Functional Support Analyst

Job Summary

The University of British Columbia ("UBC") is a global centre for teaching, learning and research, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world and recently recognized as North America's most international university. UBC is a diverse environment, with almost every industry vertical represented from healthcare, education, food and beverage, legal, media, real estate, etc. and with more than 70,000 members of the community UBC's service providers need to be able to meet a variety of client and partner needs with both robust and mature operational capabilities combined with the agility and innovation required to meet the ambitious objectives laid out in its new Strategic Plan: Shaping UBC's Next Century.

The Integrated Service Centre ("ISC") maintains, continuously improves and enhances the systems and processes that support operational functions of UBC, including human resources and finance (and student services, in the future). Team members within this unit will work cross-functionally with other departments/units across UBC. The vision for the ISC is to provide integrated services that create an enriched user experience for UBC faculty, staff and students.

The ISC Functional Support Analyst provides customer service expertise and Tier 2 support as a finance area subject matter expert. This role contributes to the reliability and availability of UBC's Workday solution by providing customer service tier 2 support, problem resolution, and ensuring services meet or exceed customer service levels at all times.

This position provides issue identification and resolution, while supporting testing and capturing documentation within the areas of support for the ISC Product team. The successful candidate for this position has completed an education in business, financial management and/or completed three years in an accredited accounting program and has a minimum of three years experience in a finance related administration and/or customer service role

Organizational Status
The Functional Support Analyst reports to the Product Maintenance and Support Manager while working closely with the HR and Finance Product Managers and Functional Analysts on the HR and Finance product teams. Interacts directly with the extended ISC team, UBC-IT, Central Financial and HR and Payroll Operations partners, and other administrative and academic units.

Work Performed

• Acts as a subject matter authority in the functionality and process areas either across a multi-disciplinary stream of financial, human resources and payroll services or with a higher degree of specialization within one or two of the services areas.

• Advises on systems management issues specific to the human resources and finance (and student services, in the future) functional modules of Workday and other related systems, as well as participates in major process, module or version changes.

• Provides Tier 2 operational expertise for the human resources and finance (and student services, in the future) system and processes inquiries, including troubleshooting system, resolving issues, and providing end user support to ensure services meet or exceed customer service levels.

• Acts as the interdepartmental interface between the user, the ISC Service Desk, systems support staff within other customer support units (such as UBC-IT), and the business partner counterparts when responding to system issues.

• Collects requirements for custom workflows, troubleshoots workflow issues and provides, functional and technical guidance to users.

• Identifies, analyzes, troubleshoots, and diagnoses root causes and applies appropriate solutions to restore issues, resolve operating difficulties, resolve and reduce user problems, and improve data integrity.

• Maintains a thorough level of understanding of business and functional processes of the human resource and financial transactions within the Workday application. Contributes with advice and recommendation towards process and system improvements based on well supported analysis and in alignment with the University's goal to be operationally efficient.

• Develops and maintains business and functional documentation, including operations and support procedures relating to the human resources and financial system for internal and external consumption.

• Analyzes, defines and develops business cases, use cases and test cases for system upgrades, enhancements and other improvement initiatives

• Tests and manages the data file transfers and uploads for Workday including troubleshooting issues and defining recommendations towards improvements to processes.

• Monitors workflow logs, the performance of pro-active checking of the key workflow routing data, the analysis of failed workflows, and advances technical issues that are causing workflow processes to fail.

• Other similar duties as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
This position collects requirements of users, ensures data integrity and accuracy, tests that functionality meets requirements as developed with partners. Errors in judgment may result in the inefficient use of resources, and may damage the image and reputation of the University, the Integrated Service Centre and client user departments. As a service unit in the VPFO, the consequence of staff error could negatively impact the reputation of the VPFO for quality and reliability and affect the experience of faculty, staff and supplier. Difficulties in exercise of judgment, due-diligence and communication will be detrimental to the Integrated Service Centre and other client support units.

Supervision Received
The ISC Functional Support Analyst works independently under broad directives from the Product Maintenance and Support Manager and with the HR and Finance Product Managers and the Functional Analysts on the HR and Finance product teams. Works in collaboration as part of the Integrated Service Centre (ISC) while expected to demonstrate a fair degree of autonomy, critical thinking and judgement. Work is reviewed in terms of level of customer service provided to the UBC community and the business partners in central Finance, HR, and Payroll, soundness of judgment, adherence to departmental targets, achievement of objectives, and overall effectiveness of analytical and problem-solving skills demonstrated.

Supervision Given
Acts as a mentor or coach to peers as required. Provides functional advice and technical direction to Financial, HR and Payroll Operations and distributed users regarding human resources and financial functions and workflows. Serves as a point of contact for the ISC Service Desk and the ISC Application Sustainment team.

Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline (preferably Business). Minimum of three 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

Post-secondary education in financial management and/or completion of three years in an

accredited accounting program CPA, CGA or CPA, CMA or CPA, CA.

Experience in finance related customer service role or the equivalent combination of education and experience. Familiarity with Workday an asset.

Applies privacy and information security practices specifically on the handling of personal

information documenting, transferring, securing and the requirements for transferring and for

setting confidential tickets.

Follows service management standard methodologies and procedures to link between incidents, problems to incidents, incidents to change, and incidents to knowledge sources.

Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.

Able to collaborate closely between technical staff and end users effectively.

Able to communicate solutions and recommendations through collaboration with impacted clients and partners in a professional and respectful fashion while maintaining constant awareness of critical issues.

Advanced level computer experience required including Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and Word. Demonstrated ability to prioritize and lead multiple issues simultaneously.

Basic project management skills desirable.

Demonstrated interpersonal, organization and problem-solving skills.

Consistent track record to adapt and to work effectively in a dynamic and constantly evolving environment under pressure to meet critical targets.

Ability to take initiative, to work both independently and within a team environment.