About Western

Since 1878, Western University has been committed to serving our communities through the pursuit of academic excellence and by providing students, faculty, and community members with life-long opportunities for intellectual, social, and cultural growth. We seek excellent students, faculty, and staff to join us in what has become known as the "Western Experience" - an opportunity to contribute to a better world through the development of new knowledge, new abilities, new connections, and new ways to make a difference.

About Us

Financial Services aims to provide effective financial leadership, services, information and stewardship in support of the academic, research and service activities of Western’s community.

Responsibilities

The Associate Director, Research Finance is a key senior leadership role in Financial Services and provides support to the Director with a focus on advancing operational practices, system functionality and the enhancement of central oversight for the research funds awarded to Western and its researchers. The Associate Director will support the research mission of Western by providing financial guidance and advice to many stakeholders at the University including AVPs, Directors, Finance Managers, Financial Officers, Administrative staff and researchers. The Associate Director will also provide leadership and support to the Research Finance team in the management of post-award, financial activities through the development and implementation of effective and efficient policies and processes. In addition, the Associate Director will design and update practices, identify opportunities for improvements, and implement financial oversight to ensure compliance with university and sponsor policies, while providing guidance and operational oversight for all foreign funding to ensure understanding and application of applicable regulations.

Qualifications

Education:

- Undergraduate Degree in a related field (Finance, Accounting, Business Administration)

- Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) 

Experience:

- 7 years of financial accounting experience including financial report preparation 

- 5 years’ experience leading process reviews, change management initiatives and special projects

- Experience in a public sector and/or Not-For-Profit sector preferred

- Experience with Government reporting preferred

- Experience at a research-intensive institution would be an asset preferred

- Previous experience working with PeopleSoft Financials would be an asset preferred

- Experience with systems development and data visualization (e.g. Kibana, Power BI) preferred

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

- Demonstrated analytical ability with a sound knowledge of accounting principles

- Demonstrated commitment to ethical and moral values in support of the University

- Knowledge of control frameworks and proper control procedures 

- Knowledge of enterprise-wide risk management and the ability to analyze exposures and make recommendations to decrease financial risk 

- Ability to provide strategic analysis and recommendations for designing and implementing new administrative and financial processes 

- Ability to create and build relationships and work effectively with internal and external stakeholders, including peers and colleagues, and others at all levels of the organization

- Sound judgement, analytical and problem-solving skills with a consultative and collaborative approach to addressing opportunities and issues in a timely manner

- Task oriented with high regard for work ethic in getting work done, accurately and in a timely manner 

- Strong client focus with a desire to achieve results

- Ability to deal confidentially with information that has financial, political, regulatory and reputational implications 

- Ability to prioritize and oversee multiple projects in a fast-paced environment with changing deadlines

- Ability to evaluate projects against their objectives to ensure the desired outcomes will be achieved in the established timeframes 

- Advanced computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite, with knowledge of spreadsheet and database software and auditing strategies for financial transaction data 

- Strong negotiation skills to confer with different parties with vested interests 

- Strong communication skills with the ability to converse with, write reports for, and deliver presentations to all levels of the organization 

Application Process

Interested applicants are asked to visit: https://recruit.uwo.ca for further information and to apply online reference job #24907 by midnight on February 10, 2022.

Western Values Diversity

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Western is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, members of racialized groups/visible minorities, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity or gender expression.

Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you require accommodations for interviews or other meetings, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwo.ca or phone 519-661-2194.