Senior Business Operations Administrator, Faculty of Arts

We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta. The City of Calgary is also home to Métis Nation of Alberta, Districts 5 and 6.

Position Overview

The Arts Administrative Operations within the Faculty of Arts is currently seeking a Full-time Regular Senior Business Operations Administrator.

This position in the Faculty of Arts reports to the Manager, Business Operations Centre and is responsible for providing complex Finance and Human Resources administrative and transactional support across the Faculty. As a key member of an integrated central-faculty administration team, this position processes high volumes of work with multiple priorities and deadlines. The impact of error is high. The duties of this position are diverse.

The Senior Business Operations Administrator (SBOA) is responsible for providing assistance to and coverage for colleagues when required due to workload, vacation or absence. The BOA works 35 hours per week and is part of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE).

The SBOA is responsible for providing comprehensive client service to faculty and staff in human resources and financial transactions, including advanced support that requires the interpretation of financial and human resources policy to ensure compliance with the University of Calgary policies, procedures and guidelines. This includes advising on compliant employment status assessments, legal services liaison, and responsibility for the sessional hire tracking database for the Faculty. The incumbent also troubleshoots and shepherds’ complex inquiries and requests to ensure compliant and timely processing for both operational and research related transactions. The SBOA liaises regularly with central University units, Pod Managers, and Academic Program Specialists throughout the year, handling a high volume of transactions serving a diverse group including pod teams, faculty members, and admin staff in centralized units and the Dean’s office.

Position Description

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

• Efficiently complete complex finance, HR, and related inquiries and transactions, ensuring compliance with University of Calgary policies, procedures and Collective Agreements.
• Accurately maintains records of all contracts and correspondence related to hiring.
• Determine the best course of action based on the intended outcome of the requested transaction, track to completion and provide updates along the process to stakeholders.
• Interpret finance and HR policies, liaising with the Faculty of Arts MaPS/AUPE HR Advisor and Finance team when required.
• Oversee the maintenance and integrity of the Faculty of Arts sessional hires database, ensuring that sessional steps and reason codes are accurately tracked.
• Ensure that hire transactions are compliant with employment categories and policies (employment status, contractor vs. employee assessments, unclassified appointments, etc.).
• Liaise with legal services on transactions where required (e.g., contracts & agreements), and advise requestors of legal requirements and compliance process.
• Responsible for sessional instructor tracking, contract coordination/preparation, ensuring all University policies and procedures are followed, including those in the Collective Agreement.
• Administer and coordinate the timely and accurate entry and processing of purchase order requisitions, non-employee expense claims, invoices, honoraria payments, deposits, journal corrections, and other routine financial transactions.
• Code source documents such as invoices and receipts to the appropriate accounts.
• Initiate PeopleSoft HR forms (e.g., template-based hires, job change request forms).
• Works closely with the manager and the Solutions team to identify and develop new or modified approaches, practices, and processes within the Faculty.
• Monitor BOC processes and works closely with the Solutions team to define requirements for tool development and reporting.
• Contribute to the planning, communication and rollout of BOC initiatives and process changes.
• Assist in preparation of documentation for audit review, as required.
• Act as a key contact for internal and external stakeholders related to the University and the Faculty of Arts such as Finance, Human Resources, and IT.

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Post-secondary degree or diploma (or equivalent training and work experience).
• Four years of accounting, finance and/or HR administration experience.
• Three years of experience working directly with UCalgary’s eProcurement, HR, and administrative processes at the transactional level.
• Demonstrated strong understanding of University of Calgary procurement and financial policies, including the connection to legal services, IT, human resources, and other areas of university compliance.
• Demonstrated strong understanding of HR policies, particularly those pertinent to transaction administration (e.g., recruitment, selection, employment classification, etc.).
• Demonstrated understanding of the AUPE, TUCFA, & GSA Collective agreements, as well as regulations pertaining to non-classified appointments and independent contractors.
• Proven ability to troubleshoot complex HR and finance transactions.
• Strong customer service skills, with demonstrated superior problem-solving ability.
• Demonstrated success in building a network of relationships with diverse groups to advance tasks and goals across the university.
• Superior communication (oral, written and listening) and interpersonal skills, including a demonstrated ability to convey complex policy and procedure information to a variety of stakeholders.
• Proven organizational skills, accuracy, tenacity in working through complex cases, and a high attention to detail.
• Advanced Computer skills, especially MS Office Suite (including Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel).
• Demonstrated ability to think critically and creatively under pressure while exercising sound judgement and tact.
• Demonstrated ability to be resourceful, creative, innovative, and flexible.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently to tight timelines, maintain confidentiality and deal effectively with overlapping and shifting deadlines.
• Experience working in a dynamic team environment with proven personal effectiveness and productivity.
• Demonstrated strong understanding of PeopleSoft Finance and Human Resources modules.
• Experience with Drupal 8 and Marketo, experience with SharePoint and Qualtrics (administrator functionality) and experience with ServiceNow will be considered an asset.

Application Deadline: January 24, 2024.

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

Additional Information

This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the Operational / Administrative Job Family, Phase 3.

To find out more about management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary and all we have to offer, view our Management and Staff Careers website . For more information visit Careers in the Faculty of Arts .

The University strongly recommends all faculty and staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada’s entrepreneurial university, located in Canada’s most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada’s leader in the creation of start-ups . Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca .

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion ( [email protected] ) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources ( [email protected] ).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities , and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role.

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.