Financial Analyst

Overview:
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.

**Responsibilities**:
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;
- 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:

- 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.

Qualifications:

- Completion of a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent education and experience
- Must hold a CPA designation (CA, CMA, or CGA)
- Several years of progressive experience with a proven track record of achievement and success in a complex financial accounting environment; preference will be given to those with financial experience in a university environment
- Advanced accounting and software skills
- Advanced analytical skills
- Experience building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders to instruct, influence and motivate others; to promote, justify and settle a wide range of financial matters; and to collaborate with professional peers in the development of financial standards and practices
- Experience liaising with external contacts including suppliers for the purpose of resolving financial issues
- Strong demonstrated interpersonal, organizational and communication skills
- Intermediate MS Word, advanced Excel, intermediate PowerPoint
- Advanced experience with financial software and financial databases including maintenance, with a particular focus on research

Equity Statement:
The University of Waterloo is committed to implementing the Calls to Action framed by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. We acknowledge that we live and work on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldiman