Senior Financial Analyst, Accounting and Investments

Universities Academic Pension Plan; Edmonton; Hybrid; CAD 85,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Universities Academic Pension Plan is seeking a senior financial professional to oversee investment and financial accounting, reporting, and risk management. You will coordinate with custodians, administrators, and auditors while supporting annual budgets and forecasts.

The role requires CPA or CFA designation and 5–7 years’ experience in accounting, with strong Excel skills and knowledge of IFRS/CICA standards. Hybrid work is offered with three days in-office weekly.

Qualifications

• Completion of post-secondary education in Commerce, Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, Mathematics, or Economics, or a related field.
• Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) or Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation is required.
• A Minimum of 5-7 years of progressive experience in accounting and financial reporting.
• Experience with investment accounting, pension funds, asset managers, financial institutions, or fund administrators strongly preferred.
• Sound knowledge of accounting standards, principles, and financial markets.
• Strong understanding of financial statements, disclosures, and audit requirements.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel; experience with accounting and reporting systems considered an asset.
• Experience working in a pension plan, public sector, or regulated environment.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to proactively build and maintain strong working relationships with team members and stakeholders.
• Demonstrates excellent verbal, written communication, and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

• Perform accounting of UAPP’s investment portfolio, including cash, investment income, expenses, realized and unrealized gain and losses.
• Apply and interpret accounting standards related to financial instruments, including recognition, measurement, and disclosure.
• Support fair value measurement, classification, and disclosure of financial instruments across asset classes.
• Review investment managers’ performance and quarterly reports to ensure consistency against accounting information.
• Record journal entries, accruals, and adjustments related to investments, pension and operational activities.
• Reconcile investment activity and balances between internal records, custodians, administrators, and investment managers.
• Ensure transactions are recorded in accordance with applicable accounting standards.
• Maintain and update the investment management fees workbook.
• Support the preparation of quarterly and annual financial statements and related notes disclosures.
• Prepare all related investment schedules to support the preparation of financial statements.
• Prepare detailed working papers and act as a key contact in support of the annual external audit.
• Ensure financial information and disclosures are complete, accurate, and compliant with applicable accounting standards.
• Update and maintain pension obligation and plan surplus/deficit information based on actuarial valuations and reports.
• Maintain current knowledge of CICA S4600, IFRS, to accurately monitor and assess changes to accounting standards and adjust UAPP’s note disclosure as required.
• Perform end-to-end operational accounting, including processing invoices and payments, reconciling bank accounts and cash receipts, and resolving discrepancies.
• Record and reconcile contributions received from participating employers and members.
• Record and reconcile pension benefit payments to members and beneficiaries.
• Prepare accurate journal entries, accruals, and adjustments related to operational and investment activities.
• Support the implementation and maintenance of accounting, reporting, and financial systems to improve efficiency and accuracy.
• Support CFRO in financial oversight, risk management, and control activities.
• Assist with the maintenance and enhancement of internal controls and accounting policies.
• Contribute to finance-related projects, system improvements, and process optimization.
• Support team members for completion of ad-hoc requests, special projects, and other duties as required.
• Collaborate with external service providers, including custodians, administrators, actuaries, and investment managers, to ensure accurate and timely financial information.
• Assist the CFRO in the preparation of annual budgets and quarterly financial forecasts, including variance analysis between budget, forecasts, and actual results.
• Support the CFRO in revising signing authorities for the bank, custodian, investment managers, and Alberta Treasury Board and Finance.

Skills

Advanced Excel

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Education

CPA or CFA designation

Job description

This position reports to the Chief Financial and Risk Officer and collaborates with other members of the UAPP team. The position has oversight responsibility for the organization’s financial reporting, accounting operations, and investment accounting activities, including coordination with custodians, administrators, and auditors. The position supports the Chief Financial and Risk Officer in general strategic, financial, and risk management initiatives of the organization. The primary responsibilities of this position are to:

Investment and Financial Accounting

• Perform accounting of UAPP’s investment portfolio, including cash, investment income, expenses, realized and unrealized gain and losses.
• Apply and interpret accounting standards related to financial instruments, including recognition, measurement, and disclosure.
• Support fair value measurement, classification, and disclosure of financial instruments across asset classes.
• Review investment managers’ performance and quarterly reports to ensure consistency against accounting information.
• Record journal entries, accruals, and adjustments related to investments, pension and operational activities.
• Reconcile investment activity and balances between internal records, custodians, administrators, and investment managers.
• Ensure transactions are recorded in accordance with applicable accounting standards.
• Maintain and update the investment management fees workbook.

Financial Reporting and Disclosure

• Support the preparation of quarterly and annual financial statements and related notes disclosures.
• Prepare all related investment schedules to support the preparation of financial statements.
• Prepare detailed working papers and act as a key contact in support of the annual external audit.
• Ensure financial information and disclosures are complete, accurate, and compliant with applicable accounting standards.
• Update and maintain pension obligation and plan surplus/deficit information based on actuarial valuations and reports.
• Maintain current knowledge of CICA S4600, IFRS, to accurately monitor and assess changes to accounting standards and adjust UAPP’s note disclosure as required.

Operational Accounting

• Perform end-to-end operational accounting, including processing invoices and payments, reconciling bank accounts and cash receipts, and resolving discrepancies.
• Record and reconcile contributions received from participating employers and members.
• Record and reconcile pension benefit payments to members and beneficiaries.
• Prepare accurate journal entries, accruals, and adjustments related to operational and investment activities.
• Support the implementation and maintenance of accounting, reporting, and financial systems to improve efficiency and accuracy.

Other Responsibilities

• Support the CFRO in financial oversight, risk management, and control activities.
• Assist with the maintenance and enhancement of internal controls and accounting policies.
• Contribute to finance-related projects, system improvements, and process optimization.
• Support team members for completion of ad-hoc requests, special projects, and other duties as required.
• Collaborate with external service providers, including custodians, administrators, actuaries, and investment managers, to ensure accurate and timely financial information.
• Assist the CFRO in the preparation of annual budgets and quarterly financial forecasts, including variance analysis between budget, forecasts, and actual results.
• Support the CFRO in revising signing authorities for the bank, custodian, investment managers, and Alberta Treasury Board and Finance.

Education and Work Experience Qualifications:

• Completion of post-secondary education in Commerce, Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, Mathematics, or Economics, or a related field.
• Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) or Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation is required.
• A Minimum of 5-7 years of progressive experience in accounting and financial reporting.
• Experience with investment accounting, pension funds, asset managers, financial institutions, or fund administrators strongly preferred.
• Sound knowledge of accounting standards, principles, and financial markets.
• Strong understanding of financial statements, disclosures, and audit requirements.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel; experience with accounting and reporting systems considered an asset.
• Experience working in a pension plan, public sector, or regulated environment.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to proactively build and maintain strong working relationships with team members and stakeholders.
• Demonstrates excellent verbal, written communication, and presentation skills.

Work Location and Arrangement:

Hybrid, with a minimum of three (3) days per week in the office

This competition will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.