Associate Director, Business Planning and Analysis

While this position welcomes applications from the public, please note that preference will be given to current employees at the University of Alberta. Please indicate your internal status using the "Advertisement" drop down menu when applying.

This is a temporary Academic Staff (APO) position to cover a leave with an approximate end date of up to 18 months from the date of hire.  

Reporting to the Director, Strategic Planning (DSP), the Associate Director, Business Planning and Analysis will champion a focus in providing strategic financial Intelligence and insights that will influence the enterprise strategy, planning, and business unit decisions. The role will provide leadership regarding financial objectives and performance Indicators, and opportunities for efficiency and scale. The Associate Director, Business Planning and Analysis will ensure that any financial risk in operating a Campus Services (CS) business unit Is properly managed and does not undermine the University's sustainability or primary mission.This role will partner closely with internal and external partners to ensure financial accuracy and predictability, and will drive business-aligned progress through the development, implementation and enforcement of financial operational processes and procedures. 

Responsibilities 

Provides strategic analysis to the AVP (CS) and CS's business unit leads:

• Leverage internal and external relationships to develop long-range fiscal plans that align with portfolio and unit priorities and objectives.
• Run competitive scenario planning discussions and test strategies against current trends, competitive actions and probable outcomes that will drive and support planning and decision-making.
• Integrate operational and competitive intelligence to develop short and long range financial projections utilizing economic forecasting, financial models which assess impacts of changing influences on the Business Unit's financial condition, reviewing legal parameters, researching options, collaborating with leadership within the Business Unit, Portfolio and Institution, synthesizing information, reporting, and making presentations.
• Critical to this process is a rigorous and consistent approach to prioritizing and reporting on asset management practices and deferred maintenance liabilities.
• Works closely with sections' leads to develop a suite of reporting tools to assist them to optimize management of their operations.
• Works closely with section leads to develop rental, dining and parking rate structures and forecasting models.
• Works with section leads to compile and submit financial information on behalf of Campus Services to industry benchmarking programs such as the National Association of College Auxiliary Services (NACAS) annual Auxiliary Services benchmarking program and the Topical Surveys and Reports for the Canadian Association of Business Officers (CAUBO).
• Enhance and/or develop, implement and enforce policies and procedures of the organization by way of systems that will improve the overall operation and effectiveness of Campus Services.
• Establish reporting of key metrics that provide meaningful snapshots of how Campus Services is performing across all financial performance indicators: Revenues, Profit Margins, Net Profit, and Return on Investment.

Manages Campus Services' annual budget planning and development process:

• Be an active partner to the Campus Service's section leads, providing guidance in the continual improvement and development of a structured budget plan, prepares budgets by establishing schedules; collecting, analyzing, and consolidating financial data; recommending plans for approval by the AVP(CS).
• Ensures that CS's budget processes and procedures are in accordance with University policy.
• Achieves budget objectives by scheduling expenditures; analyzing variances; recommending corrective actions.
• Monitors the variance reporting for the Business Unit on a monthly basis to identify impact on annual performance for consideration of senior leadership within Campus Services.

Leads Financial Processes Specific to Campus Services:

• On behalf of Campus Services complete the Financial Controls Self Assessment Checklist annually or when there are changes, whichever is a shorter period, and address any areas that are not compliant with University Policies and Procedures (UAPPOL).
• Coordinate responses to internal and external auditors and Board Audit Committee to address concerns relating to the management practices, financial performance, and procedures of Campus Services budget units.
• Oversee the development and implementation of processes that manage the financial transactional and accounting requirements for all budgeted units within Campus Services to ensure compliance with University Policies and Procedures (UAPPOL)
• Ensure all systems and processes used by the Campus Services Department follow the industry standards that govern that particular activity. Examples include Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards, Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) Auxiliary.
• Services functional Areas, Alberta College of Pharmacy Standards for the Operation of Licensed Pharmacies, etc.
• Oversee the development and implementation of processes for scheduling the delivery of facility services including maintenance, cleaning and pest control within Campus Services-controlled structures (including parking structures. residence structures and commercial lease spaces) and for capturing building and/or program specific costs for delivering facility services.

Strategic Leadership:

• Provide guidance and direction to the Campus Services Strategic Planning team including direct supervision and performance reviews and leadership development for the CS Lead Accounting Technician and the CS Infrastructure Work Coordinator.
• Partner with Business leads to empower the unit to utilize process and system best practices to drive efficiency and accuracy in long range planning, forecasting, budgeting and other ad-hoc processes as required by business requirements.
• Foster a collaborative work environment with section leads from across CS to identify needs and provide high quality support.
• Prepare special reports by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing information and trends.
• Ensure alignment with reporting up to central University finance.

Qualifications: 

• Demonstrated proficiency in leading business efficiency and improvement within a complex organization. Ideally within the private sector (including property management or hotel industry)
• Professional Accounting Designation (CMA, CGA or CA), with a minimum 5 years of post-qualifying experience in a large organization.
• An in-depth understanding of generally accepted accounting principles, and extensive experience in budgeting and financial reporting.
• Demonstrated expertise in strategic financial planning and decision analysis.
• Exceptional analytical and conceptual problem-solving skills and ability to synthesize and clearly communicate complex findings to focus on critical issues and actionable opportunities.
• Demonstrated success leading multiple and disparate projects at the same time.
• Ability to work effectively with a broad range of individuals, including front-line staff, and senior leadership at the Unit, Portfolio and Institutional levels.
• Excellent organization and time-management skills.
• Audit experience and an understanding of internal and external audit requirements.
• Sound understanding of best practices in Information Systems.
• Demonstrated ability in leading change initiatives.

These positions are in accordance with the Temporary Administrative and Professional Staff Agreement and have a term length of up to eighteen months, with the possibility of extension, and offer a comprehensive benefits package found at Faculty & Staff Benefits  with an annual salary range of "$65,906 to $109,772".

COVID-19 Vaccination: Proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 in compliance with the University’s COVID-19 Vaccination Directive. Fully Vaccinated means a status an individual achieves 14 days after having received the recommended number of doses of a COVID-19 vaccine approved by Health Canada or the World Health Organization, and requires the individual to maintain the recommended number and type of vaccine doses as updated and required by Health Canada thereafter.

Note: Online applications are accepted until midnight Mountain Standard Time of the closing date.