Financial Assistant, Accounts Payable

University of Toronto; Toronto; On-site; CAD 67,000 - 87,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading university in Toronto is seeking a full-time Financial Assistant to support financial management and budgeting processes. The ideal candidate will possess an advanced diploma in accounting and have at least 3 years of relevant experience. Responsibilities include processing accounts payable transactions and ensuring compliance with financial rules. This position offers a competitive salary range with opportunities for growth.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years’ experience in financial and payroll accounting.
• University experience preferred.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Monitoring department budget to ensure expenditures remain within budgeted allocations.
• Preparing and/or processing journal entries.
• Generating standard financial reports.
• Identifying and resolving individual financial discrepancies.

Skills

Financial Information Systems (FIS)

Human Resources Information System (HRIS)

Excel manipulation

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Education

Advanced 3-year College Diploma in Accounting

Tools

Excel

Job description

Date Posted: 10/28/2025
Req ID: 45773
Faculty/Division: Faculty of Arts & Science
Department: Office of Budget, Planning and Finance
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)

Description

The Faculty of Arts & Science is the heart of Canada’s leading university and one of the most comprehensive and diverse academic divisions in the world. The strength of Arts & Science derives from our combined teaching and research excellence in the humanities, sciences and social sciences across 29 departments, seven colleges and 46 interdisciplinary centres, institutes and programs.

We can only realize our mission with the dedication and excellence of engaged staff and faculty. The diversity of opportunities and perspectives within the Faculty reflect the local and global landscape and the need for curiosity, innovative thinking and collaboration. At Arts & Science, we take pride in our legacy of innovation and discovery that has changed the way we think about the world.

Your opportunity

The Planning, Budget & Finance Office in the Faculty of Arts and Science provides strategic and operational advice on the financial and budget management of the Faculty, as well as internal institutional and Faculty research data and business support services to all of the Faculty’s units. The Office models, plans, and implements the Faculty’s operating budget and provides Faculty wide support and advice on the management of research, restricted and trust funds; financial analyses and forecasting; strategic planning and budget analysis; policy compliance and develops and delivers finance and business training seminars for A&S academic administrators and administrative staff.

As a member of the Business Administration, Accounting & Payroll unit of the Faculty of Arts and Science, the incumbent works under the general direction of the Senior Faculty Financial Officer, and is responsible for front line customer service support for the business administration community across the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, responding to financial and business operations inquiries, and resolving compliance concerns or non-personal complaints. The incumbent will provide ad hoc AMS support and training.

This role is responsible for processing all accounts payable transactions, expense claims, banking receipts, purchase order and purchase requisitions, and budget transfers on FIS; and provides back up support for processing casual pay for the Dean’s and centralized Faculty Administrative Offices on HRIS. This role requires the incumbent to review and audit transaction documents and is responsible for ensuring compliance with the University’s financial rules, guidelines and processes.

The incumbent works independently to resolve operational processing issues and brings more complex concerns to the attention of the Senior Faculty Financial Officer or Senior Management. The incumbent is responsible for providing and coordinating the logistics for the efficient running of the Planning, Budget & Finance Office including front line reception, maintaining the office filing system; processing mail; handling regular general inquiries from members of the business administration community across the Faculty; maintaining office supplies for the Finance Office.

The Financial Assistant supports the Faculty’s business officer community and individual units on financial processing, rule and guideline compliance, ad‑hoc training and provides short term relief for processing documents in the absence of the unit’s business officer(s).

Your responsibilities will include:

• Checking that proper approvals are obtained prior to processing transactions
• Monitoring department budget to ensure expenditures remain within budgeted allocations
• Preparing and/or processing journal entries
• Generating standard financial reports
• Preparing and recording deposits on a regular basis
• Identifying and resolving individual financial discrepancies
• Analyzing and recommending improvements to financial processes and procedures

Essential Qualifications:

• Completed advanced 3 year College Diploma in a recognized accounting program and/or an acceptable combination of education and experience.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in financial and payroll accounting.
• Demonstrated experience with Financial Information Systems (FIS) and Human Resources Information System (HRIS).
• University experience preferred.
• Advanced knowledge of the University of Toronto financial rule, guidelines and processes, including its financial and procurement processes and good knowledge of the Ontario Broader Public Sector (BPS) Procurement Directive, Faculty of Arts and Sciences operational processes, and payroll rules and processes including CRA rules and requirements.
• Experience in effectively and clearly communicating financial information to university staff and faculty.
• Intermediate skills in working with and manipulating financial information in Excel
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Advanced knowledge and skills in standard office technology (e.g. Excel, Outlook, Word mail merge, etc.).
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills.
• Advanced verbal and written communication skills.

Assets (Nonessential):

• Strong customer support service focus with a commitment to promoting positive customer relations.
• Demonstrated attention to detail and a high degree of accuracy.
• Aptitude for figures.
• Ability to exercise good judgement and initiative and maintain strict confidentiality.

Closing Date: 11/05/2025, 11:59PM ET

Employee Group: USW

Appointment Type: Budget - Continuing

Schedule: Full-Time

Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone: USW Pay Band 09 -- $67,916. with an annual step progression to a maximum of $86,855. Pay scale and job class assignment is subject to determination pursuant to the Job Evaluation/Pay Equity Maintenance Protocol.

Job Category: Finance/Budget/Planning/Audit

Lived Experience Statement

Candidates who are members of Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, persons with disabilities, and other equity deserving groups are encouraged to apply, and their lived experience shall be taken into consideration as applicable to the posted position.

Diversity Statement

The University of Toronto embraces Diversity and is building a culture of belonging that increases our capacity to effectively address and serve the interests of our global community. West strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized persons, women, persons with disabilities, and people of diverse sexual and gender identities. We value applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and recognize that diverse perspectives, experiences, and expertise are essential to strengthening our academic mission.

As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a brief Diversity Survey. This survey is voluntary. Any information directly related to you is confidential and cannot be accessed by search committees or human resources staff. Results will be aggregated for institutional planning purposes. For more information, please see http://uoft.me/UP.

Accessibility Statement

The University strives to be an equitable and inclusive community, and proactively seeks to increase diversity among its community members. Our values regarding equity and diversity are linked with our unwavering commitment to excellence in the pursuit of our academic mission.

The University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). As such, we strive to make our recruitment, assessment and selection processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants with disabilities.

If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please contact [e-mail].

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