Director, Finance and Administration

Staff - Non UnionJob CategoryM&P - AAPSJob ProfileAAPS Salaried - Administration, Level CJob TitleDirector, Finance and AdministrationDepartmentAdministrative Leadership | Centre for Brain Health | Faculty of MedicineCompensation Range$7, $11,886.67 CAD Monthly

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End DateJanuary 22, 2026

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

Ongoing

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career. 

Job Summary

The Director of Finance and Administration plays the lead role in managing the core financial and administrative functions of the world-renowned Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health (DMCBH).  The incumbent is accountable, along with the Co-Directors of the Centre, for a range of functions including strategic and operations planning, budget management, coordination of new initiatives, facilities and space management, information management, policies and procedures, and dissemination of information.  The primary role of the position is to maintain high quality financial and administrative services that support the achievement of the Centre's strategic plan, goals and objectives. The Director is also responsible for human resources management, including planning workforce structure and providing leadership and direction to administrative staff members within the Centre. This position works as a team player with colleagues and co-workers to achieve excellence in research within a complex and diverse environment.

Organizational Status

The DMCBH builds on the University of British Columbia's (UBC) impressive legacy of brain research and brings together experts in the fields of neuroscience, neurology, psychiatry, and rehabilitation science in a hub for training, research, and clinical care. The Centre is a partnership between Vancouver Coastal Health and the UBC Faculty of Medicine and is comprised of a community of more than 130 investigators with multidisciplinary expertise who span many different faculties, departments, and locations, both across UBC and at other academic institutions. Headquartered in a state-of-the-art facility located on UBC's Point Grey campus, the Centre bridges basic science and clinical care, and provides opportunities for education, collaboration, and interaction with patients from across BC.

The advertised position reports to the Director/Co-Directors, and works closely with DMCBH faculty, research staff, and trainees as required.

Work Performed

1. Develops and refines, in collaboration with the Director/Co-Directors, strategic plans, goals and objectives for the Centre. Responsibilities include assessing the current situation and future requirements of the Centre, liaising with Centre staff, stakeholders and partners regarding articulated issues/needs, developing specific goals and objectives and setting priorities for planning, implementing and evaluating strategies. Creates opportunities for others to have input into the development and evaluation of strategic plans, goals and objectives for the Centre.

2. Works with the Co-Directors, consultants, planners and stakeholders to facilitate the development of new facilities including functional planning, design criteria, ongoing stakeholder involvement, construction coordination, and operational procedures upon project completion.

3. Provides support and consultation to the Director/Co-Directors, staff, stakeholders and partners to maximize value and productivity for the organization in the use of program services and facilities housed in the Centre.Develops and manages effective working relationships with Vancouver Coastal Health, UBC and other health care representatives, scientific participants, and partners.Anticipates and incorporates new initiatives into ongoing planning activities in order to support the Centre's strategic plans.

4. Develops and manages capital and operating budgets for the Centre in collaboration with the Director/Co-Directors to complement the Centre's strategic directions within the fiscal parameters developed for the organization. Identifies, documents, and facilitates changes regarding a variety of issues including operating budget, workload, staff resources, promotional activities, minor and capital equipment purchases and space reallocation.

5. Monitors adherence to budgets by performing duties such as consulting with Vancouver Coastal Health and FoM financial representatives regarding status, analyzing statements and cost control reports, taking corrective action for variances, identifying and managing revenues retained by the Centre, setting capital equipment priorities and updating capital plans as required.Prepares financial/business reports for Centre's senior management team as requested.

6. Approves proposed directions, operating budgets, capital plans for the administrative and financial service areas of the Centre.

7. Develops, implements, evaluates and communicates policies, standards and procedures and systems for the Centre administrative and financial services.

8. Identifies opportunities for new initiatives, pursues new funding opportunities, and is an active participant in proposal writing for large scale grants to Government funding agencies and not-for- profit community-based societies. Works with Director/Co-Directors  in establishing operational priorities, creating and reviewing business cases, implementing the approved business cases, managing the allocated resources, measuring performance against the plan and informing all relevant stakeholders of case content and progress to develop new concepts.

9. Directs and provides guidance to administrative staff that optimizes the quality and quantity of the output by performing duties such as consultation, leadership, establishing clear definitions of responsibility for each staff member, reviewing workload assignments and adjusting resources according to the workload to ensure levels meet operational requirements.Promotes quality work performance.Establishes priorities and provides guidance and advice by facilitating resolutions to work problems and monitoring work activities to ensure standards are maintained.

10. Responsible for Centre human resources including maintenance and interpretation of Centre policies and procedures related to hiring, promotion and benefits including appointments, performance evaluation, coverage and structuring requirements, staff selection and management of disputes.Collaborates with the Director/Co-Directors and FoM human resources representatives in the recruitment and performance evaluation of staff/candidates, participates in interviews for internal and external applicants, makes independent hiring decisions in collaboration with panel and processes documentation. Advises Director/Co-Directors on financial and administrative impact of various personnel decisions.

11. In collaboration with the Director/Co-Directors , takes an active role in the promotion of the Centre by establishing and maintaining a broad network of contacts, identifying partnership opportunities, and making presentations to potential research partners.  Markets and communicates research opportunities to internal and external stakeholders. Develops and advises on strategies designed to raise the general level of awareness of the Centre within the broader community and among potential funding sources.  Participates in planning the special events and promotional activities for the Centre. 

12. Responsible for facilities and workplace health and safety management including monitoring the condition of buildings and initiating action to improve deficiencies; overseeing refurbishing and renovation projects within allocated budgets; facilitating the repair, maintenance or installation of equipment; ensuring that buildings and facilities are secure, functional and safe; coordinating work of internal and external service providers and ensuring completion in accordance with requirements and specifications, safety and environmental regulations, and risk management protocols; and all staff and faculty adhere to safe work practices and employee regulations.

Decision Making/Level of Accountability
Makes decisions regarding strategic management of a broad range of administrative functions, budgets and projects

Supervision Received
Works with wide latitude with oversight of Director/Co-Directors.  Work is reviewed in terms of achievement of broad goals.

Supervision Given
Direct supervision to four staff and provides strategic and operational direction and support to over 300 staff at the UBC Hospital site.

Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of five years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one's own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one's own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• Effective organizational, problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to administer human resource policies and procedures, such as collective agreement provisions.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, tact, discretion and confidentiality .
• Ability  to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
• Ability to effectively use job-specific software at an intermediate level e.g., Outlook, MS Word, MS Excel.
• Effective interpersonal, organizational, and planning skills.
• Ability to analyze problems, identify key information and issues, and effectively resolve.
• Ability to work effectively with all levels within the University as well as strategic partners.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and priorities.
• Ability to be thorough, accurate, and have a meticulous, high level of attention to detail.

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