Senior Financial Specialist

Job Summary
Working in a team environment, the Senior Financial Specialist will provide support to the Department of Paediatrics and divisions as well as Physician and Academic Business Services (PABS) and its BC Children s Hospital (BCCH) departments in preparing and reviewing requisitions, as well as expenditure and receivable documentation. Responsibilities include the preparation of many of the accounting transactions for the Department, preparation of journal vouchers, requisitions and payments and reconciliations and account analysis to ensure accuracy of information, data-gathering to respond to queries from principal investigators, participating in the year-end processes, interpreting and accurately communicating written policies and procedures, preparing reconciling and reviewing monthly salary and benefit recovery bill-backs to external agencies or for internal and external cost recovery processes, preparing budget variance reports and analysis, identification and remedying departmental research over-expenditures, compiling and entering data for hours utilization reports and compiling financial data and reports for the Department. The position requires strong interpersonal and customer service skills as it involves frequent problem identification and resolution with various departmental stakeholders.

Organizational Status

The Department of Paediatrics is located at the BC Children s Hospital (BCCH). Conceptually and practically, it has a dual identity: it is the Department of Paediatrics of the Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia (UBC), and it is the Department of Paediatrics, BC Children s Hospital, an Agency of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA). As such, the Head is not only the Head of the Department of Paediatrics at UBC, but is also the Chief, Paediatric Medicine, BCCH. The Department s faculty, almost all of whom are paediatricians, are academic or clinical appointees of the University of British Columbia and are based at BCCH, Sunnyhill Health Center for Children, or in community practices.

Work Performed
-Identification of research over-expenditures in the Department, developing plans for clearing such over-expenditures, and working with faculty and staff within the department to clear over-expenditures.

-Coordinates the monthly bill-back of salaries in the department between UBC and PHSA/ BCCH and vice versa including identifying variances and deviations and maintenance of the billings summaries.
-Compiles financial information for the department, both to be included in databases and summaries, as well as summary information in support of departmental finance and accounting and project-based reporting.
-Prepares requisitions and journal vouchers, verifying accuracy of information including account coding, reviewing backup documentation, ensuring authorized signatures are valid on behalf of the department, based on compliance with UBC, FoM, PHSA and taxation policies and guidelines. Documents created and reviewed include requisitions, domestic and international travel claims, and journal vouchers for all the units within the department. Ensures proper authorization and backup documentation is obtained prior to submitting documentation for processing in FMS and by PHSA. Processes CMPA dues, maintains records for Professional Development Funds as well as maintaining conference budgets.
-Reconciles, monitors and investigates errors and discrepancies on various accounts (general purpose operating, endowments, fee-for-service, research, special purpose project grants, and petty cash) which may include preparing correcting journal entries, following up on outstanding items and resolving issues with various units within the Department.
-Analyzes, reviews and validates transactions (requisitions and journal vouchers) prepared by other staff checking for correctness of coding and to ensure compliance with policies, and adequacy of supporting material. Reviews the accuracy, calculation and completeness of information provided on travel requisitions, cheque requisitions, cash receipts and journal vouchers.
-Supports the Accounts Receivable function, preparing or revising invoices of actual salaries and benefits or cost-recovered equipment and services billed internally or to hospitals and affiliated agencies on behalf of the Departments based on commitment letters and appointment forms. Issues are resolved with various finance, HR and payroll departments or the hospitals and affiliated agencies and makes adjustments as necessary. -Investigates exceptions in an Accounts Receivable billback program and monitors receipts.
-As a focal point for the Department, has a detailed understanding of that department s budget and finances, and is able, with the guidance of other members of the Departmental finance staff, to provide support and suggestions for all types of finance issues.
-Assists in year-end processes and provides financial support including preparing expense accruals via journal voucher, invoicing and preparing deferred revenue entries via journal voucher
-Assesses the accuracy of GST, PST and/or HST on invoices and self-assesses such taxes where necessary.
-Responds to queries (routine/non routine) and provides support to staff and faculty in the Department to help in the valid preparation of claims, reimbursements, payments and purchase orders, interpreting financial policies and procedures as relevant.
-Interprets and ensures adherence to specific policies with respect to UBC policies, Faculty of Medicine policies, PHSA policies and Tri-council policies and ensures they are correctly applied.
-Reviews P-card and corporate credit card payments and supports the oversight of the function.
-Participates in ad hoc financial project and prepares ad hoc financial analysis and reports as required.
-Assists in the training of new finance staff within the Department on work procedures, financial policies and procedures, and/or oversees work of students and/or temporary staff. Provides input for finance policies and procedures, drafts routine correspondence or basic training material, and develops and maintains training material and task list.
-Provides input and makes recommendations for recruitment and selection of financial staff within the Department.
-Develops, maintains and updates spreadsheets for tracking various departmental items.
-Scans files and saves them under predefined naming and filing formats for electronic storage and retrieval.
-Responsible for the file management of all accounting documentation required to be kept in the Department; or responsible for returning it as needed to the originating department.
-Responsible for archiving documents, organizing into boxes by fiscal year, completing semi-active records location sheet for logging/tracking, calculating proper destruction date, and obtaining authorized signature on the sheet before storing. Ensuring Departmental policies adhere to UBC and agency regulations and policies.
-Attends training on new systems and procedures. Participates actively in requirements sessions and design/test sessions for new systems development and roll-out. Trains and supports others in the use of new systems especially during major roll-outs.
-As a member of the Departmental finance team, provides excellent support in the financial area to the divisions, including acting as a focal point for multiple units and their staff, and providing comprehensive financial services to them.
-As a member of the Department finance team, ensures that the work of the team is accomplished in a timely fashion and that deadlines and service agreements are met.
-Performs duties related to web-based finance forms, such as tracking transactions.
-Responsible for managing petty cash as the Petty Cash Custodian.
-Performs all other related duties as directed by Departmental finance and administrative staff.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

