Ville : Vancouver

Catégorie : Full time

Industrie : Educational Services

Employeur : University of British Columbia

Job Category

Job Profile

Job Title

Department

Compensation Range

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 Date

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

Job End Date

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 role of the Finance Manager, Athletics & Recreation Operations is to manage and oversee routine financial operations in the Department of Athletics and Recreation.  The Department operates in a significant number of areas, and the Finance Manager, Athletics & Recreation Operations is expected to have a high degree of proficiency in each of these as well as have excellent leadership skills to manage a team in these areas.  The position provides financial controllership over the department’s operations, and is responsible for ensuring that monthly, quarterly and annual financial reporting is timely, complete and accurate.  The Finance Manager, Athletics & Recreation Operations is equally responsible for finance and period-end close in key areas such as overall awards and gift allocations as well as allocation of GPO funding and student fees.  The role is expected to work closely with managers within the Department in key areas such as financial controls and processes, budgeting, variance analysis and overall financial performance assessment.  The role requires a very strong understanding of current GAAP as well as indirect taxation.  Reporting to the Director of Finance, Athletics and Recreation, the role is expected to lead the operational finance team members in the Department.

The position typically works in an office environment within the Department’s facilities.  The scope of financial activities undertaken is quite varied and includes reviewing financial documentation, assigning tasks out to staff within the department, in addition to undertaking analysis and financial reporting.  The role requires the ability to build relationships in the Department, support the finance function, and build effective internal controls and procedures within the department.

Organizational Status

The Department of Athletics and Recreation is one of the core departments within the Vice President Students portfolio.  With a normal annual operating budget of exceeding $40 million, the Department also operates buildings and facilities worth over ¼ of a billion dollars.  The value of Departmental endowments exceeds $20 million, and the department also has a wide range of gifts and other sources of funding.  Primary revenue sources include significant business activities, student fees, university GPO funding and donations.  The Department is among the largest and most successful of its kind in Canada, with services and programs being provided by approximately 150 full-time and over 1,000 part-time staff located in facilities across the university campus.  The Department comprises approximately 35 individual operating units, including business operations, facilities, recreation, varsity sport as well as administrative units.  Athletics & Recreation provides programs and services to the university student population, faculty and staff as well as to the residents of the University Neighborhood Association in a municipal-type setting.

The Finance Manager, Athletics & Recreation Operations role is a critical role in the finance unit of the Department of Athletics and Recreation.  The Department supports a wide variety of activities and programing both on and off campus, including competitive sports and recreational activities as well as considerable business operations.  The Department also undertakes a number of programs and activities which serve the university and community as a whole.  The Finance Manager, Athletics & Recreation Operations role is an extremely active role within the Department, and works with operational leaders in all areas and aspects of Athletics & Recreation.  The Finance Manager, Athletics & Recreation Operations must possess up-to-date knowledge in a wide range of financial areas, including in-depth knowledge in financial accounting, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Canadian indirect taxation, awards and endowment accounting as well as being a leader in the financial management of business operations.  The incumbent will have a strong background in financial management, audit, financial reporting, as well as leading a team of finance professionals.

Work Performed

• Responsible for operational finance, accounting and financial reporting within the Department of Athletics and Recreation.

• Oversees day-to-day financial operations in the Department.  Supervises finance staff.  Ensures that all routine finance matters are undertaken and completed.  Reports completed financial period close results to the Director of Finance, Athletics & Recreation.

• Provides active leadership and controllership over operational finance within the department, ensuring all transactions required for periodic reporting are entered accurately and in a timely manner.

• Designs, develops, controls, manages and directs the Department’s operational accounting activities as well as policies and procedures.

• Develops short- and long-term strategic plans for the finance team in the Department, and oversees the implementation of these plans for the finance staff.

• Monitors the overall financial effectiveness and efficiency of units within the Department and develops systems and processes to resolve financial issues or problems as they arise in close coordination with the Department’s executive leadership.

• Develops, recommends and implements policy, standards and procedures with respect to operational and financial accounting issues.

