Financial & Grants Officer

Date Posted: 11/28/2024
Req ID: 40883
Faculty/Division: Faculty of Arts & Science
Department: School of the Environment
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)
Position Number: 00056402

Description:

About us:

The Faculty of Arts & Science is the heart of Canada’s leading university and one of the most comprehensive and diverse academic divisions in the world. The strength of Arts & Science derives from our combined teaching and research excellence in the humanities, sciences and social sciences across 29 departments, seven colleges and 46 interdisciplinary centres, institutes and programs.

We can only realize our mission with the dedication and excellence of engaged staff and faculty. The diversity of opportunities and perspectives within the Faculty reflect the local and global landscape and the need for curiosity, innovative thinking and collaboration. At Arts & Science, we take pride in our legacy of innovation and discovery that has changed the way we think about the world.

The School of the Environment serves as an interdisciplinary centre for environment and sustainability education, creating new knowledge, training future leaders, and contributing to positive environmental and social change from the local to the global scale. As an extra-departmental unit within the Faculty of Arts & Science, our faculty are commonly cross-appointed with other departments and units at the University of Toronto. We offer undergraduate programs in Environmental Science and Environmental Studies, a Master of Environment and Sustainability, and two graduate Collaborative Specializations in Environmental Studies and Environment & Health. Our goal is to foster positive change for a sustainable future through interdisciplinary research, teaching, and collaboration.

Your opportunity:

Reporting to the Department Manager, the Financial and Grants Officer will be responsible for supporting the financial management of the School of the Environment, which includes operating accounts, restricted accounts, business administrative support, detailed analysis of variances, data monitoring analysis, procurement, reconciliation and payroll. The Financial and Grants Officer ensures business transactions are aligned with the generally accepted accounting principles, the University’s financial and purchasing guidelines, as well as the Faculty of Arts & Science’s financial guidelines.

Your responsibilities will include:
 

• Forecasting and planning financial activities incorporating budgets with multiple sources of revenue and/or recoveries.
• Monitoring, reconciling and reporting on funding accounts for grants and contracts while ensuring that research sponsor financial terms have been applied correctly.
• Implementing plans and process improvements for financial administration activities.
• Monitoring department budget to ensure expenditures remain within budgeted allocations, recording detailed transactions for many accounts including payroll.
• Applying the University Guide to Financial Management and other applicable policies, agency and regulatory requirements and verifying that provisions of applicable collective agreements and/or policies are applied appropriately.
• Processing expense reimbursements, accounts payable and accounts receivable according to the University Guide to Financial Management.
• Processing and overseeing administration of staff appointed HRIS records and payroll, processing stipends and honoraria.
• Producing complex financial reports, identifying and analyzing data discrepancies and taking necessary actions to correct errors.
• Liaising with internal and external contacts to facilitate purchasing and/or procurement processes.

Essential Qualifications:
 

• Bachelor's Degree in commerce, accounting or finance, or acceptable combination of equivalent experience.
• Minimum four (4) years’ of relevant financial accounting experience including financial administration of research grants, in a university or research institution or equivalent setting.
• Experience monitoring and reconciling budgets to ensure expenditures remain within budgeted allocations.
• Experience overseeing, monitoring, recording, reconciling and/or reporting on funding accounts for grants and contracts.
• Experience interpreting and adhering to granting agencies' funding guidelines and policies.
• Experience verifying and processing accounts payable, accounts receivable and expense reimbursements.
• Experience processing payroll, and troubleshooting and resolving payroll discrepancies.
• Experience analyzing complex statistical reports and/or financial information for financial planning and funding terms compliance.
• Experience with forecasting and planning financial activities incorporating budgets with multiple sources of revenue and/or recoveries.
• Experience working with the University's Administrative Management System (Financial Information System, Research Information System and Human Resources Information System) and the University of Toronto Research Account (UTRAC) or equivalent financial, payroll, research informational organizational systems.
• Demonstrated ability to compile, investigate and analyze financial information and make recommendations based on the outcome of analyses.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills with the ability to also work independently.
• Highly proficient in using MS Office with advanced MS Excel skills.
• Detail oriented and demonstrated accuracy in performing work.
• Demonstrated ability to meet strict deadlines, with overlapping priorities and various tasks.
• Demonstrated ability to handle confidential information.

To be successful in this role you will be:

• Accountable
• Efficient
• Proactive
• Problem solver
• Procedural
• Self-directed

Closing Date: 12/09/2024, 11:59PM ET
Employee Group: USW 
Appointment Type: Budget - Continuing 
Schedule: Full-Time
Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone:
USW Pay Band 13 -- $84,813. with an annual step progression to a maximum of $108,463. Pay scale and job class assignment is subject to determination pursuant to the Job Evaluation/Pay Equity Maintenance Protocol. 
Job Category: Finance/Budget/Planning/Audit
 

Lived Experience Statement
Candidates who are members of Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, persons with disabilities, and other equity deserving groups are encouraged to apply, and their lived experience shall be taken into consideration as applicable to the posted position.