Finance Business Partner

The Finance Business Partner is the key Finance liaison for Deans, Directors and Managers across the organization. Finance Business Partners will be a key member of both Finance and operational teams to provide strategical and financial support while ensuring relevant timely and accurate financial reporting, accountability and decision support. While reporting into Finance they will work with operations to ensure operational best practices are in place while adhering to accounting policies, institutional procedures and effective internal controls.
Key Responsibilities/Major Duties

Data Analysis, Reporting, Planning and Budgeting
Ensure School/Department stakeholders have a comprehensive understanding of their annual budget, quarterly forecasts, regular (monthly, quarterly and year-end) reporting, ongoing actuals review, and other ad-hoc reporting as applicable
Review School/Department results for reasonability when compared to school/department strategy, budget, prior year, prior forecast, and current trends.
Coordinate training and guidance to School/Department stakeholders on SAIT’s financial policies, processes and expectations, and how to read financial reports
Work in collaboration with Finance Business Services to complete program costing and analysis on new product development, credit/ noncredit
Provide support and advice related to Finance processes to align with school’s strategy, including FOAPAL creation, procurement support, effective internal controls and capital asset management.
Work collaboratively with Employee Services in supporting workforce planning, following the position management framework.

Consolidated responsibilities
Collaborate with Team Coordinator and other Finance Business partners to prepare consolidated reporting and analysis, including annual budget, quarterly forecasts, monthly financial results, program costing and key performance indicator data
Develop analytical expertise in core financial and operational components of consolidated requirements.
Review and analyze key data for consistency between programs and across streams

Operational Duties and Committee Membership
Participate in departmental and divisional projects and initiatives.
Proactively identify and address gaps in training or lack of clarity of expectations for staff

Personnel supervision
Responsible for the overall quality of services prepared by the Financial Analysts and the overall accuracy, completeness and timeliness of reporting and analysis presented to stakeholders
Act as a mentor to the Financial Analysts, including coaching, evaluation of assignments, negotiating timelines and input into task allocation.

Relationship management
Participate in development and action of standard service level requirements between Business Services and School/Department
Work with Financial Analysts to meet customer/client service expectations
Collaborate with other Finance Business Partners to develop high functioning team dynamic and general understanding of operations, issues, risks of their portfolios
Exercise a high degree of discretion and sensitivity to confidential information at all times

Automation, innovation, transformation
Continuously seek to identify opportunities for automation, innovation, efficiency and cost savings. Work in partnership with stakeholders and the process owners to implement these opportunities
Be a positive agent of change and direction
Pro-actively understand emerging process improvements, tools and changing requirements being implemented by all areas of Finance and provide supporting communication and awareness with operational stakeholders.

Qualifications, Certifications or Designations

Minimum Required
Bachelor’s degree
5+ years of related budgetary and accounting experience
Completion of a professional accounting designation

Preferred
Professional accounting designation
Experience and knowledge in post-secondary/higher education environment
Demonstrable organizational and time management skills
Ability to initiate, implement and support new or modified approaches, practices and processes in the organization
Excellent oral, written, presentation, problem solving, analytical and interpersonal skills to build confidence within SAIT in the quality, reliability and timeliness of financial services provided.
Proficient with ERP systems and Microsoft Office