Financial Officer (One Year Term)

University of Toronto • Toronto, ON

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Faculty of Arts & Science is the heart of Canada’s leading university and one of the most comprehensive and diverse academic divisions in the world. The strength of Arts & Science derives from our combined teaching and research excellence in the humanities, sciences and social sciences across 29 departments, seven colleges and 46 interdisciplinary centres, institutes and programs. We can only realize our mission with the dedication and excellence of engaged staff and faculty. The diversity of opportunities and perspectives within the Faculty reflect the local and global landscape and the need for curiosity, innovative thinking and collaboration. At Arts & Science, we take pride in our legacy of innovation and discovery that has changed the way we think about the world. The Acceleration Consortium (AC) at the University of Toronto (U of T) is leading a transformative shift in scientific discovery that will accelerate technology development and commercialization. The AC is a global community of academia, industry, and government that leverages the power of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, materials sciences, and high-throughput chemistry to create self-driving laboratories (SDLs), also called materials acceleration platforms (MAPs). These autonomous labs rapidly design materials and molecules needed for a sustainable, healthy, and resilient future, with applications ranging from renewable energy and consumer electronics to drugs. AC Staff Scientists will advance the infield of AI-driven autonomous discovery and develop the materials and molecules required to address society’s largest challenges, such as climate change, water pollution, and future pandemics. The Acceleration Consortium received a $200M Canadian First Research Excellence Grant for seven years to develop self-driving labs for chemistry and materials, the largest ever grant to a Canadian University. Reporting to the Business Officer, this position forecasting, monitoring and administering research budgets, and providing a wide range of financial processing and administration for Acceleration Consortium. You will be responsible for reconciling financial statements, investigating discrepancies and preparing financial reports to help advance our research goals and objectives. This position is also responsible for provide grant administration support by coordinating grant application process and data collection. This is a one-year term position that will end approximately in June 2027.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Accounting/Finance or acceptable combination of equivalent experience.
• Minimum three years recent and relevant financial/accounting experience and experience in an educational/public sector, with experience in monitoring large budgets/grants, managing various accounts, and processing a variety of types of payroll
• Experience in onboarding/processing new staff of various types and ensuring the correct setup in HRIS
• Experience monitoring, reconciling and reporting funding accounts for grants
• Experience working with sponsoring agencies, interpreting and applying grant and funding guidelines/procedures, and providing administrative support to research funding opportunities
• Experience in aspects of accounting including payroll, account reconciliation, and preparation of financial statements
• Experience planning, forecasting and monitoring complex budgets and preparing projections
• Experience with all aspects of the Financial Information System (FIS) modules of AMS
• Experience supporting purchasing activities
• Experience preparing financial reports/spreadsheets, identifying discrepancies, reconciling accounts, and projecting burnrates
• A broad knowledge of the University’s financial guidelines and procedures and accounting/procurement practices
• Advanced proficiency with MS Office Suite, particularly MS Excel and proficiency with SAP systems, including Financial Information System (FIS), Human Resources Information System (HRIS), and Research Information System (RIS), or similar systems
• Strong numerical, accounting and analytical skills
• Advanced skills in Google calendar/hangout, Zoom, Adobe Acrobat Pro with the ability to learn and effectively deploy new technologytools for office tasks
• Ability to work in a high volume environment that requires multi-tasking on varied duties and to prioritize effectively and work under pressure
• Ability to explain detailed grant funding processes and provide recommendations/course of actions to PIs
• Excellent problem-solving ability, organizational and planning skills; and ability to work independently and as a part of a team
• Professionalism, accuracy, attention to detail, flexibility, tact, and ability to maintain confidentiality
• Ability to interpret and apply guidelines and procedures using independent judgement and analysis
• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills

Nice To Haves

• Experience liaising with Faculty of Arts and Science Research Services office, VP Research & Innovation office, and research administrators in hospitals

Responsibilities

• Monitoring, recording, reconciling and/or reporting on funding accounts for grants and contracts
• Verifying that HRIS transactions are processed according to applicable policies, procedures, collective agreements, and applicable legislated requirements
• Reconciling accounts
• Processing payroll
• Liaising with internal contacts to resolve accounting, payroll and/or HRIS processing issues
• Writing routine documents and correspondence
• Preparing draft statistical reports and summaries from data collected
• Liaising with internal and external contacts to facilitate purchasing and/or procurement processes

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level