Manager, Finance

Classification:

Band 3

Ministry:

Islands Trust

Work Unit:

Financial & Employee Services

Supervisor Title:

Director, Financial & Employee Services

Supervisor Position #:

PROGRAM

Located in Coast Salish territory, the Islands Trust is a federated body responsible for protecting the unique amenities and environment of more than 450 islands and surrounding waters in the southern Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound. Created by the Province via the Islands Trust Act, Islands Trust plans and regulates local land use, advocates on key issues impacting the area, and protects land through the Islands Trust Conservancy. Islands Trust works closely with other government agencies and First Nations to accomplish its mandate.

CONTEXT

The Financial Services team falls within the Financial and Employee Services unit of Islands Trust and is responsible for the overall financial management framework of the organisation. Services include: accounts payable and receivable functions; internal control development, implementation and monitoring; budgeting and forecasting for revenues and expenditures; recoveries; cash flow management; corporate monitoring and reporting; financial operations; financial analysis and decisions support; financial accounting and policy advice; contract administration and expertise; and facilities management and coordination.

JOB OVERVIEW

The Manager, Finance and Accounting oversees the day-to-day accounting, financial, financial reporting and related business and administrative activities of the Islands Trust. The role ensures current and newly developed policies are compliant with appropriate accounting standards and corporate policy and strives for continuous improvement of process to enhance quality of service to Trust clients.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Finance and Accounting:

• Oversees establishment, updating, implementation and documentation of accounting policies under the guidance of the Director
• Provides assurance that financial operations are in compliance with PSAB guidelines, public service, and Islands Trust policies and procedures.
• Identifies and mitigates financial risks through the development, maintenance review and improvement of financial controls associated with financial reporting, procurement, payroll, and asset management.
• Oversees the compilation and review of financial statements and reports for senior management
• Oversees the compilation and review of financial forecasting.
• Reviews and updates cash flow projections to ensure cash resources remain adequate for organisational needs.
• Researches and provides advice to the Director, Financial and Employee Services on complex and emerging accounting and financial issues
• Reviews journal entries for correctness and completeness, ensuring proper supporting documentation for each is collected and filed appropriately.
• Maintains accounting system, ensuring logical chart of accounts, reporting roll-ups, and proper complete use of system to ensure efficient and useful reporting.
• Attests to the integrity and accuracy of financial information
• Performs financial analysis using templates and calculations, determining and supporting assumptions incorporated into analysis, and provides initial interpretations of analysis. Develops templates to support various analysis as required.
• Oversees the production of year-end financial statements and notes for the Islands Trust and the Islands Trust Conservancy, and prepares key working papers for the auditor's package.
• Participates in the budget development and review process.
• Assists in preparing communications materials that relay financial information such as charts and graphs for public circulation.
• Supports, mentors, and supervises finance staff to ensure accounting tasks and related reporting requirements are completed within stated deadlines, and follow proper process and policy.
• Provides support related to financial matters of the Islands Trust Conservancy, including review and mapping of financial transactions for purposes of financial reporting.
• Assists with other ad-hoc review, analysis, reporting, and support as required
• Ensure asset tracking and management processes are appropriate and are being implemented effectively.

Financial Administration:

• Reviews contracts as needed prior to signing to ensure they are sound in clarity, completeness of deliverables descriptions and timelines, clear language regarding acceptance of product and billing, etc.
• Reviews risk assessments regarding waiving standard contract terms in special circumstances
• Assists with data gathering for office real estate needs assessments as required, working with senior management to determine value for money associated with property options.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of Canadian public sector accounting standards.
• Advanced knowledge of financial principles, standards and controls.
• Excellent knowledge of accounting operations.
• Strong communication, presentation/facilitation skills.
• Ability to develop and maintain productive relationships at various levels.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and produce results within aggressive deadlines.
• Demonstrated leadership ability.
• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Excel, particularly the use of data manipulation and analysis using functions such as vlookup/xlookup, pivot tables, charting, etc.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• Recognised Canadian Chartered Professional Accounting (CPA) designation.
• Minimum 4 years experience providing financial accounting and reporting services, preferably in a private company environment or in public practice.
• Minimum 1 year experience in supervising staff, scheduling staff, allocating work duties, managing employee performance and delivering training and/or direction.

Preference may be given to candidates with the following:

• Experience working in a public accounting firm
• Experience working in a financial auditor capacity
• Experience work in a financial controllership capacity
• Experience using SAGE300 accounting software
• Experience using Caseware financial reporting software

BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES:

Business Acumen is the ability to understand the business implications of decisions and the ability to strive to improve organizational performance. It requires an awareness of business issues, processes and outcomes as they impact the client's and the organization's business needs.

Planning, Organizing and Coordinating involves proactively planning, establishing priorities and allocating resources. It is expressed by developing and implementing increasingly complex plans. It also involves monitoring and adjusting work to accomplish goals and deliver to the organization's mandate.

Problem Solving/Judgement is the ability to analyze problems systematically, organize information, identify key factors, identify underlying causes and generate solutions.

Leadership implies a desire to lead others, including diverse teams. Leadership is generally, but not always, demonstrated from a position of formal authority. The "team" here should be understood broadly as any group with which the person interacts regularly.

Organizational Commitment is the ability and willingness to align one's own behaviour with the needs, priorities and goals of the organization, and to promote organizational goals to meet organizational needs. It also includes acting in accordance with organizational decisions and behaving with integrity.

Concern for Order reflects an underlying drive to reduce uncertainty in the surrounding environment. It is expressed as monitoring and checking work or information, insisting on clarity of roles and functions, etc.

INDIGENOUS RELATIONS BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCY:

Sustained Learning and Development means continually increasing your ability to build and maintain respectful and effective relationships with Aboriginal people. Central to this competency is appreciating that there are many other cultural understandings of knowledge and ways of working that have legitimacy and deserve respect – and therefore require our continual learning and development, including direct exposure to cultural and community ways. It includes an eagerness to continually reflect upon and assess your own level of cultural agility and competence, self-awareness, and expertise. It means being willing to learn in new and different ways and appreciating how diverse ways of thinking and acting can ensure the success of the BC Public Service in supporting Aboriginal self-determination.

Education : Bachelor's degree

Experience : Experience an asset