Finance Assistant

Staff – Union

Job Category
CUPE 2950

Job Profile
CUPE 2950 Hourly – Financial Proc. Spec 5 (Gr7)

Job Title
Finance Assistant

Department
Finance Support tendersglobal.net BC Centre on Substance Use tendersglobal.net Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range
$29.34 – $30.83 CAD Hourly

Posting End Date
March 1, 2024

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.

Job End Date

Apr 15, 2024

We’re looking for an enthusiastic and skilled professional to fill a pivotal role in our team for leave and vacation coverage on a temporary basis. If you thrive in fast-paced environments and are looking for an opportunity to showcase your talent, we want you! Previous experience with Workday and UBC is highly sought after.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career. 

Job Summary

The Financial Processing Specialist will provide financial support to BC Centre on Substance Use. The role involves preparing payroll and expense recovery invoices from funders, reviewing expense coding in the GL, and preparing and reviewing expenditure and receivable requisitions. 

Responsibilities include the preparation of invoices and requisitions for payment, cost recovery invoices to the funders, journal entries,  data-gathering to respond to queries from principal investigators, participating in the year-end processes, interpreting and accurately communicating written policies and procedures. The position requires strong interpersonal and customer service skills as it involves frequent problem identification and resolution with various departmental stakeholders.

The BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU) is a provincially networked organization with a mandate to develop, help implement, and evaluate evidence-based approaches to substance use and addiction. BCCSU seeks to improve the integration of best practices and care across the continuum of substance use through the collaborative development of evidence-based policies, guidelines, and standards. With the support of the Province of BC, BCCSU aims to transform substance use policies and care by translating research into education and care guidance, thereby serving all British Columbians.

The BCCSU seeks to achieve these goals through integrated activities of its three core functions: research and evaluation, education and training, and clinical care guidance.

Organizational Status
Reports to Senior Financial Analyst
Work Performed

• Prepares invoices and cheque requisitions, verifying accuracy of information including account coding, reviewing backup documentation, ensuring authorized signatures are valid on behalf of the departments, based on compliance with UBC, FoM, PHC and granting agency policies and guidelines. 

• Documents created and reviewed include requisitions, domestic and international travel claims, and journal vouchers for UBC and PHC.

• Ensures proper authorization and backup documentation is obtained prior to submitting documentation for processing in UBC Workday and PHC Peoplesoft. 

• 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.

• Assesses the accuracy of GST, PST and/or HST on invoices and self-assesses such taxes where necessary.

• Supports the Accounts Receivable function, preparing or revising invoices of actual salaries and benefits or cost-recovered equipment and services billed internally or to affiliated funding agencies on behalf of the centre based on commitment letters and appointment forms.

• Investigates exceptions in an Accounts Receivable billbacks, monitors receipts and reconciles to the invoice track log file.

• Managing the overall receiving and processing of cheques from the various research accounts held at Providence Health Care

• Responds to queries (routine/non routine) and provides support to staff and faculty in the centre 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, Faculty of Medicine, Ministry of Health, PHC and Tri-council policies and ensures they are correctly applied.

• Reviews corporate credit card payments and supports the oversight of the function.

• Assist with month-end and year-end financial activities.

• Assists in year-end processes and provides financial support including preparing expense accruals via journal vouchers

• Participating in evaluating and making recommendations for cost reductions with the centre.

• 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 Centre.

• Other duties as assigned

Consequence of Error/Judgement
This position is responsible for ensuring all financial information submitted for entry into Workday and PHC PeopleSoft 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. Care must be taken in dealing with the agencies and university community to maintain their trust and cooperation.
Supervision Received
Works independently with guidance from the Finance Coordinator and Senior Financial Analyst.
Supervision Given
N/A
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

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline and completion of or enrolment in CPA PREP or PEP program, or accounting diploma

• Minimum three years related experience with a medium to large organization

• Preference given to candidates with Workday and/or research finance experience

• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines

• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing

• Proficiency in Excel (e.g. VLOOKUP, Pivot Tables, etc.) at an Intermediate level

• Effective and strong organizational and problem-solving skills

• Attention to detail and the ability to maintain accuracy

• Ability to work both independently and with a team environment and to exercise good judgement

• Knowledge of Workday and University policies and procedures