Director, Finance & Administration

Director, Finance & Administration  

The Director, Finance & Administration will direct and co-ordinate financial and administrative services for the Agency. Administrative services encompass procurement, switchboard and insurance.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES

• As a member of SLT (Senior Leadership Team), contributes to the development of agency plans and policies. Participates as a staff representative on the Audit and Finance Committee and other committees and task forces involving other sector agencies and/or government representatives.
• Oversees the day to day operations of the Finance functions including the General Accounting and Financial Planning and Analysis teams
• Drives efficiency and process simplification in the financial operations of the organization including leveraging technology solutions to build capacity.
• Assists Chief Financial Officer with the preparation of the annual budget, quarterly or more frequent financial forecasts, quarterly Ministry and Board financial submissions and monthly internal financial reports.
• Assists the Chief Financial Officer in developing financial sustainability strategies as well as presentations for advocacy work with the Ministry and other government agencies.
• Leads the team to work collaboratively with service teams to prepare analysis to support advocacy work and strategic analysis. 
• Directs the investigations, reviews and resolution of major budget variances and the analysis and preparation of various financial reports and statistics;  
• Serves as a staff resource for the Audit and Finance Committee of the Board.
• Oversees the insurance program for the organization.
• Recommends policies relating to finance and administration to the Chief Financial Officer.
• Ensures that adequate and effective procedures, guidelines and systems are developed to meet the agencies financial and administrative needs.
• Responsible for oversight in the preparation of annual financial statements and coordination with external auditor and internal staff for the annual financial audit.
• Responsible for oversight of the coordination of other financial audits such as Ministry and Internal Control System audits.
• Maximizes the return on investment of the Agency’s cash/assets in accordance with Society’s investment policies
• Responsible for hiring, evaluating, training of employees directly reporting to him/her.  Ensures that succession planning is an integral part of the team culture and planning.
• Administers the collective agreement as it applied to staff in the finance and administration functions.
• Ensures branch/department implementation of Society’s Code of Ethics, Confidentiality, Anti-Oppression/ Anti-Racism, Harassment & Discrimination policies, etc through leadership and role-modeling.
• Creates and leads branch/department that reflects diversity, supports differences and encourages different perspectives. 
• Sets standards for consistent allocation of financial resources within branch or service.
• Demonstrates resourcefulness and fiscal responsibility in the deployment of agency funds. 
• Works in a safe manner in accordance with the Society’s health and safety policies and procedures and all relevant legislation.
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:

• A University degree and accounting designation such as a C.P.A. and a minimum of 7 years management experience in business, industry or Government agencies or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Knowledge and Skills:

• An expert knowledge of the principles and practices of accounting, financial reporting and internal controls 
• Ability to think strategically, critically, and creatively and apply to both micro and macro planning
• Proven management and business administration skills to direct, organize and coordinate financial services of the Society
• Proven ability to work collaboratively with peers and service staff in the agency to lead cross functional initiatives which have a financial impact.
• Excellent understanding of financial processes and procedures
• Thorough knowledge of relevant legislation and regulations
• Strong analytical skills to investigate and resolve financial variances, document critical assumptions, forecast financial information and develop adequate financial systems and procedures
• Ability to identify and solve practical problems; ability to analyze, synthesize and interpret complex and diverse information 
• Demonstrated management and business administrator skills to develop, direct, organize and coordinate administrative services in the Agency
• Strong financial modelling skills
• Delegation skills in the allocation of work / projects to encourage independent work;  sets expectations and monitors delegated activities appropriately 
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; experience in reporting complex financial information in an effective manner to various stakeholders
• Strong organizational, project and time management skills with multitasking capabilities; developing project plans, coordinating projects, communicating changes and progress, and completing projects on time and within budget
• Demonstrated ability to use sound judgement to make decisions; supports and explains reasoning for decisions; includes appropriate people in decision-making; makes timely decisions
• Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness; monitors work to ensure quality
• Interpersonal skills to direct staff, provide advice and guidance to senior management and work collaboratively with peers in the agency
• Ability to motivate and inspire staff while working under tight timelines.
• Ability to use negotiation and persuasion skills to achieve desired results
• Possesses a high level of integrity
• Practical knowledge of insurance coverage including property and casualty
• Competency in the use of general computer programs including accounting, spreadsheet and word processing software

Assets:

• Previous experience in the child welfare sector
• Previous government, broader public sector or not for profit work experience
• Previous financial responsibility at a $100+ million-dollar budget organization
• Previous experience in a unionized environment
• Experience in working with Boards

OTHER INFORMATION

Accommodation at CAST 

We are committed to a selection process and work environment that is inclusive and barrier free. Accommodation will be provided in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code. Applicants need to make any accommodation requests for the interview or selection process known in advance by contacting the Human Resources Department at 416-924-4640 x2300. Human Resources will work together with the hiring committee to arrange reasonable and appropriate accommodation for the selection process which will enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner. 

Equity Hiring Strategy and Application Process 

The Children’s Aid Society of Toronto (CAS of Toronto) is committed to building a skilled workforce that reflects the population of Toronto as well as the diverse communities we serve.  Our Equity Hiring Strategy is deemed to be a Special Program under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

For this specific career opportunity, CAS of Toronto is inviting applications from qualified individuals who self-identify as being part of one or more of the following under-represented groups - 2SLGBTQ+, persons with disabilities and/or woman.

Qualified applicants who are interested in this opportunity can apply for position by submitting their application consisting of a cover letter and resume by clicking the Apply button below (at https://www.torontocas.ca/careers), fax (416-324-2400), or mail (30 Isabella Street, 5th Floor) to the attention of Human Resources.

Applications for this position must be received NO LATER THAN 11:59PM ON FRIDAY JULY 19, 2024.

During the online application process, applicants will have the opportunity to complete the Employment Equity questionnaire, to indicate if they self-identify as being part of one or more of the above under-represented groups. Answering the questionnaire is voluntary and all responses will be kept confidential and used only for the purposes outlined in this program. If the questionnaire is not completed by an applicant, they will not be considered as being from an equity seeking group. 

The information collected will help us identify qualified applicants from the listed under-represented groups for this specific opportunity as part of our Equity Hiring Strategy. In addition, information provided will be used to understand the diversity of candidates that apply to roles within CAS of Toronto. A summary of the responses to this questionnaire will be used to help assess application trends and inform the development of enhanced and future recruitment programs which are equitable and accessible. 

Please note: Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis throughout the posting period. Early submission is recommended. We thank all applicants for their interest; please note that only those who are under consideration will be contacted.