• Actively engages with unit leaders to review budgets on a periodic basis, as well as to identify and explain budget variances.  Provides regular updates to the Director of Finance, Athletics and Recreation on budget variances identified, as well as recommendations for remediation.

• Manages the operational budgeting process for recreation, facilities and revenue-generating units.  Works actively with operational leaders to develop an initial draft of the budgets to the Department’s finance director, and works closely with senior management on budgeting.

• Proactive with operational leaders to lead in the implementation of remedial action on budget deviations as necessary.

• Develops, recommends and implements new operational financial business processes for the Department, including internal controls, and financial oversight to improve the efficiencies of the financial information workflow within the Department and integration with the University’s financial system.

• Provides operational and strategic financial advice to the Department’s leadership and managers in key areas including financial operations, processing, forecasting and financial review.

• Operates as the key finance leader for recreation, facilities and revenue-generating units in the Department.  Actively works with managers in financial matters, and is pro-active in identifying and implementing finance process and policy changes.

• Oversees the process of developing new and revised business plans for the Department’s recreation, facilities and revenue-generating units. 

• Develops the plan and sets the direction for Departmental operational leaders at a detailed level in preparing program- and activity-level annual budgets for recreation, facilities and revenue-generating operations and ensures budgeting goals align with the Department’s overall strategic financial objectives.

• Develops sustainable operating financial models for operational non-Varsity units within the Department, including active oversight of expenditures and aligning routine spend with Departmental priorities.

• Assess the financial viability of current and future business operations in the Department’s recreation, facilities and revenue-generating operations, including performing detailed analysis of the profitability of the operations, and the allocation and deployment of resources in their undertaking.

• Oversees the development and implementation of regular financial reviews in the Department, including designing and implementing a system of overall risk management and mitigation.

• Oversees the Department’s risk-based review of internal controls and operational procedures.  Ensures controls and processes are designed effectively, and ensures their operational effectiveness; provides effective oversight of the finance team in the detailed testing and assessment of procedures.

• Streamlines operational finance within the Department’s recreation, facilities and revenue-generating units, including identifying areas for improvement, redesigning financial business processes and implementing new policies and procedures.

• Develops and conducts financial training across the Department for staff under the direction of the Department’s director of finance.

• Provides coverage as required in leading the Department’s travel booking and support.  This is a complex Departmental task with potentially hundreds of team members travelling on different trips at the same time, and involves planning and executing the travel of all Varsity teams, as well as sports clubs and some staff.

• Manages finance’s payroll responsibilities within the Department, including ensuring that the roughly 1,000 part-time and hourly staff are paid accurately and in a timely fashion as well as ensuring that deviations or discrepancies are identified and addressed efficiently.

• Oversees transactional-level indirect tax matters within the Department’s recreation, facilities and revenue-generating units, including identifying the applicability of GST or PST and ensuring that the operational systems record taxes correctly.

• Develops detailed operational financial forecasts throughout the fiscal year in consultation with unit managers.  Guides managers in their forecasting assumptions, and reviews forecasts for reasonableness and compliance with budget constraints and policies.

• Leads and oversees the Department’s regular financial reconciliations for recreation, facilities and revenue-generating units.  Ensures all balance sheet accounts are continuously monitored and reconciled, verifies that input from external systems such as credit card reporting or PerfectMind balances agree to recorded balances, and ensures that all programs and cost centres are reviewed to ensure the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of recorded transactions.

• Manages the completion of year-end working papers, audit documentation and the annual balance sheet program and reporting.

• Manages the Department’s overall month-, quarter- and year-end financial close processes.  Works closely with the Finance Manager, Varsity to ensure complete period-end closes.

• Exercises sound financial judgement in determining required accruals and other adjustments for financial period closing, and ensures they are completed accurately and in a timely fashion by finance staff.

• Responsible for the financial authorization of a wide variety of expenditures in the Department, including invoices, expenses and VISA card transactions.

• Oversees the Department’s accounts receivable process, and ensures finance staff prepare and disseminate external invoices in a timely manner.  Ensures that operational finance staff reconcile receivables in a timely manner, assigns the provision for uncollectible amounts, and recommends further action to Departmental leadership.

