Financial Analyst

The **Finance**department loves when the math balances out — so we’re looking to add to our team. If you have a nose for numbers and believe your skills and passion match our requirements, you will have our undivided attention and we want to meet you.

**The Opportunity**

Reporting to the Coordinator of Financial Planning and Analysis and working within a team of Financial Analysts, the Financial Analyst provides budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, and analysis for a portfolio of Schools and Departments within SAIT.

Within the portfolio, the Financial Analysts are expected to develop analytical expertise in specific areas to identify potential financial risk areas, provide analysis to support decision making, while adhering to SAIT's financial policies and processes.

A critical responsibility of the Financial Analyst is to be a highly effective collaborator working with the Finance Business Partner and other Financial Analysts to achieve consistent and integrated results for the portfolio assigned.

The Financial Analyst will also foster and build collaborative, supportive relationships with key operational personnel within the portfolio's assigned to gain a comprehensive understanding of the business and provide analytics and reporting for financial and operational management. The Financial Analyst must have foundational knowledge of Finance department projects, processes, and strategic direction.

The position requires a collaborative and customer service focused approach with sound judgment and decision-making ability. The position involves an ability to manage multiple priorities, simultaneous deadlines, and a rapidly evolving environment. The incumbent must work well under pressure and be able to communicate.

**Key Responsibilities/Major Duties**:
- ** Portfolio Responsibilities**:

- Collaborate with stakeholders to prepare the annual budget, quarterly forecasts, monthly reporting, and related variance analysis in accordance with SAIT's overall strategy, policies, procedures and timelines.
- Develop analytical expertise in core financial and operational components of deliverables for budget, forecast and related analysis.
- Develop comprehensive understanding of operations for Schools/Departments within portfolio including operational pressures, risks, and initiatives and identify financial and metric implications.
- Collaborate with Team to develop tactical plans, including training needs, to facilitate a consistent approach used to prepare deliverables and meet deadlines.
- Through analysis and interaction with Schools/Departments in conjunction with the Finance Business Partner, identify and anticipate emerging risks or issues and recommend changes and/or corrective action to the Coordinator of FP&A.
- Work with the Team to identify ad hoc reporting and financial analysis needs for the Finance Business Partner and participate in developing consistent responses to enable timely and accurate decision making.
- Identify to the Finance Business Partner or Coordinator of FP&A training and guidance needed in School/Department stakeholders on SAIT's financial policies, processes, and expectations, and how to read financial reports.
- Provide coverage as needed to ensure consistent service levels for all Schools/Departments within portfolio during vacancies, absences and vacations within the Financial Analysts.
- **
Relationship Management**:

- Participate in development of and action of standard service level requirements for Financial Analysts.
- Understand expectations regarding customer/client service standards. Perform daily interactions within the lens of these customer/client service standards to develop and maintain strong working relations with internal and external stakeholders, always exercising a high degree of discretion and sensitivity to confidential information.
- Foster and build collaborative, supportive relationships within the FP&A Team. Act as a key finance resource for Finance Business Partners to prepare deliverables and review matters affecting their respective budgets, forecasts, reporting, analysis, and business plans. Attend key operational meetings as required.
- Develop positive communication channels with Finance Business Partners and Financial Analyst colleagues to identify issues and o concerns to the Coordinator of Business Services. Participate in resolution development and action.
- Collaborate with Financial Analyst colleagues to develop highly functioning team dynamic and general understanding of operations, issues, risks within portfolios.
- Pro-actively develop relationship with Finance Business Partner to facilitate an environment of open communication and trust.
- **
Automation, Innovation & Transformation**:

- Be a positive agent of change and direction. Pro-actively work with Financial Analyst colleagues to evaluate individual processes, tasks, and workload pressures to Coordinator of FP&A to reduce redundancies, utilize resources based on expertise