HR & Finance Assistant

Job Summary
Provides support to the Human Resources and Finance functions within the Department. This position is responsible for overseeing the faculty, staff and student appointment process and resolve any subsequent payroll/finance issues that arise. This position will also be responsible for explaining and orienting department members to UBC payroll/finance and HR policies and procedures. Responsible for providing financial processing support of an advanced and complex nature and administers contract and grant accounts for complex sponsored research and project funds, which requires exercise of judgement and knowledge of University, granting agencies and accounting policies and procedures. Reports to the Manager, Operations & Administration within the Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering in the Faculty of Applied Science.

Organizational Status

This role interacts with staff, faculty and students. Liaises regularly with individuals in APSC Dean’s Office, Financial Operations, Procurement Services, Research Finance, UILO, ORS, central Human Resources, Faculty Relations, Payroll, IT, and other UBC departments/schools.

The Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering has 11 faculty members, 4 sessional lecturers, 6 post-doctoral research fellows, 8 adjunct professors, 1 honorary associate professor, 3 M&P staff, 2 office staff, and 4 technical staff. There are 141 graduate (MASc, MEng and PhD) students and over 168 undergraduate students that the Department supports.

Work Performed

Human Resources

• Coordination of full cycle recruitment activities for all faculty, staff and students within the Department.
• Assists with planning, developing, organizing and implementing human resources activities within the department such as posting and advertising jobs through the UBC Workday system and external sites.
• Maintains/archives recruitment files, applications and departmental postings.
• Responsible for maintaining personnel files and archiving as necessary.
• Provides information to student/staff on current UBC human resources policies and practices, such as attendance and leave management, vacation and sick leave benefits.
• Advises department head/PI's on collective agreements terms, including limited interpretation (eg. sick/vacation accruals, notice periods, posting deadlines etc)
• Responsible for addressing HR and Finance enquiries related to faculty, staff and students.
• Liases with internal UBC Departments (Faculty of Applied Science Dean's Office, UBC Payroll, UBC Integrated Service Centre, Financial Operations, Procurement Services, Research Finance, UILO, ORS, central Human Resources, Faculty Relations, Payroll, IT, etc.)
• Liases with external organizations (eg. Research granting agencies such as Mitacs, NSERC, etc.)
• Coordinates and processes all appointments within the Department including faculty, staff, and students, using UBC’s Workday system.
• Responsible for creating salary projections to ensure adequate funding is available to desired payroll/HR transaction.
• Responsible for analyzing funding/financial information for all transactions and ensuring all funding commitments have been received.
• Responsible for tracking and following up of all appointments through the various departments throughout the University.
• Responsible for following up and resolution of complex payroll issues for faculty, staff and students.
• Processes all salary (mid-point progression/merit) increases as well as costing allocation changes.
• Provides administrative support to the search committee for managing the applications received, obtains necessary documents, coordinates reference letter solicitation, set-up online and in-person interviews, prepares dossiers for submission to the Department ARPT Committee (full and sub committees), Dean and the Senior Appointments Committee (SAC).
• Assists with documentation for Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) for foreign hires as required.
• Coordinates incumbent/new graduate student TA/Markers appointments. In consultation with the faculty members and Head of the Department, assigns TA positions to successful candidates. Determines eligibility based on Department and CUPE 2278 policies, while ensuring that TA units are assigned correctly.
• Ensures all hiring documentation is complete and follows up on Workday discrepancies.
• Pulls Workday reports for analyses.
• Assists the Manager, Operations & Administration on special projects.
• Other duties as required.
  
