Intermediate Information Officer, Student Accounts

University of Ottawa; Ottawa; Hybrid; CAD 48,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Job summary

University of Ottawa is seeking a Customer Service Specialist focused on student financial records. You will greet students, inform and advise on payment methods, reimbursements, and financial arrangements to ensure understanding of statements and support retention.

You will analyze refunds, process vendor invoices, update financial systems, and coordinate with other services to meet deadlines while maintaining confidentiality and delivering excellent service in a bilingual environment.

Qualifications

• Post-secondary studies in a related discipline or equivalent experience.
• Two years of client service experience as a contact person.
• Experience entering and verifying data.
• Two years of interpreting, explaining and applying policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of computer systems and software, including financial systems, spreadsheets and databases.
• Ability to communicate in English and French in writing and speaking.

Responsibilities

• Greet, inform and advise students on financial records and payment options.
• Explain procedures, statements and tax documents and assess if adviser meeting is needed.
• Analyze and process refund requests and monitor deadlines.
• Update student records and maintain confidentiality of documents.
• Draft and update internal guides on procedures and systems.
• Coordinate with other services and partners to resolve client needs.

Skills

Customer service

Bilingual English/French

Data entry

Analytical thinking

Communication

Organizational skills

Teamwork

Problem solving

Multitasking

Education

Post-secondary studies in related discipline

Tools

Excel

Financial systems

Student information system

Job description

Reporting to the Associate Supervisor of Customer Service, serves as a specialist on University of Ottawa student financial records. Greets students, informs and advises them on their financial records, methods of payment and reimbursement, and financial arrangements, to ensure they properly understand their statements of account, to help with student retention and to provide unequalled customer service. Performs various administrative tasks, including evaluating refund and payment requests, analyzing and settling vendor invoices, updating information in our financial system and following up with students, colleagues and other services or faculties.

In this job, your responsibilities will include:

Client service

• Greets, informs and advises students in person, by phone and in writing concerning their financial records, methods of payment, appeals, refunds, financial arrangements, policies, deadlines, and other services and partners who might meet their needs. Ensures courteous, prompt service that meets University standards for service excellence, and projects a positive image of uOttawa to all clients. Manages emotional or hostile clients with professionalism and, when not successful, directs them to an adviser or to the supervisor, as applicable.
• Finds effective solutions to many client issues and redirects problem cases to the relevant faculty or service.

Analysis

• Interprets financial information, enters data and updates student records.
• Provides accurate information and detailed explanations regarding procedures, statements of account, tax documents (T2202A, T4A, RL-8) and such. Makes initial assessments regarding exceptions according to established internal rules and determines whether a meeting between a student and an adviser is required.
• Makes initial contact with other services and partners that could meet clients’ needs or support them in resolving issues, and provides accurate guidance to clients.

Operations management

• Analyzes and processes refund requests for students in Canada and abroad. Monitors these files to ensure administrative deadlines are met.
• Manages processes related to the section’s ongoing financial operations, to maintain financial integrity and transparency and ensure compliance with policies. Updates vendors’ contact information in the financial system.
• Classifies and manages files effectively to preserve confidentiality and ensure documents are complete and accurate for future consultation or auditing.
• Drafts and updates internal guides about procedures, processes and systems related to own responsibilities.

Other

• Contributes as needed to special projects related to student accounts and own section, or to any other related tasks.

What you will bring:

• Knowledge of administration and accounting normally acquired through post-secondary studies in a related discipline or an equivalent combination of education and work experience
• Knowledge of post-secondary organizational structures and policies (an asset)
• Two years’ client service experience as a contact person
• Experience in entering and verifying data
• Two years’ experience interpreting, explaining and applying policies and procedures
• Knowledge of computer systems and software, including financial systems, spreadsheets, databases, email and the internet
• Tact, diplomacy and ability to maintain effective relationships and lines of communication in both official languages (in person, by phone, via email and in writing) with students, parents, sponsoring organizations, and University services and faculties
• Good judgment, attention to detail and diligence
• Ability to learn and recall a high volume of policies, procedures and very specific information
• Ability to understand and interpret client needs
• Organizational skills and ability to work quickly under pressure
• Teamwork skills
• Communication, interpersonal and problem-solving skills
• Bilingualism — English and French (oral and written)

#LI-MB1

#LI-HYBRID

Key Competencies at uOttawa:

Here are the required competencies for all or our employees at uOttawa:

Planning: Organize in time a series of actions or events in order to realize an objective or a project. Plan and organize own work and priorities in regular daily activities.
Initiative: Demonstrate creativity and initiative to suggest improvements and encourage positive results. Is proactive and self-starting. Show availability and willingness to go above and beyond whenever it is possible.
Client Service Orientation: Help or serve others to meet their needs. This implies anticipating and identifying the needs of internal and external clients and finding solutions on how to meet them.
Teamwork and Cooperation: Cooperate and work well with other members of the team to reach common goal(s). Accept and give constructive feedback. Able to adjust own behaviour to reach the goals of the team.

The University of Ottawa embraces diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We are passionate about our people and committed to employment equity. We foster a culture of respect, teamwork and inclusion, where collaboration, innovation, and creativity fuel our quest for research and teaching excellence. While all qualified persons are invited to apply, we welcome applications from qualified Indigenous persons, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, women and LGBTQIA2S+ persons. The University is committed to creating and maintaining an accessible, barrier-free work environment. The University is also committed to working with applicants with disabilities requesting accommodation during the recruitment, assessment and selection processes. Applicants with disabilities may contact [e-mail] to communicate the accommodation need. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Note: if this is a union position: The hiring process will be governed by the current collective agreement related to the union affiliation noted above; you can click here to find out more.

If this is a front-line position with responsibilities to interact with students, selected candidates must be rated at the Low Advanced proficiency level or higher for both oral comprehension and reading comprehension in their second official language. The rating is determined by a proficiency test designed by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute.

Prior to May 1, 2022, the University required all students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including contractors) to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as defined in Policy 129 – Covid-19 Vaccination. This policy was suspended effective May 1, 2022 but may be reinstated at any point in the future depending on public health guidelines and the recommendations of experts.