This position is responsible for ensuring all financial information submitted for entry into FMS PeopleSoft, and to PHSA is authorized, accurate, appropriate and substantiated by proper back-up. Information and recommendations must be accurate and provided in a respectful, timely and supportive way. Errors could result in over/under expenditures, overpayment or non-payment of invoices, incorrect departments/units being charged, and delays in payment for various vendors. Such errors could cause inaccuracies in financial planning, financial hardship or missed opportunities for effective delivery of services to students, faculty and staff. Also, care must be taken in dealing with the agencies and university community to maintain their trust and cooperation.

The work performed by this position must be accurate and the position must be able to identify errors and exceptions for follow-up and resolutions. Furthermore, the highly sensitive nature of payroll to all employees requires precise attention to avoid delays and errors that could result in employees being paid incorrectly. Recovery of overpayments and payment delays can cause significant morale and other problems and can jeopardize the relationship between employees and their respective departments and the Faculty.

Supervision Received

Supervised by the Senior Director of Administration and Patient Care Services. In a team setting, also supports the work of and may be assigned tasks and projects by the Financial Analyst and Finance Manager.

Supervision Given
None.

Minimum Qualifications
-High school graduation, plus Certificate in Accounting or Payroll CPA Level 1, plus four years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and related 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

Payroll CPA Level 2 preferred. Experience with ERP systems preferred. Ability to be thorough, accurate and have a high level of attention to detail. Ability to effectively use word processing, spreadsheet and database applications at an intermediate level (Word, Excel). Effective oral and written communication skills. Excellent interpersonal skills. Ability to balance multiple tasks and deadlines. Ability to exercise tact, discretion and confidentiality. Ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment. Ability to work effectively under pressure. Ability to deal with people in a courteous, calm manner. Ability to provide quality service to customer in a courteous, patient manner. Ability to make thoughtful, informed and thorough decisions and exercise sound judgment. Ability to apply generally accepted accounting principles in an appropriate manner. Ability to research transaction details through financial computer systems and paperwork. Ability to analyze problems, identify key information and issues and effectively resolve. Ability to handle a high volume of work exercising strong organization and time management skills. Ability to plan work independently, complete work assigned and meet requirements without ongoing direction.