Senior Finance Accountant (Financial Services)

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Job Purpose:

The Senior Finance Accountant is responsible for the efficient operation of the Endowment, Investment and Special Purpose Account portfolios of Financial Services by providing exemplary customer service while working closely with account holders, funding agencies and External Relations and Advancement staff to administer and maximize the use of special purpose funds, ensuring compliance with the University and funding agency’s financial administration policies and procedures and Canadian generally accepted accounting principles.

The Senior Finance Accountant reviews, prepares, and makes recommendations regarding financial reports as required and provides support for account holders who have special purpose funding, interpreting both Trent and funding agencies’ policies and procedures. This position must have sound expert knowledge of fund eligibility and reporting requirements, applying professional judgement and analytical skills to ensure the accuracy of the information used for decision making and funding purposes. This position also works with external auditors to explain and defend accounting decisions in audit of sponsored funding and expenditures.

Reviewing applications and providing substantive financial feedback and advice on contract contents before applications are submitted to funding agencies, this position will work closely with departments to support pre-award activities.

This position ensures endowment fund tracking is maintained, prepares audit schedules as required and assists with the preparation for Council of Ontario Finance Officers (COFO) Financial Report and Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO) reports.

Works collaboratively with colleagues to provide a team approach in support of the special purpose funds reporting to departmental account managers.

Key Activities:

• Reviews special project grant agreements prior to signatures, providing recommendations on financial budgets, financial feedback, and advice on contract contents.
• Interprets Trent University and external agency financial policies and procedures for special purpose fund account holders, providing information and expert advice to ensure activity follows the provided guidelines while maximizing the benefit for the University.
• Works closely with and provides advice to the External Relations and Advancement Office to administer special purpose fund accounts including trust, special project, endowment, and fundraising by establishing the account numbers, monitoring revenue and expenditures, investigating any unexpected deficit balances and other historic issues.
• Reviews Special Purpose Fund receivables, supporting Finance Administrator and advising whether an account is deemed uncollectable.
• Reviews and approves monthly journal entries prepared by other departments and Finance Administrator for special purpose fund accounts providing feedback where necessary, to reflect an accurate balance in each account.
• Closing of special purpose accounts, confirming financial reporting has been completed and all funding has been received. Ensuring accounts reflect a zero balance, minimizing the necessity to return residual balances to funders through recommendations to account holders on maximizing funding use relative to the general guidelines provided.
• Ensures maintenance of model to track endowment investment and internal account balances.
• Strategically prepare and submit documentation for investment purchases/sale according to requirements (For example, Sinking Fund contributions and Endowment payouts).
• Analyses spending and prepares financial reports as required internally and for funding from external agencies to ensure compliance of grant expenditures with the funding agency's guidelines or budget parameters.
• Prepares monthly journal entries for special project and trust accounts where corrections are necessary to reflect an accurate balance in each account.
• Prepare trust, fundraising, endowment, and investment year-end audit schedules with supporting documentation for external audit.
• Assist the Assistant Director, Research Finance and Special Reporting in preparation of the Council of Ontario Finance Officers (COFO) Financial Report and annual CAUBO surveys related to investments and endowments.
• Perform special tasks assigned by the Assistant Director

Education Required:

• Honours Bachelor’s Degree (4 year) majoring in an accounting program.
• Professional accounting designation.

Experience/Qualifications Required:

• Minimum of five (5) years of recent, relevant public accounting experience, fund accounting, including a minimum of one (1) year experience auditing financial information in a public practice. Experience with reporting of investments and endowments is preferable.
• Financial statement preparation in a highly computerized environment.
• Exceptional analytical skills and proven ability to provide sound professional judgement.
• Excellent problem-solving and communication skills including strong financial system and software package skills (ie. Datatel, Access, Excel, etc.). Experience with Colleague would be considered an asset.
• Excellent interpersonal, analytical, organizational, and planning skills, the ability to multi-task, to evaluate issues and provide alternative solutions.
• A team player that maintains calm under pressure, a self-started, proactive, and service-oriented individual.
• Strong knowledge of budgetary procedures and meticulous attention to detail.
• A clear understanding and demonstrated abilities for diplomacy and confidentiality.