Research Financial Analyst

Job Summary

UBC Okanagan manages over $44 million in research grants, including Tri-Agency Grants, Industry Grants, Government Grants and Internal Grants. This position is responsible for overseeing the financial administration of a portfolio of grants, including financial reporting, invoicing and collecting funding, training and adherence to Agency, Sponsor and UBC policies and guidelines. This position manages staff, including evaluating employee performance. Works in conjunction with the Manager, Finance Services and Research Finance to set performance standards for the unit, resolve complex issues escalated from research faculty and staff, and recommends and supports implementing operational improvements to current processes and systems.

Organizational Status
Reports to Manager, Finance Services and Research Finance. Communicates and works with the University community, contract and funding agencies and external auditors.

Work Performed

Manages the research finance administration for a portfolio of grants including Tri-Agency, Industry, Government and Internal Grants:

• Provides advice to researchers, departments/faculties and business units on agency compliance, financial and budget matters. Answers inquiries from research faculty and staff regarding funding available, eligibility of expenses and clarification of UBC policies and guidelines.

• Provides variance analyses of revenues and expenditures or other key financial indicators, identifying areas of concern and/or efficiencies.

• Assesses financial risk of various research accounts and contracts and recommends risk mitigation strategies for evaluation.

• Meets with principal investigator, as requested, to review their portfolio of grants; may develop and produce customized financial reports, forecasts and projections as a basis for decisions on management and resource allocation and to aid in understanding.

• Supports and reviews budget development for grant proposals.

• Monitors financial progress of research and contract accounts to ensure funds are appropriately expended during the term of the contractual agreements.

• Coordinates and monitors financial activities between project partners and steward process to ensure commitments and deliverables are met.

• Assesses, evaluates and recommends accounting internal controls, policies and procedures to ensure compliance with University, Granting agency and accounting policies.

• Conducts monthly spot audits on transactions as required from granting agencies to ensure adherence to agency policy. Identify internal control weaknesses and recommend and support actions to rectify.

• Oversees preparation of year-end reconciliation of research and contract Project Grants.

• Oversees and monitor the over-expenditure notification process and cash deficit review, making recommendations to PI/department staff when corrective action needed and transferring over-expended grant balances to Faculty finance account per UBC policy, in consultation with Faculty administration as needed.

• Provide guidance on impact of GST/PST/HST taxes, benefit costs, Indirect Cost of Research costs and their impact on budget/funding.

• Liaises with the Office of Research Services and UILO regarding information entered into RISE and integrated with Workday to ensure data integrity.

• Acts as first point of escalation to resolve research finance issues with faculty or department within assigned portfolio.

Responsible for Agency/Sponsor financial and ad hoc reporting for all grants within portfolio of grants, ensuring transactions are accurate and in accordance with Agency, UBC and accounting policies and guidelines; and that reports are submitted on a timely basis as outlined in contracts.

• Communicate with non-research related government agencies as needed.

• Prepares and/or reviews interim and final budget reports, resolves budget anomalies with researchers. Identifies, communicates and implements best practices for handling funds.

May be responsible for managing BCGEU staff, including hiring, development, evaluation, discipline and termination as required.

Leads a UBCO Research Finance Community of Practice which includes training, troubleshooting research finance issues, 2-way sharing of information and knowledge, and escalating to the Manager, Finance Services and Research Finance concerns that require system and/or process changes.

• Provides advice, support and assistance to research active faculty and Faculty staff as required regarding internal controls and management of grants. Communicates Research Finance policies and procedures to ensure financial controls are in place and that policies are being adhered to.

• Develops and maintains research finance procedural/operational manual to support onboarding of new faculty and administrative staff.

• Assesses the need for, formulates and makes recommendations on Faculty and departmental practices and procedures relating to research support.

• Works in collaboration with members of Research Finance to share knowledge, best practices, and opportunities for efficiencies.

• Participates in continuous improvement opportunities (both system and procedural) and works with appropriate groups to design/ develop/ roll out.

Prepare and present Research Finance related training materials to faculty, staff and students.

• Engages with faculty and administrative staff, creating awareness and training opportunities to educate the campus on research finance processes and procedures related to research finance activities, and enables faculty and staff to operate within Finance systems.

• Identifies areas of gaps in knowledge of Workday, Sponsor/Agency Guidelines and Finance processes and prepares and presents training materials to address same.

• Provides guidance on best practices for managing research grants.

Performs other duties as related to the position.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Research funding supports a wide variety of opportunities for faculty and offers opportunities for research training for numerous undergraduates each year. Research granting agency regulations are varied and complex. Errors in budgeting, in reconciling expenditures, and in providing accurate data in a timely way could cause over-expenditures, having to return unspent money, or failing to meet Agency regulations thus harming relationships with granting agencies, damaging university reputation and potentially reducing access to funding. Errors in interpretation of policy and practices or methods used to communicate these to researchers could negatively impact relations within the university and with granting agencies. Failing to ensure consistency in data entry procedures could result in audit problems and discord among researchers.

Supervision Received

Works independently and with full latitude under general guidelines established within the Department. Work is reviewed in terms of long-range goals and objectives. The position requires a high degree of independent decision-making ability, organizational and leadership skills, and demonstrated sound judgement and discretion.

Reports to the Manager, Finance Services and Research Finance.

Supervision Given
May be responsible to manage BCGEU staff.

Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Completion of at least 7 of the 14 CPA academic prerequisites. Minimum of two 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 (i.e Business Administration)

• Experience with Workday or equivalent experience in other large ERM systems an asset.

• Analytical experience and understanding of complex financial reports.

• Experience in research accounting in an educational institution preferred.

• Extensive experience in MS Office software (Outlook, Excel, Word), with an emphasis on advanced excel skills.

• Strong understanding of accounting and financial internal controls.

• Proven ability for problem identification, analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Effective supervisory, organizational, multi-tasking and time management skills.

• Demonstrated oral and written communication skills.

• Ability to work in a deadline driven environment.

• Ability to work in a team environment and be highly self-motivated.

• Comfortable presenting to a group and one on one.