• Coordinate the annual budget planning and allocation process for assigned area(s) ensuring alignment with short term and long term priorities
• Support the preparation of budgeting assumptions, targets, contingency plans and risk mitigation
• Coordinate the area’s year end processes including accurate accruals, performance of variance analysis and maintenance of appropriate documentation and audit trail
• Formal and informal presentations which may include presenting financial results to Senior Leadership and facilitating learning opportunities
• Maintain productive relationships with colleagues in the Service Centre/Processing Hub, Finance Centres of Expertise, and across the Partnership team including continuous collaboration with the Senior Finance Partners to ensure consistency and implementation of organizational initiatives
• Provide cost estimates, including modeling or similar for new activities, or changes to programs or services
• Understanding contracts and grant agreements, including preparation of financial reporting for external sponsors

• Degree in business or related field with a professional accounting designation (CA, CMA, CGA,CPA). Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.
• 3-5 years of related experience
• Strong analytical, problem solving and critical thinking skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Self-motivated with the ability to work both independently as well as play a role within a cohesive team of professionals
• Extensive knowledge of financial reporting and budgeting especially as it pertains to financial performance measurement
• Ability to perform financial functions within an organization subject to various internal and external policies, procedures and regulations
• Ability to communicate fluently in French would be considered an asset
• Experience in building financial models would be considered an asset
• Experience in project cost analysis would be considered an asset
• Experience working in post-secondary institution or public sector would be considered an asset
• Experience working with Public Sector Accounting Standards (PSAS) would be considered an asset

This position has a comprehensive benefits package and an annual salary range of$73,388to$122,307.

The terms and conditions of this appointment are governed by Schedule F of the collective agreement between the Board of Governors of the University of Alberta and the Association of Academic Staff of the University of Alberta.