  Finance
  
• Prepares/reviews reimbursements, verifying accuracy of information including account coding, reviewing backup documentation, ensuring authorized signatures are valid on behalf of the Department, based on compliance with UBC and granting agency guidelines. Ensures proper authorization and backup documentation is obtained prior to submitting documentation for processing.
• Supports the Accounts Receivable function, preparing invoices of cost-recovered services billed internally to other departments and externally to companies. Preparing invoices to donors and sponsors for student-related activity accounts.
• Ensures that issues are resolved with various finance, HR and payroll departments or the affiliated agencies. Makes adjustments as necessary. Investigates exceptions in an Accounts Receivable billback system and monitors receipts.
• Reviews UBC Visa credit card payments and supports the oversight of the function. Identifies research over-expenditures in the Department, develops plans for clearing such over- expenditures, and works with faculty and staff within the Department to clear over-expenditures.
• Reconciles, monitors and investigates errors and discrepancies on all departmental financial accounts (general purpose operating, endowments, fee-for-service, research, special purpose project grants, and petty cash) which may include preparing correcting journal entries, following up on outstanding items and resolving issues with various units within the Department.
• Responds to queries (routine/non-routine) and provides support to faculty, staff and students in the Department to assist in the valid preparation of claims, reimbursements, payments and purchase orders, interpreting financial policies and procedures as relevant.
• Identifies opportunities to improve efficiency and effectiveness of processes; drafts and implements new finance and departmental policies and procedures after reviewing with the Manager, Operations & Administration, and provides training and support for faculty and staff on finance-related policies, procedures and systems.
• Scans files and saves them under predefined naming and filing formats for electronic storage and retrieval. Responsible for the file management of all accounting documentation required to be kept in the Department; or responsible for returning it as needed to the originating department. Responsible for archiving documents, organizing into boxes by fiscal year, completing semi-active records location sheet for logging/tracking, calculating proper destruction date, and obtaining authorized signature on the sheet before storing.
• Participates in ad hoc financial projects and prepares ad hoc financial analysis and reports as required.
• Processes and coordinates student awards and scholarships as well as its related financial processes on Workday.

Administration

• Performs general office administration duties such as, responding to in-person inquiries, receiving and processing mail and courier packages, ordering office, lab, and research supplies, ordering catering for meetings and events, and other related duties as assigned by the Manager, Operations & Administration.
• Acts as one of the Departmental Voice Administrators
• Updates UBC staff directory for departmental employees. Submits technical service requests on behalf of users, including IT services, voice services (Pinnacle), and UBC Directory listings.
• Provides backup support during vacation, lunch and sick time.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Exercises initiative, tact and judgment in handling the financial and human resources matters of the Department. Delayed service or payment results in poor public relations and potential loss of credit with vendors. Failure to apply policy and procedures at all levels could cause serious problems for faculty and department administration.

This position is responsible for ensuring all information processed within Workday is authorized,
accurate, appropriate and substantiated by proper back-up. Information and recommendations must be accurate and provided in a respectful, timely and supportive way. Furthermore, the highly sensitive nature of payroll to all employees requires precise attention to avoid delays and errors that could result in employees being paid incorrectly. Required to exercise judgement and tact in dealing with a variety of confidential sensitive information. Errors could negatively impact the operations and reputation of the Department and result in missed opportunities and inefficient use of resources. The incumbent will use professional judgment in carrying out responsibilities. The incumbent is expected to use tact and discretion when gathering or sharing confidential and/or sensitive information. Poor judgment or execution in HR functions could impact an employee's employment or immigration status.

Works independently under broad direction. Exercises independent judgment in selecting and
interpreting information and reconciling deviations from standard methods. Job tasks are governed generally by broad instructions, objectives, and policies, usually involving frequently changing conditions and priorities. Assigned tasks make it necessary to determine what data and quality of data are required to make reliable decisions.

Supervision Received
Works independently under minimal supervision. Works under the general direction of the Manager, Operations & Administration. Technical problems or policy matters are referred to the Manager, Operations & Administration. The incumbent is able to take initiative, solve complex problems, determine course of action and then follow through independently.

Supervision Given
Formally trains new staff on work procedures, and/or oversees work of students and or/temporary staff.

Minimum Qualifications
High School graduation, plus two year post secondary diploma, plus four years of related experience, or an 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

• Experience in a fast-paced academic setting or an equivalent combination of education and experience preferred. In depth knowledge and experience in UBC HR, Payroll, and Finance required.
• Experience in working with the University's human resources and administrative systems an asset.
• Knowledge of UBC policies and procedures preferred.
• Competency in word processing, spreadsheet and database applications.
• Excellent oral and written communication, interpersonal, analytical, problem-solving and organizational skills.
• Ability to work both independently and in a team environment and to work under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Ability to exercise judgment, tact, discretion, and diplomatic. Ability to operate job-related office equipment.
• Ability to deal with a diversity of people in a calm, courteous, and effective manner.
• Ability to effectively use word processing, spreadsheet and database at an intermediate to advanced level e.g., Outlook, MS Word, MS Excel. Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Ability to exercise tact and discretion.
• Ability to work effectively with minimal supervision.
• Ability to compose clear and concise business correspondence.

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