University of Waterloo

Financial Analyst

University of Waterloo$78K — $97K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in finance or accounting; CPA designation required
  • Several years of progressive experience in a complex financial accounting environment
  • Advanced proficiency in financial software and databases
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities

Responsibilities

  • Support the Faculty Financial Officer with financial management of research grants and contracts
  • Implement process improvements in financial procedures and reporting standards
  • Ensure compliance with financial policies and procedures
  • Assist in budgeting for grants and funding applications
  • Monitor and manage funding commitments and financial reporting

Benefits

  • Supportive work culture that promotes career advancement
  • Equity and diversity are integral to the work environment
  • Commitment to accessibility for all employees
  • Resource availability for professional training and development
  • Opportunity to work in a collaborative environment with diverse stakeholders
Full Job Description
Job Requisition ID:


Time Type:
Full time

Employee Group:
Staff

Job Category:
Financial Planning and Reporting

Employment Type:
Permanent

Department:
Faculty of Arts - Dean of Arts Office - Finance

Hiring Range:
$78,214.70 - $97,768.38

Posting Information:This posting is for an existing vacancy.

Internal posting expires April 2nd at 11:59 PM

A CPA designation is required for this role

This is a vacant position

Job Description:

Primary Purpose

Providing support to the Faculty Financial Officer, the Faculty Financial Analyst provides professional financial management services with particular focus on research grants, awards, and contracts. In partnership with the Executive Officer, Finance, the Office of Research, and the Faculty Financial Officer, s/he establishes and maintains sound accounting practices, provides expert financial guidance and problem-solving skills, and ensures that financial activity in Arts conforms to the University's financial policies and procedures.

Key Accountabilities

Financial planning, management and internal controls, with a particular focus on research finance:
• With the Faculty Financial Officer, invests in continual process improvement of the Faculty's financial procedures, controls and reporting standards;
• Ensures that financial activities in the Faculty of Arts adhere to the Arts' and University's policies and procedures;
• Provides professional problem-solving on financial matters, which may be unique and/or complex;
• Participates with the Faculty Financial Officer in management of the Faculty's operating, trust, and endowment funds;
• Assists with the annual budget building process, and other routine and unique financial management projects as they arise;
• Works in partnership with the Arts Graduate/Research Office to provide professional support to researchers and others in the Faculty in the development of budgets for grants and other funding applications, applying detailed knowledge of the grantor's financial environment and requirements; ensures that tax, employment, and related costs are addressed in the development of such budgets.
• With the Faculty Financial Officer, monitors and manages funding commitments within the Faculty of Arts and prepares funding requests, including supporting documentation, in areas related to operating and research projects;
• Ensures that financial practices, reporting, and audits are effectively developed and managed in circumstances where complex multi-partner funding arrangements exist, and that the University's and the Faculty's interests are well represented and maintained

Management and internal control of operating finance accounts:
• Management and internal control of operating finance accounts:
• Ensures that financial activity in Arts conforms to established Arts, University and grantor eligibility and compliance standards in collaboration with the Research Compliance Team, Finance, and Human Resources;
• Performs monthly review of financial reports for academic departments/schools and service offices identifying potential issues to the Faculty Financial Officer;
• Provides timely and appropriate financial information/reporting to key internal and external stakeholders identifying potential issues to the Faculty Financial Officer;
• Under the direction of the Faculty Financial Officer, conducts periodic audit and review of financial procedures and transactions in the Faculty of Arts to ensure financial accountability and strong internal controls;
• Monitors research budgets in the Faculty, identifies existing and potential problems and brings these to the attention of the relevant PI, manager, or to the Faculty Financial Officer.

Financial leadership, training and development activities for staff and faculty:
• Under the direction of the Faculty Financial Officer, develops and updates financial training materials;
• Provides appropriate financial training and support to faculty and staff individually and collectively as required to maintain and enhance standards;
• Communicates to faculty and staff, changes to eligibility guidelines and documentation requirements, clarifications and recent grant holder rulings;
• Serves as a professional resource to faculty and staff in the effective and appropriate management of research funds;
• Maintains statistical data on research finance compliance performance in order to identify where improvements are needed and training opportunities.

Required Qualifications

Education
• Completion of a Bachelor's degree; CA, CMA, or CGA designation

Experience
• Several years of progressive experience with a proven track record of achievement and success in a complex financial accounting environment. Competencies will include advanced accounting and software skills, analytical skills, interpersonal, organizational and exceptional communication skills.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
• Computer skills in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Advanced experience with financial software, databases

About University of Waterloo

The University of Waterloo is a public research university with a main campus in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is on 404 hectares of land adjacent to "Uptown" Waterloo and Waterloo Park. The university also operates three satellite campuses and four affiliated university colleges. The university offers academic programs administered by six faculties and thirteen faculty-based schools. Waterloo operates the largest post-secondary co-operative education program in the world, with over 20,000 undergraduate students enrolled in the university's co-op program. Waterloo is a member of the U15, a group of research-intensive universities in Canada. The institution originates from the Waterloo College Associate Faculties, established on 4 April 1956; a semi-autonomous entity of Waterloo College, which was an affiliate of the University of Western Ontario. This entity formally separated from Waterloo College and was incorporated as a university with the passage of the University of Waterloo Act by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 1959. It was established to fill the need to train engineers and technicians for Canada's growing postwar economy. It grew substantially over the next decade, adding a faculty of arts in 1960, and the College of Optometry of Ontario, which moved from Toronto in 1967. The university is a co-educational institution, with approximately 36,000 undergraduate and 6,200 postgraduate students enrolled there in 2020. Alumni and former students of the university can be found across Canada and in over 150 countries; with a number of award winners, government officials, and business leaders having been associated with Waterloo. Waterloo's varsity teams, known as the Waterloo Warriors, compete in the Ontario University Athletics conference of the U Sports.
Learn more about University of Waterloo

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