Senior Finance and Administration Manager

Job Summary
The Centre for Cardiovascular Innovation (CCI) is a Faculty of Medicine approved research centre and is an inclusive centre with multidisciplinary membership for all cardiovascular investigators in BC. CCI has investigators affiliated with University of British Columbia, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Providence Research, BC Children’s Hospital, Fraser Health and Island Health. The position is responsible for strategic planning and leading the administration of Centre for Cardiovascular Innovation. This is a senior leadership position that will support a central model for delivering support within Cardiology Research. The position represents Centre for Cardiovascular Innovation in areas of Finance and Administration in meetings within UBC and with external stakeholders.

Organizational Status

The University of British Columbia is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world. Since 1915, UBC’s entrepreneurial spirit has embraced innovation and challenged the status quo. UBC encourages its students, staff and faculty to challenge convention, lead discovery and explore new ways of learning. At UBC, bold thinking is given a place to develop into ideas that can change the world.

Our Vision: To Transform Health for Everyone

Ranked among the world’s top medical schools with the fifth-largest MD enrollment in North America, the UBC Faculty of Medicine is a leader in both the science and the practice of medicine. Across British Columbia, more than 12,000 faculty and staff are training the next generation of doctors and health care professionals, making remarkable discoveries, and helping to create the pathways to better health for our communities at home and around the world.

The Faculty—comprised of approximately 2,200 administrative support, technical/research and management and professional staff, as well approximately 650 full-time academic and over 10,000 clinical faculty members—is composed of 19 academic basic science and/or clinical departments, 3 schools, and 25 research centres and institutes. Together with its University and Health Authority partners, the Faculty delivers innovative programs and conducts research in the areas of health and life sciences. Faculty, staff and trainees are located at university campuses, clinical academic campuses in hospital settings and other regionally based centres across the province.

The UBC Vancouver Campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. The City of Vancouver is located on Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations territory.

The Senior Finance and Administration Manager is member of the senior management team at Centre for Cardiovascular Innovation (CCI) and reports to the CCI’s Centre Director and CCI’s Operations and Advisory Committee. The incumbent will interact with centre clinical research directors, principal investigators, staff in Faculty of Medicine, UBC Office of Research services, UBC University-Industry Liaison Office, Research Institutes, UBC Financial Services, Hospitals Foundations, industry sponsors and external agencies.

Work Performed

-Cultivate and manage strategic partnerships across the institution and external entities across many sectors (Health Authorities, Research Institutions, Hospital Foundations, granting agencies and industry sponsors) that will advance Centre for Cardiovascular Innovation (CCI)’s research priorities.

-Provide leadership in the development and implementation of plans to support areas of research administration relevant to the needs of faculty members that are consistent with CCI’s research mission.

-Work closely with centre director, clinical research directors and principal investigators to understand and identify opportunities to support their goals and remove barriers.

-Provide operational leadership by participating in the implementation of strategic plans and changes to meet initiatives and evolving needs to enhance productivity and to streamline business processes.

-Provides leadership and strategic direction to CCI’s research administration activities in collaboration with university administrators.

-Leads and oversees the development and implementation of practices, policies, procedures, and tools to ensure the effective, efficient management, accountability and reporting of the centre.

-Prepare key documents including internal and external reports.

-Provides leadership for and participates in the development of organizational and systems change strategies that promote equity, transparency and accountability across the centre.

-Develop unit goals, defines measures of progress, and leads teams in aligning their day-to-day activities with strategic priorities of the finance and administration office at CCI.

-Build business cases for continuous service improvement ideas, identify the impact to each unit with respect to change, evaluation of costs, desired outcomes and overall performance.

-Identify continuous improvement ideas, innovation, and/or transformation initiatives, as well as process changes.

-Liaise with key stakeholders and provide leadership, guidance and direction to required teams and committees.

-Provide information and analysis in response to ad hoc inquiries from stakeholders.

-Holds overall responsibility for the CCI’s Finance and Administration office.

-Delegate day to day finance and administration tasks to staff.

- Provides a leadership role in establishing improved work processes & customer service.

-Leads the conceptualization and implementation of the administrative support for innovative procedures, practices and policies to improve day-to-day and long-term value, quality and efficiency.

-Authorizes the acquisition of all necessary supplies, equipment and services for the centre.

-Facilitates activity between the centre and the Office of Research Services and the University-Industry Liaison Office. Ensures that these Offices are engaged to advise on grant development and support contract negotiations or agreements as needed.

-Represent the Centre for Cardiovascular Innovation on committees and working groups as appropriate

-Contribute to the overall success of the centre by performing other duties as required

-Oversees recruitment, training, supervision, performance review, mentorship, dispute resolution, staff development, and training evaluation of staff.

- Responsible for hiring, discipline, evaluation and termination of staff.

- Anticipates needs, develops and maintains human resources strategies.

