Manager, Financial Operations & Analysis

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Posting Information:
This posting is for an existing vacancy.

Term: 20 months

This position is being offered as a Secondment or contract opportunity.

The internal posting deadline for this position is, October 29th, 2026, date, year at 11:59PM.

Job Description:

Primary Purpose

The Manager, Financial Operations & Analysis reports jointly to the Assistant Director, Shared Services and the Financial Officer, Associate Provost, Students. The incumbent is reports to the Assistant Director, Shared Services in regards to business operations and analysis and to the Financial Officer, Associate Provost, Students in regards to financial accountability and processes.

This role is to provide strong financial management, analysis, and strategic planning support to ensure Campus Housing remains financially viable in the short and long-term. The incumbent is accountable for the integrity of the department’s internal financial records, and to ensure all financial data and transactions are processed and recorded in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and meet the University’s established financial policies and procedures. The incumbent also provides leadership within the department on a variety of responsibilities, including the budgeting process, internal and external audits, internal financial controls, and operational or strategic planning initiatives.

Key Accountabilities

Leadership

• Contributes to goal-setting and strategic planning for the department with management-level peers, and implements those plans and objectives within their area of responsibility
• Assists in the creation of and adherence to Campus Housing’s mission, vision, values, and strategy
• Ensures effective communication of departmental direction and initiatives to direct reports by establishing transparency through shared departmental planning
• Proactively participates in departmental project prioritization and reviews it on an ongoing basis, while taking the initiative to make recommendations to senior managers with respect to departmental planning and objectives.
• Models the values of Campus Housing and the priorities of the management team in interactions with colleagues, campus partners, and those outside the university
• Fiscal Management and Control
• Provides leadership, co-ordination and management of occupancy reports, expense reports, and internal financial statements, annual budgets, annual year end reports and financial position forecasts
• Ensures the department adheres to the Universities financial policies and procedures
• Contributes to the development, improvement, and promotion of strong internal financial controls to minimize risks
• Conducts periodic audit and review of departmental financial resources, policies, and procedures to ensure financial accountability. Maintains financial historical records in accordance with UW guidelines
• Exercises and maintains proper signing authority, as outlined by university policy, on all departmental operating accounts
• Performs ongoing monitoring of budgets and financial transactions during the fiscal year
• Ensures prudent use of funds through the UW Purchasing Card program, acts as the department reviewer
• Develops and delivers financial training materials as needed, documents financial processes within the department, and provides training, coaching and guidance to department staff to ensure compliance and clarity
• Financial Strategy and Long-Term Planning
• Provides financial analysis in support of current and long-range planning, including but not limited to special projects, business development and capital projects
• Prepares multi-year budget to inform senior management of the department’s projected financial position
• Provides financial input, including supporting documentation, to the senior management team and UW campus partners to support informed decision-making
• In conjunction with the department’s senior management team, prepares and submits the annual Campus Housing operating budget to UW Finance, and the proposed residence fee increase for consideration at the Board of Governors.
• Reviews the financial statements monthly to ensure accuracy and monitor financial position
• Presents the department’s financial analysis monthly to functional unit managers and is prepared to provide an overview to senior management as required
• Identifies and highlights existing risks or financial consequences of existing operational procedures or future planning proposals and offers solutions to mitigate negative outcomes.

Business Management

• Ensures implementation of the financial resources to support senior management in strategic planning, budget preparation, establishing/monitoring of performance measures, operations review, identifying areas for cost reduction, forecasting and analysis of operational performance
• Analyzes the financial details of business operations to identify development opportunities and areas where improvement is needed
• Ensures the integrity and accuracy of Campus Housing accounting procedures including cash handling, bank deposits, revenue reporting, reconciliations, Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable, department charges and clearing accounts
• Ensures business processes are properly documented for effective compliance and clarity, and acts to update and refine regularly.
• Meets regularly with staff who have financial accountability to ensure effective financial planning, management, and control is maintained. Empowers and encourages staff to use best practices throughout the department.

Data Analysis and Reporting

• Creates and implements policies and procedures regarding how Campus Housing financial data is used for research and reporting, in collaboration with the senior management, including who has access to financial data within the department
• The incumbent is accountable for the stewardship of financial data within the department, including:
• Ensuring financial data has integrity for what it is being used for
• Ensuring privacy and data storage regulations are followed
• Ensuring the appropriate application of the data by establishing review and approval processes
• Acts as a consultant to management-level peers and staff, to safeguard accurate interpretation of departmental financial data, assess project and program outcomes, and ensure that strategic issues and priorities are critically examined and planning activities are grounded in sound and reliable evidence
• Presents financial data analytics in an efficient and easily understandable way to a wide variety of audiences and users, using various reporting formats and technologies
• Creates and maintains reporting dashboards for senior management, including
• Determining the most salient key performance indicators
• Developing reliable ways of assessing key business outcomes on an ongoing basis
• Reporting on financial performance for all business units, and ensuring understanding among those who make decisions based on the information presented
• Mines existing data to identify opportunities and participates in market research and analysis
• Develops reliable forecasting and other modelling to inform and support planning
• Research new tools, systems and practices to recommend ongoing improvements in data analytics

Collaboration

• Participates regularly in departmental working groups to understand and contribute to planning and decision making
• Serves as the primary point of contact with UW Finance staff on financial and other business matters
• Collaborates with University Finance and other colleagues as appropriate to ensure strong internal controls are in place and accounting policies and procedures are documented, well understood, and adhered to consistently
• Provides functional support to UW Finance on local financial systems implementations, upgrades and major business process changes
• Interacts regularly with management-level peers and senior management, departmental staff, and supports cross-functional work wherever reasonable
• Establishes and maintains strong partnerships and relationships with units throughout the university and the Affiliated & Federated Institutions of Waterloo (AFIW) that help Campus Housing achieve its objectives, while ensuring that the department is represented professionally
• Where relevant, establishes and maintains strong collegial and productive relationships with colleagues at other post-secondary institutions, sharing best practices and developing solutions to shared issues within the sector

Staff Management

• Hires, trains, supervises, mentors, and provides feedback to direct reports and colleagues, as appropriate
• Initiates and conducts regular performance conversations and annual reviews with direct reports
• With input and support from the senior management, addresses performance and staffing issues quickly and decisively – and proactively, whenever possible – within their team

Required Qualifications

Education

• Post-secondary education in Accounting, Financial Analysis, Business, or related discipline or equivalent post-secondary education and experience is required.
• Professionally recognized accounting designation (e.g. CA, CMA or CGA) would be an asset.
  

Experience

• Minimum of 7 years of professional experience in financial services is required.
• Minimum of two years of supervisory experience is required.
• Experience and demonstrated comfort using databases, spreadsheets, enterprise-level software, reporting/analysis tools, and new technologies.
  

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Business acumen, along with strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem solving-skills
• Exceptional attention to detail and organizationl skills
• Solid understanding of generally accepted accounting principles, CRA guidelines and the application in not-for-profit organizations.
• Strong work ethic with ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Solid management, leadership, and advising skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Clear understanding of how to work with highly confidential information
• Familiar and comfortable using accounting databases and enterprise-level software application
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills (e.g., pivot tables, conditional formatting, vlookup, etc.)

Equity Statement

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is coordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion.  As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.