Financial Analyst I

The Municipality of Chatham-Kent has an opening for a permanent full-time Financial Analyst I in the Child Care & Early Years division.

**Job description**:
The Financial Analyst I (Child Care & Early Years) is responsible for analyzing and interpreting corporate financial policies, government legislation, accounting theory, and financial regulations and implement or recommend policy, procedure, controls, or action. (i.e. GAAP, Program Funding, PSAB, audit requirements, Child Care and Early Years Act, provincial child care, special needs, EarlyON and recreation regulations, HST, various legal agreement financial requirements, etc.)

**Essential responsibilities**:
Demonstrate Chatham-Kent’s core values and competencies

Prepare studies, presentations, reports, and analysis for both internal and external users (i.e. management, Council, government requirements, statistical reports, and business plans)

Analyze financial statements (audited and unaudited) of funded agencies, reports and accounting transactions to ensure compliance with GAAP and/or provincial reporting standards, corporate administrative and Council policies

Establish and manage databases of pertinent information for use in analyzing future plans and forecasts (i.e. Operating Capacities, Licensed Capacities, Vacancies, Funding levels, etc.)

Prepare year end transactions, review audit working papers, and various detailed supporting schedules

Participate in the review, evaluation, development and implementation of corporate financial systems, ensuring all internal controls are in place and effective

Analyze and ensure accurate financial input from all municipal divisions within the department. Review and approve all adjusting ledger entries prepared by other municipal staff and adjust as necessary to maintain compliance with government regulations and corporate policies

Assist with annual reports to the Ministry of Education, and accurately utilize government reporting software for various government funding programs (i.e. various child care, fee subsidy and EarlyON program funding)

Reconcile control accounts to sub-ledgers; prepare payment transfers

Track and manage cash flows

Track all identified financial issues to their resolution (budget requests, subsidy approvals, subsidy adjustments)

Liaise with external auditors, all levels of management, consultants, Federal and Provincial government agencies regarding financial reporting, and non profit and/or profit child care operator managers, bookkeepers, accountants and auditors, as well as special needs provider financial managers.

Provide advisory support to divisions and external providers regarding their financial information, and report requirements

Provide financial training and financial software support to internal municipal staff of the department and externally to funded private non profit and profit child care operators, special needs agencies, troubleshooting issues as they occur, creating ledger codes and making recommendations as to structure changes as required

Recommend policies and procedures pertaining to the management of municipal and provincial funds

Research, analyze, and provide recommendations on the impact of changes in government directives, business planning, future requirements, reserve funds, and operating forecasts

Attend offsite meetings with child care operator staff, auditors and/or non profit boards as required

Conduct Operational Reviews of child care provider operations and make comments, suggestions and recommendations to the Program Manager/Director on how the funded agencies must or should improve their operations, as appropriate

**Essential qualifications**:
University degree (preferably in an accounting, commerce, economic or other related program), with four (4) to six (6) years related experience

Financial accounting background and understanding of accounting practices and concepts in a municipal environment preferred

Experience preparing financial statements, and accounting transactions

Experience designing and implementing management information systems to provide financial data

Ability to function well in a detail, deadline oriented environment with constant interruptions
Experience managing complex financial data and statistical information
Familiar working with government funding and agencies, community organizations, and other operations
Experience working with municipally or provincially funded agencies

Detailed knowledge of all department policies, Child Care and Early Years Act, Ministry legislation, budget transactions, and business processes for non-profit boards and child care organizations, to assist division in their day-to-day activities
Excellent time management skills required to manage the demands of multiple, overlapping time frames and deadlines

Working knowledge of the following software programs preferred:
JD Edwards (or similar ERP System)
FMW (or similar budgeting software)
Reports Now (or similar database