- Provides interpretation of collective agreements and acts as liaison with Human Resources regarding recruiting, employee issues, grievances and labour relations issues.

- Provides guidance to faculty and staff on all employment matters; provides advice, counsel, coaching, disciplinary and succession planning advice to both management and employees

- Works with researchers in the development of new position descriptions to ensure that classifications and salary levels fit within budgets.

- Sets performance expectations and conducts regular staff performance reviews, identifying areas requiring improvement and taking follow up action as required to address performance problems.

- Reviews staff performance and ensures employees maximize their efficiency.

- Coordinates and facilitates orientation program for new employees.

- Directs and overseeing all aspects of the financial operations of CCI.

- Monitoring existing internal controls and ensuring internal controls are operating effectively; reviewing internal controls continuously to ensure efficiency is maximized and risks are mitigated.

-Participates in strategic budget and financial planning, through formulation of CCI annual and 5 Year budget.

- Develops short and long-range plans to meet CCI’s financial obligations forecasting trends and salary commitments.

- Oversees and monitors the budget for the centre, ensuring that forecasting is accurate, accounts for all expenses and revenues, and develops financial models and projections that ensure sustainable operations.

-Develops recommendations for overall budgeting and planning, assesses alternatives and consequences; assesses impact of surpluses deficits and reviews variances, ensures cost effectiveness of expenditures.

- Makes recommendations on all budget initiatives assessing alternatives and consequences and leads the implementation of budget policy and priorities.

-Directs the preparation of 5-year plans, developing assumptions and guidelines for forecasting and for multiple scenarios, and useful common formats for running multi millions large scale clinical trials

- Provides strategic direction and guidance to the centre director, clinical research directors and principal investigators on financial matters. Monitors the overall financial effectiveness and efficiency of all units within CCI.

- Develops and prepares a variety of financial and analytical reports i.e. comparative budget analysis of multiple year expenditure revenue patterns.

- Reviews all new business initiatives (i.e. cost-recovery initiatives and other new opportunities) and provides appropriate recommendations to the Centre Director.

- Leads the continuing evolution of CCI’s business model so that it will better serve the research community and increase revenue generation from external collaborations.

- Authorizes all expenses and financial transactions for the centre and research units within the centre.

- Maintains a current knowledge of financial policies and procedures to ensure all parties are adhering to University, research institute, Hospital Foundations and external agency policies and procedures.

- Provides financial advice, training, support and ongoing assistance to faculty members and staff in the control and management of their budgets and finances.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
This position has direct influence on the strategic and operating decisions made by the research centre and units within the research centre. The incumbent must exercise sound judgment in all management areas; have tact, be equitable and function openly, maintaining confidentiality internally (staff, students and faculty) and externally (vendors, granting agencies, industry sponsors, etc.). Errors in judgment, decision making and financial plans will have serious impacts on the financial viability of the research centre as well as have significant impacts on the operating budget of the research centre. Errors could result in financial losses and damage the reputation of Division of Cardiology and Centre for Cardiovascular Innovation

Supervision Received
This Senior Finance and Administration Manager reports to Centre Director and CCI’s Operations and Advisory Committee and will be expected to work with a high degree of independence, exercise initiative and sound judgment and decision making. The position will provide leadership and make recommendations regarding administrative, budgetary, and planning to the Centre Director and CCI’s Operations and Advisory Committee. The incumbent will need to be comfortable working in an environment that requires flexibility and adaptability to respond to shifting and emerging priorities.

Supervision Given
Manages a team of Finance and Administration staff members. Will also provide direction and training in financial systems, internal controls and administrative processes to faculty and research staff.

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

-Demonstrated ability to actively create and sustain respectful and inclusive environments.

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

Preferred Qualifications

- Demonstrated administrative and supervisory experience.

- Experience of financial planning and budgetary control in the non-profit sector an advantage

- Experience in HR management, office administration in a research area at UBC is preferred

- Knowledge of university and research institutes’ policies and procedures

- Combination of working knowledge and experience in research and clinical trials administration, directing teams and supporting collaborative, multi-institutional research groups

- proactive and capable of suggesting and effectively implementing alternatives to current people and process approaches, all aligned to the organization’s strategy and culture.

- Knowledge of research institutes and how they relate to each other and to UBC.

- Effectively monitors budgets and executes project plans with stringent timelines.

- Excellent communication skills to function within a complex interdisciplinary environment including ability to communicate with the health care community.

- Strong organizational, administrative, and supervisory capabilities, as well as active listening, effective problem-solving and analytical abilities are required.

- Effective facilitation, persuasion and negotiation abilities to achieve consensus, resolve conflict and achieve desired outcomes.

-Works effectively under time pressure to meet deadlines, balance work priorities and resolve problems in a timely manner.

- Computer literacy with word-processing, spreadsheet, presentation, project management and database applications.

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