Research Analyst and Program Advisor, Office of the CFO, Finance and Facilities Management (Hybrid, Toronto)

JOB PURPOSE

Supports the activities of the Office of the CFO and the broader Finance & Facilities Management (FFM) division by engaging in research and policy development contributing to board and committee governance support activities and managing special projects within FFM. It involves conducting research drafting policies and briefing/white paper reports for boards or committees for the Law Society Legal Information and Resource Network (LiRN) and Law Society Foundation (LSF) developing Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and managing the related process from a department perspective. Builds and maintains strong relationships with peers and division leaders to support organization-wide alignment of planning priorities.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Requires a 4-year Bachelors Degree in Business Accounting or equivalent education and/or training.
• Requires a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation or advanced progress towards the CPA designation or equivalent education such as a Masters of Public Administration.
• A Project Management Professional (PMP) designation is an asset.
• Requires a minimum of 7 years experience in research financial and/or business analysis and policy and/or white paper/briefing report development
• Professional Knowledge:
  • Strong experience in conducting research and analysis the ability to synthesize complex information identify key trends and provide relevant insights.
  • Solid experience in policy development and drafting of policy/white paper reports for a varied audience including board members and external stakeholders.
  • Solid understanding of financial statement preparation and presentation the application of not-for-profit accounting standards for financial analysis and reporting.
  • Good understanding of procurement practices risk management and internal controls relevant to a professional regulatory body or not-for-profit of the Law Societys nature and size.

• Technical Skills:
• Microsoft 365 applications (Word Excel Outlook PowerPoint SharePoint Teams Project etc.)
• Financial applications (e.g. Microsoft Dynamics Finance and Operations F&O)
• Experience with data analytics tools applicable to finance and facilities functions (Power BI Cognos Analytics).
• Experience working in an enterprise resource planning application environment and ability to extract analyze synthesize and present data (financial and other) information.
• Project management in planning organizing monitoring and directing the completion of assigned projects.
• Experience using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools (Copilot ChatGPT) is an asset.

• Competencies:
• Mathematical acumen including research analytical numerical proficiency problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
• Demonstrated ability to understand interpret synthesize and summarize comprehensive verbal and written documentation.
• Project coordination prioritization and time management skills.
• Business acumen strategic thinker and leadership skills with data-driven decision-making.
• Interpersonal relationship development and management including conflict resolution skills.
• Advanced oral and written communication skills to navigate a broad spectrum of topics with the ability to present to a variety of audiences.
• Influencing and persuasion skills to tailor communications based on the audience varying from briefing board members at Committee level to persuading team members to adopt an idea/proposal.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate political environments with tact diplomacy and an awareness of the implications of ones statements and actions.

Research and Policy Development

• Conducts multi-faceted research to support policy or white paper report development on key issues or opportunities collaborating with the Financial Policy Advisor (FPA) and other FFM leaders and team members on emerging changes or key issues pertaining to accounting standards legislation and/or regulations controls and best practices related to financial or facilities management.
• Researches and prepares reports white papers briefing notes or policy recommendations for senior management and the Audit & Finance Committees and/or Boards of Law Society LiRN and the LSF.
• Researches and/or analyzes financial policy and controls best practices economic trends and organizational data to provide data-driven insights and recommendations.
• Reviews and/or develops financial policies and processes in collaboration with leaders and team members making recommendations and evaluates financial programs to identify opportunities for innovation and improvement.
• Implements and recommends effective risk and project management strategies in collaboration with Law Society teams senior management and stakeholders to support CFO-led initiatives.
• Monitors accounting standards legislative and regulatory changes collaborating with the FPA to assess impacts on the Law Society LiRN or the LSF and communicates with relevant organizations to ensure implementation and/or compliance.

Process Coordination and Improvement

• Supports the multi-year planning process for the FFM departments including project prioritization and resource planning.
• Plans recommends methodology leads or supports projects and monitors progress on initiatives such as technology systems functionality optimization process review and redesign and business space requirements and planning.
• Designs and maintains efficient information flow and ensures successful completion of projects and initiatives.
• Collaborates with the FFM management team to define resource requirements that align with the divisions mandate and the organizations overall goals.

Relationship and Alliance Building

• Leads the development of Requests for Proposals (RFPs) by gathering business requirements from departments team members or benchers (e.g. a subset of the Audit & Finance Committee) synthesizing input from internal teams and external stakeholders drafting content and evaluating vendor proposals to support service delivery needs.
• Participates in selection committees and supports contract negotiations to ensure optimal value and performance.
• Prepares operational reports and presentations and briefs the CFO on significant matters and initiatives affecting FFM.
• Collaborates with cross-functional teams to implement operational plans initiatives and successful completion of projects.
• Assists with the management of the corporate insurance program.
• Drafts and responds to external information requests (e.g. from benchers board members) on high-level and sensitive matters.
• Facilitates knowledge sharing and consensus-driven decision-making in collaboration with managers team members and external consultants.

Financial Responsibility

• Assists in the development of the FFM budget working with leaders and team members to determine resource needs.
• Prepares and reviews financial analyses of RFP vendor proposals to assess cost and financial impacts supporting vendor selection decisions for high-value service-related procurements.
• Assumes backup responsibility to the role responsible for system administration of the Law Societys financial applications (Microsoft Dynamics F&O and Emburse Spend Management) to ensure continuity of essential financial systems administration in line with standard internal controls.
• Assists with the review of corporate insurance program renewals ensuring policies remain comparable to appropriately mitigate risk to the Law Society.

The Law Society has introduced a Distributed Workforce Model to leverage flexibility and agility and to maximize employee productivity and engagement. Work arrangements will be determined by role and departmental requirements. The working arrangement for this position has been classified as hybrid where the employee will regularly flex their work location between home and office. The specific application of this will be communicated to applicants contacted during the recruitment process.

The Law Society of Ontario is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from persons representing the diversity of our community. We are committed to creating an accessible barrier-free and inclusive workplace and are committed to continuing compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Please make any requirement you may have for accommodation during the recruitment process known when contacted.

If you are unable to apply to this position due to the requirement for an accommodation of any kind please email us at or call . We appreciate all interest and will directly contact candidates under consideration.