Program Financial Specialist

Description:

Reporting to the Manager, Program Financial Support, the Program Financial Specialist is responsible for providing program specific financial support in the areas of budget, reporting, and procurement to Departmental and Divisional management teams and Project Managers.

Education

• Post-secondary degree from a recognized university in accounting or finance.

Knowledge

• 5 to 7 years of experience in accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, procurement and/or process review preferable within the Ontario Municipal Financial context.
• 5 years financial analyst experience in developing and working with financial models.
• Experience with Public Sector Accounting (PSA) and not-for-profit accounting standards is preferred.
• Professional accounting designation (CA, CGA, CMA).
• Knowledge of external regulations, such as the Municipal Act, the CICA/PSAB Handbook, and all other regulations impacting the accounting and reporting of municipalities.
• Completion of the municipal accounting and finance program is preferred.
• Audit designation is preferred.

Responsibilities

Provides consultation and integrated financial services, ensuring required financial supports are in place for business partners to achieve their business goals and objectives.

• Ensures departmental procedures are in place and monitored for compliance with general accepted accounting principles and corporate directives.

• Recommends and executes policy, process, and procedure improvements to enhance operations of respective departments, working with finance process and policy owners to understand needs and provide expert advice, and developing communication strategies to ensure department staff are informed.
• Participates in new department initiatives (new systems, new business initiatives, rate setting, etc., ensuring financial and measurement systems integration.
• Acts as first point of contact for program management and project managers for day-to-day issues with financial implications.
• Works with finance consultants to execute and implement business case recommendations, ensuring alignment with budgets, reporting, accounting and procurement.

Provides financial and budget analytical support, working with departmental program/project managers.

• Completes monthly and/or quarterly variance analysis.
• Builds models to help program/project managers provide forecast projections of revenues and expenses.
• Coordinates the annual budgeting process (operating and capital), building models and providing guidance on required assumptions to assist in the preparation of budgets of revenues and expenses.

Prepares program specific external reporting, liaising with program specific agencies as needed.

• Undertakes financial audits to ensure all financial policies (corporate and departmental) are observed including contract awards, reporting and filing of financial information.

• Works with department management in the development of internal financial reports required to manage their business on an on-going basis.
• Works with the corporate reporting function, coordinating and preparing required program specific external reports.
• Coordinates and liaises with both external and internal auditors on an as required or annual basis for all audit procedures.
• Coordinates, prepares and submits external funding documents to the respective agencies in accordance with agreements, liaising with program specific agencies as needed to clarify and provide information.

Provide functional direction and guidance on day-to-day procurement matters, including providing by-law & procedural guidance to department program/project managers and staff.

• Identifies gaps in corporate procurement resources and training program, liaising with Procurement to ensure updates are implemented and communicated in a timely manner.
• Liaises and informs Procurement on known complex, non-routine, procurement matters as required.

Identifies opportunities for process improvements.

• Investigates and leads process improvements, economies of scale, etc. that provide financial benefit to the department and taxpayer, conducting analyses and recommending actions to be taken.
• Researches issues/best practices and develops recommendations to be applied in both financial reporting and business processes.

Special Requirements

• In accordance with the Corporate Criminal Record Check Policy, the position requires the incumbent to undergo a Criminal Records Check and submit a Canadian Police Clearance Certificate.
• Regional staff strive to enable the strategic priorities of council and the organization through the completion of their work. Staff carry out their work by demonstrating the corporate values of service, honesty, choice, partnership and respect.