• Acts as a key Departmental resource for Workday, and the implementation of new procedures as a result of Workday.  Keeps up to date on developments in the system, and communicates finance updates Department-wide on a regular basis.

• Oversees the maintenance of the Department’s financial SharePoint and financial information sites, and is responsible for communicating changes in policy and procedures in operational finance Department-wide.

• Identifies and makes recommendations for changes to the operational Foundation Data Model within the department, including recommending to the Director of Finance, Athletics and Recreation the creation of new Activities, Programs, Cost Centres, Gifts and Projects.

• Works to ensure the Department is compliant with University financial policies, as well as GAAP.

• Other tasks as assigned by the Director of Finance, Athletics and Recreation.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
The Finance Manager, Athletics & Recreation Operations must have a very high level of attention to detail and accuracy.  The role also requires a good understanding of finance and accounting principles.  Errors in judgment and analysis may have an effect on the short- and long-term financial health of the Department, and may lead to adverse or incorrect decisions being taken by financial and operational leaders.  Errors in financial reporting and analysis may result in financial losses for the Department, and could expose the Department to unforeseen potential future financial liabilities.  Inappropriate prioritization of tasks or workload could result in potential financial losses, or the Department misreporting financial information on internal and external reports.  The provision or incorrect or inaccurate budgeting information or reconciliations may result in inappropriate allocation of Departmental resources.  Incorrect compilation of financial reporting could result in the Department incurring reputational damage as well as potential liability from other users relying on financial information. The Director of Finance, Athletics and Recreation and senior leadership in the Department rely on this position to exercise sound financial judgement as well as to provide accurate and timely analysis and reporting.

Supervision Received
The position reports to the Director of Finance, Athletics and Recreation.  The role works with considerable latitude and is expected to perform most tasks and assigned duties with little direct involvement from the supervisor.  The position requires the ability to work independently as required, and to work in a complex financial environment with multiple sources of revenue and funding, and supports key decision-making within the Department. Work is reviewed in terms of achievement of specific goals. As part of the finance unit, the position is expected to work in a collaborative team environment with other members of the team as well as other Departmental staff.

Supervision Given
The position supervises directly at a minimum two clerical staff members in the department The position indirectly oversees the finance work of two additional staff members in the Department for their finance transactional work and may supervise additional staff members including work learn students or temporary staff assigned to the unit as needed.

Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Completion of the CPA accounting program (CA, CGA or CMA). 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

• Very strong understanding and knowledge of accounting principles, as well as audit, budgeting and financial planning processes required.

• Demonstrated experience in overseeing an operational financial unit, and in ensuring the recording of complex processes.

• Ability to perform complex financial analysis, and to communicate results effectively. Demonstrated leadership and supervisory skills in this area.

• Three to five years of management experience.

• Ability to work both independently as well as in a team environment.

• Ability to apply Generally Accepted Accounting Principles as well as financial best-practices.

• Very strong ability to identify trends and areas of concern, and to present recommendations in a succinct manner to leadership.

• Ability to identify issues and errors as they arise, and to communicate the consequences of these errors to leadership.

• Strong knowledge in developing and implementing financial processes.

• Strong knowledge of financial tools such as Excel, including complex formulae creation, and ability to aggregate data from multiple sources.

• Demonstrated skills in developing financial presentations, including training.

• Ability to meet tight timelines and to work effectively under pressure.

• Ability to prioritize tasks and assignments, and to assign tasks to others effectively.

• Very strong attention to detail.

• Excellent ability to take initiative and to bring potential problems to leadership at an early stage.

• Strong verbal and written communications skills, and the ability to communicate complex financial information to non-finance staff.

• Ability to exercise judgement, tact, confidentiality and discretion when dealing with sensitive financial matters.

• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships internally and externally to the Department.

Additional Assets

• Experience in the not-for-profit sector or higher education preferred.

• Experience with the financial and human resources systems of UBC, including but not limited to Workday, FMS, HRMS and Hyperion preferred.

• Knowledge of government and UBC policies and regulations strongly preferred

• Management experience in a unionized environment.