Financial Coordinator – Applied Research
City : Edmonton
Category : Temporary Full-Time Professional
Industry : Education
Employer : Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT)
In order to ensure your application is received by NAIT for thorough review and consideration, please apply directly through our Careers site at www.nait.ca/careers
Please Note: This is a temporary position ending on or before February 28, 2029, with the possibility of extension.
As NAIT continues to expand and strengthen its Applied Research initiatives, we are recruiting a skilled and passionate individual to help shape and maintain best administrative practices and become part of Canada’s leading polytechnic. A candidate for this position should be a motivated and driven administrative professional with a high attention to detail, who enjoys maintaining a very organized work environment and have well developed time management skills.
Reporting to the Manager, Financial Administration Support Team this position provides support and guidance to Research Centres in Industry Solutions. Specifically, this position will facilitate all research and innovation activities in the Centre by leading, coordinating, tracking, managing and finalizing administrative details, reporting and financial management of grants. Our successful candidate will provide the Manager with a high degree of assurance that the Centres has performed the necessary due diligence to meet funders’ expectations. This position is critical to supporting the successful growth of Industry Solutions.
Key Responsibilities:
- Support the research lead and specialists in grant application and research contract processes, including budgetary review and submission of approved applications to the Grants & Proposal team for final submission to funders/partners.
- Understand centre and project level financial information in order to provide guidance to technical leads and managers.
- Coordinate all Research Centre agreements, both NAIT generated and externally generated Project Agreements.
- Manage requisitions, invoices, payments, journal entries, budgets, and contract agreements.
- Review expenses for compliance and eligibility with various Funder guidelines.
- Coordinate month-end activities and meet tight deadlines.
- Advise researchers on cash flow situations, providing monthly statements and projections at the grant/project level.
- Prepare quantitative and qualitative financial reports internally and for external funders, ensuring compliance with reporting requirements and deadlines.
- Create detailed working papers for in-kind contributions, including necessary agreements.
- Provide planning documents, reports, and variance analysis to Industry Solutions Leadership.
- Support Centre leadership in the preparation, tracking, and reporting of NAIT budgets and forecasts for Industry Solutions in the annual budget process.
- Develop, track, and report on Capital procurement for external funders.
- Coordinate information for internal and external auditing and reporting purposes.
- Special projects as required
Skills & Abilities:
- Strong customer service focus, and the ability to prioritize in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines are essential.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills including adjusting styles to suit different audiences and situations
- Ability to eliminate financial ambiguity and articulate key financial details to decision makers
- Highly organized and responsive, keen attention to detail
- Strong critical thinking (evaluating, questioning, and analyzing) rather than taking information at face value.
Qualifications:
- Accounting, Finance, or Business Degree preferred; a related diploma may be considered with significant related experience
- 3-5 years of related experience with extensive and proven financial administration experience.
- Experience with research grant facilitation and management would be a strong asset
- Project management and budget preparation / support experience required
- Advanced Excel skills required; experience with both Microsoft 365 Suite and WorkDay Finance would be an asset
Applicants with education credentials earned outside of Canada should have their credentials evaluated by World Education Services (WES), International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) or the Comparative Education Services (CES).
Remuneration: $71,863.49 - $96,641.22 annually, plus a comprehensive benefits package. (Classification – Coordinator II).
This position is covered by the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) Collective Agreement.
Please submit a resume and cover letter to be considered for this opportunity.
About NAIT
We are known as one of Alberta’s top employers. Being part of a community that makes a difference in the lives of students, staff, industry clients and partners, NAIT’s culture reflects our shared values of respect, collaboration, celebration, creativity, and accountability.
People are what make NAIT great, and we prioritize the employee experience. We offer benefits and unique perks focusing on health and wellness, work-life balance, recognition, and professional and personal growth. In addition to excellent vacation time, we offer paid time off between Christmas and New Year's.
NAIT supports a flexible work environment, enabling staff to request approval for on-campus, off-site, or hybrid work arrangements based on the nature of the role. Please note that remote positions require employees to reside within Canada.
NAIT is committed to fostering a safe environment that supports equity and cultivates inclusion through our Centre for Community and Belonging (CCB) and our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy. We are a proud partner of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion. While we encourage all qualified applicants to apply, only those being considered will be contacted. If you require any accommodations, please connect with us at careers@nait.ca.