Description:
Duties & Responsibilities
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:
- Supports the Associate Director, providing input to development of department strategies and plans, and leading designated initiatives that support goals and objectives. Keeps Associate Director informed of achievements, status of initiatives, and emerging issues. Assumes the role and responsibilities of Associate Director as designated in their absence.
- Manages the Institute’s budget, analysis and business intelligence functions, developing operational and tactical plans in alignment with broader department strategies, and continuously reviewing functional activities to ensure processes are optimized, potential risks are identified, and data integrity is maintained.
- Manages complex analytical services to support the Institute’s strategic financial planning processes. Involves all aspects of budgeting and forecasting analysis, including that related to enrolment planning, projections, profitability, cash flow, expenditures, cost efficiencies, performance, variances, data integrity, business cases, competitors, and other financial assessments.
- Liaises with operating unit managers and other stakeholders across the Institute, providing tools and training for budget planning; promoting understanding of budget planning processes, communicating timeframes for budget development; monitoring budget activity and addressing related issues; providing input and feedback on budget submissions and requesting modifications as necessary.
- Manages position control system, ensuring availability of budget funds for new hires. Plans, organizes, and reviews position control functions for optimization. Liaises with Human Resources and other stakeholders regarding position control for new hires.
- Manages day-to-day business intelligence services aimed at providing meaningful analysis, trends and insights to business performance, opportunities, risks, impacts and solutions. Involves related financial modelling, analysis and related report generation. Works collaboratively with Associate Director on development of findings, interpretations and observations to support critical planning and decisions.
- Collaborates with Financial Systems & Reporting team on system requirements for budgeting, forecasting and business intelligence activities, ensuring the necessary technology is in place to support these functions. Acts as a key contributor in budget, forecasting, and business intelligence systems planning, design and modification.
- Manages day-to-day compliance with standards and processes as they pertain to areas of accountability, and monitors controls to mitigate risks. Manages assessment and resolution of financial inquiries and problems, alerting the Associate Director to critical issues as they emerge. Fosters a culture of continuous improvement.
- Participates in professional organizations and keeps abreast of innovations in practices that may have an effect on areas of accountability. Manages and carries out research of best practice, trends and methods, and recommends appropriate application to reporting functions.
- Manages reporting staff, including selection, coaching, mentoring, development, performance management and all other people-management practices. Collaborates with Associate Director on performance-related matters.
Qualifications
QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS:
- Professional accounting designation combined with a relevant degree
- Minimum 6 years’ experience, at progressive levels of responsibility, providing budget and forecasting-related analysis, and providing business intelligence services
- An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered
- Strong knowledge of the concepts, theories, practices and methods of financial analysis and business intelligence, with expertise in budgeting, forecasting, financial modelling, analysis and related reporting
- Advanced analytical and financial modelling skills
- Knowledge of ERP systems and related technologies
- Strong business acumen, organization skills, critical thinking and problem-solving ability
- Strong communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills with ability to liaise with stakeholders across the Institute, providing training for budget planning; promoting understanding of budget planning processes, and providing input and feedback on budget development
- Excellent analytical skills with ability to manage complex analytical services to support the Institute’s strategic financial planning processes, and ability to manage business intelligence services, including all financial modelling, analysis and related report generation
- Strong leadership skills and ability to manage and motivate directly reporting staff
- Proficiency with standard office systems and applications