Senior Partner, Finance

Description

The Finance Services team within Finance is currently seeking a Full-time Regular Senior Finance Partner.

Reporting to the Associate Director, Finance Services, the Senior Finance Partner leads the delivery of specialized and multifaceted financial services for the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and Senior Leadership Team (SLT). The Senior Finance Partner is assigned a portfolio of Vice-Presidents and Faculty / Business Units with combined operating and internally restricted funds ranging between $60M and $175M. 

The Senior Finance Partner has a key leadership role in the institutional delivery of expert financial advice and guidance to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), Senior Leadership Team (SLT), and to varied stakeholders across the institution. The primary focus of this position is to provide strategic decision support to Executive and Senior Leadership to enable the achievement of critical university goals and objectives, while ensuring the short and long-term financial stability of the institution, its faculties, business units, departments, clinics and programs.

This position is part of the Finance Services team and provides expert knowledge in all areas of strategic planning, sustainable budgeting, specialized management reporting, impactful variance reporting and forecasting, internal control assessment and implementation, process improvement, and the development of recommendations for corrective action or innovative opportunities to ensure portfolios remain on budget and on task. The position requires an in-depth understanding of a varied, complex and quickly changing business, academic and research environment. 

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

• Gain an understanding of multiple complex areas in a relatively short period to collect, analyze and organize information, establish facts and make pragmatic, value-added recommendations. 
• Provide strategic decision support for Executive and Senior Leadership teams, ensuring leadership is apprised of all critical budgetary and financial issues, treating all matters with professionalism, sensitivity and confidentiality. 
• Lead the comprehensive annual planning and budget preparation process for assigned portfolios and review to ensure alignment and integration with the university's overall strategy and plans (e.g. Business Plan, Research Plan, Academic Plan, Enrollment Plan, etc.). Conduct updates as required. 
• Lead the forecasting and planning process, including regular budget-to-actual variance analysis and forecast. 
• Lead all monthly, quarterly and year-end financial activities within assigned portfolios in accordance with the institution's policies and procedures. 
• Coordinate with Finance Partners for the consolidation of budgets, financial reports, requests for funding, and presentation materials for ELT. Areas of oversight include but are not limited to changes to budget envelopes, VP and institutional one-time funding allocations, bridge funding, vacancy reporting, carryover tracking, operating budgets and internally restricted projects within the portfolio.
• Develop proposals and business cases as required for new initiatives, and continuously review existing activities for process improvement and sustainability. 
• Successful and timely completion of special assignments and projects that have institutional-wide impacts, including assessing, testing, key performance indicators, reporting, recommending, evaluation and feedback assessment (i.e. tuition allocation methodologies). 
• Lead the development and maintenance of educational content and communication tools in a variety of mediums, including the facilitation of budget orientation and information sessions for budget owners. Assist with training and educating team members on accounting, business process, budgeting process and planning issues. 
• Stay current on trends and approaches to financial management and processes through continued professional development. 

Qualifications / Requirements:

• A professional accounting designation (CPA, CA, CMA or CGA) with a related University degree, or an MBA. Other relevant graduate levels of education may be considered. 
• Extensive work experience in senior level accounting functions including budgeting, forecasting, and financial analysis (8+ years).
• Experience providing strategic decision support at the executive or senior leadership level (3+ years).
• Experienced in leading the financial budgeting and forecasting processes for operations in excess of $20M. 
• Proven ability to provide direction and leadership to staff.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Proven skills in building and maintaining productive and supportive working relationships with all levels of senior leadership, management and staff. 
• Proficient user of computer software applications, including large integrated enterprise resource planning systems, data warehousing, business intelligence tools and spreadsheets.
• Good knowledge of not-for-profit accounting and university structures and operations.

Application Deadline:  Applications will be reviewed as they are received. This posting will remain open until filled.

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

This position is classified in the Professional Career Band, Level P3F of the Management and Professional Staff Career Framework. 

For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website. 

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada’s entrepreneurial university, located in Canada’s most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada’s leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion ([email protected]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources ([email protected]).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role. 

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.