SENIOR FINANCIAL PLANNING ANALYST FIN

City of Toronto•Toronto, ON

11d•CA$105,241 - CA$160,649•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Financial Planning Analyst is expected to monitor and report on the City’s financial performance, providing oversight and ensuring compliance with financial planning policies, budgetary guidelines and financial controls to support the City’s fiscal, informed decision-making and responsible service-based financial management. This includes providing strategic financial and business analysis and advice to ensure informed decision-making by all levels of management, Committees, and City Council. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker with a strong foundation in financial planning, a data-driven approach to analysis, and the ability to support executive leadership and Council decision-making. They bring sound judgment, strong Excel and modeling skills, and experience advising on complex financial and policy issues in a municipal or large organizational context.

Requirements

Post-secondary education in Public Administration, Business Administration, Financial Management, Accounting or a related discipline or the equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
Considerable experience in business planning or financial management such as the application of principles and practices of service, (business) planning and evaluation, operating and capital budget formulation, financial analysis/reporting including reporting of capital assets, and asset management planning and forecasting.
Considerable experience in preparing comprehensive reports and presentations and analyzing, interpreting and summarizing information for the purpose of supporting decision-making regarding financial, budgetary, policy and/or service issues.
Experience with enterprise-wide systems including human resources, accounting or budgeting, (e.g. SAP).
Expert knowledge in the use of Microsoft Office Suite (i.e. Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Access), raw data manipulation / data modelling, and preparation of reports to support decision making purposes.
Strong research, analytical and conceptual thinking skills, with the capacity to understand complex financial, service, operating and policy issues, program interrelationships and the potential results and outcomes of policy actions, and the ability to conceptualize and develop options and recommendations to support decision-making
Highly developed interpersonal, human relations, negotiation, conflict resolution, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to collaborate, interact and communicate effectively with client programs and agencies, and to forge solid, effective internal and external relationships as a member of the Financial Planning Division.
Ability to exercise independent judgment and discretion in handling matters of confidential, proprietary or sensitive nature as they relate to Council and other senior staff, public and personnel relations.
Ability to prioritize and communicate important issues from a fiscal and political/policy perspective, manage multiple tasks under minimal supervision and produce results within tight timeframes.
Ability to support the Toronto Public Service values to ensure a culture that champions equity, diversity and respectful workplaces.

Nice To Haves

Progress toward a recognized accounting or finance designation (e.g., CPA, CFA, or equivalent) is considered an asset.

Responsibilities

Prepares and presents reports, policy papers, briefing notes and/or presentations regarding strategic, financial and operational issues that are either within the purview of assigned programs, or corporate in nature to senior management and/or Committees of Council, providing comprehensive corporate budget data and analysis; identification of all relevant issues and appropriate recommendations for decision-making.
Effectively participates in the development of strategic and innovative approaches, financial strategies and analytical techniques and ensures the effective provision of senior level advice, guidance, assistance and analytical services, providing fiscally sustainable solutions to meeting the City's fiscal challenges, including cost containment and revenue maximization.
Identifies, verifies and analyzes quantitative and qualitative factors such as the analysis of performance trends, unit cost of service and benchmarks to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery.
Provides senior management counsel in the budget and reporting processes, responding to ad hoc issues and requests for new, immediate program-specific or corporate information and being accountable to Councillors, Committees and Council for the collection, analysis and dissemination of that information and resolution of those emergent issues.
Conducts short- and long-term financial planning studies, analysis and research regarding the economic and operational impact of planned or probable changes in the City’s scope, structure, functions and finances, providing strategic advice on financial issues
Establishes and maintains productive relations with Budget Committee members, Councillors, the City Manager, Deputy City Managers, the Chief Financial Officer, client General Managers and heads of Agencies, Boards & Commissions and other orders of government and briefs and advises on financial planning and management policies and protocols as well as other key City policies and legislation and their application to all matters having financial or performance implications, fiscal challenges and strategies, and the budgetary process.
Supports internal coordination and collaboration across divisions to ensure financial strategies reflect corporate priorities.
Manages the provision of expert financial support and advice to Budget Committee, Executive Committee and Council that supplements the City Clerk’s management and recording of budget meeting proceedings. Participates in/leads debriefing sessions with all client groups that supports continuous improvements in the City's financial planning and management services, processes and policies.
Participates in special project teams relating to Council-directed, corporate, inter-program or services-specific initiatives or issues, providing sound strategic financial analysis and advice for recommendation, resolution and implementation.
Monitors and evaluates in-year expenditure and revenue performance, compared to approved budgets and performance measures, reporting on causes for variances and recommending mitigating strategies.
Contributes to the provision of media releases and background information to the media, Councillors and the public regarding the City budget/budget process, financial planning and management policies and other financial or service-based information on behalf of the City.
Provides strategic financial advice, analysis, and coordination on city-wide corporate initiatives (e.g. service reviews, efficiency studies, and interdivisional planning processes), ensuring alignment with financial policies, targets, and multi-year planning goals.
Supports the integration of service-level data and performance measures into financial planning processes, enabling better reporting on outcomes, value for money, and achievement of Council and divisional priorities.
Leads multi-disciplinary project teams and working groups, applying proven project management methodologies including comprehensive work plans, key deliverables, and contingency planning, and time management.
Coordinates complex financial planning tasks and promotes collaboration to support strategic City-wide initiatives and informed decision-making.
Provides guidance, advice and support to key stakeholders on report writing, interpretation of provincial regulations, and consolidation of financial information; and assists with the developing/formatting of PowerPoint, Excel and Word templates, presentations, etc.
Contributes to the interpretation and implementation of corporate financial policies, providing guidance to divisions on compliance, financial control protocols, and audit response requirements.
Conducts complex data mining and analysis of financial information and provides the aggregation of key findings, issues and recommendations.
Collaborates with various areas to support enhancements to budgeting systems, templates, dashboards, and other analytical tools that improve accuracy, usability, and data transparency
Organizes, coordinates and prepares documents and presentations for project team meetings, senior leadership, as well as preliminary briefings and Standing Committee meetings.
Manages assigned projects, ensuring effective teamwork and communication, high standards of work quality and organizational performance.