Manager of Finance and Administration, Plant Sciences

**Manager of Finance and Administration, Plant Sciences**:
**Primary Purpose**: To provide expertise and leadership in administrative and financial planning, monitoring, management and reporting, including development and implementation of policies, systems and processes. This position provides oversight of the services and work flow of the departmental administrative staff. The Manager, Finance and Administration, ensures the vision and goals of the Department of Plant Sciences and Crop Development Centre are supported and achieved.

Plant Sciences is a large and diverse department with substantial academic and research programs; including the Crop Development Centre, a fully integrated unit within the department. The department manages several separate operations, including Breeder Seed Operation, Kernen Crop Research Farm, Sutherland Farm, Crop Science and Horticulture field facilities, the Agriculture Greenhouse complex, and Sutherland farm.

**Nature of Work**: Reporting to the Department Head, the Manager of Finance and Administration works closely with the Department Head, the Managing Director of the Crop Development Centre, faculty committees, and the AgBio Chief Financial and Operations Officer to provide leadership in the areas of financial planning, resource allocation, sound financial management and accountability. This position administers financial and contractual matters to meet external and internal deadlines, and manages multiple projects over a wide range of areas. This role partners effectively with central college resources to succeed in meeting accountabilities with respect to financial and resource management. As an important resource to faculty and staff, the incumbent must work effectively and collaboratively with a variety of contacts, both within the university (Research Services, Financial Services, Facilities Management, and AgBio Dean’s Office) and externally (research collaborators, private industry, government representatives).

The work is unstructured and may be stressful given the volume of work, complex problems, tight deadlines and need for accuracy. This position requires strict attention to detail, discretion, a high level of integrity and independent judgement. The position must deal with emerging and unpredictable events in a sensitive and timely manner. The position requires a commitment to accountability, transparency and continuous improvement.

**Typical Duties or Accountabilities**:
Financial Resources
- Provide financial leadership to support a cost-effective and successful operation:

- Develops budgets and business plans over the short to medium term (1 - 5 years).
- Support strategic planning for the Department and CDC.
- Prepare financial forecasts and reports to identify the future needs of the Department and support College and University processes.
- Monitors financial activity in the department’s operating, research and trust funds to ensure expenditures comply with strategic goals
- Provides leadership in the expenditure of non-base budget funds in support of the department
- Recognizes needs and is responsible for addressing them.

Contract development and management
- Administers, develops, or revises research contracts, and land rental agreements.
- Provides advice and assistance to the department head, managing director and faculty members in contract development.
- Monitors projects to ensure compliance with contracts and reporting obligations.
- Develops and maintains effective communication with funding agencies to ensure working relationships are effective and productive, and of long-term benefit to the department, the college and the university.
- Ensures terms of sub-contracts with collaborative institutions are followed, reporting received as per schedules and payments remitted as per terms.

Provide budget leadership
- Manages the finances of the commercial farm operations and the breeder seed operation in consultation with the superintendent, field operations.
- Scrutinizes and approves spending on equipment purchases, teaching and operational materials, research support and travel.
- Manages royalty income from 450+ crop varieties

Enable Research, Teaching and Scholarly Activity
- Provides effective co-ordination of department assigned space in the agriculture building
- Emerging laboratory space needs are identified and solutions suggested
- Judicious administration of the Plant Sciences office and laboratory space, including room assignments and coordination of changes and renovations.
- Provides advice to the graduate chair on available funds and spending policies for assignment of scholarships and awards. Administration of expendable trust funds in support of graduate training and research.
- Establishes new departmental policies and procedures to enhance workflows and improve efficiency.
- Contributes to the work of the college and university through participation on committees as appropriate.
- Other general office duties as requir