Research Finance and Operations Coordinator

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Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

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Please include a cover letter with your application.

At UBC we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research innovation and learning for all faculty staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Background

The Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Management (CCDPM) based within the Faculty of Medicine Interior at UBC Okanagan serves as a provincial leader for research excellence knowledge translation and exchange in the urgent research field of chronic addition to research focused on prevention the CCDPM will advance medical care knowledge health behaviours and resources to improve self-management of these conditions.

The CCDPM was established in 2019 and fosters new discoveries in health science from a local to global scale. Based at UBC Okanagan the CCDPM has 10 Investigators 1 Clinical Investigator 6 Affiliate Investigators and 4 Affiliate Clinicians. The CCDPM has a focus on translating and implementing research discoveries within and beyond the Okanagan Valley.

At UBC we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research innovation and learning for all faculty staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary
This position is responsible for providing comprehensive finance operational and administrative support to researchers in the CCDPM.

Organizational Status
Reports to Research and Operations Manager; works closely with Finance team and Principal Investigators (PIs) as well as relevant partners including the Office of Research Services Research Finance and Human Resources (HR).

Work Performed

Provides finance operations and administrative and support for research delivery:

• Addresses queries related to CCDPM PIs research funds and provides guidance according to UBC Financial Policies and Procedures related to research activity; collaborates with the Finance team as needed.

• Holds required security roles and/or delegate access to perform time sensitive and confidential business processes.

• Coordinates with PIs and the Research and Operations Manager to initiate full-cycle HR processes for research team appointments (staff student faculty and postdoctoral fellows) related to appointments onboarding costing allocations salary progressions promotions transfers terminations and access in compliance within the UBC systems and policies.

• Assists with training of researchers students and staff on Workday delegations approvals time entry absence management or other HR related processes.

• Resolves HR processes by researching following up and making corrections as appropriate.

• Tracks work/study visas and permits and follows up as required.

• Processes One Time Payment requests and determines best course of action according to policies and guidelines.

• Supports procurement requests sets up suppliers if required assists with documentation required for determination of contractor vs employee payments in accordance with UBC policies and procedures.

• Creates financial documents/requisitions; performs accurate and timely data entry of financial documents (e.g. invoices journal entries travel claims professional development funding and purchase requisitions) using the relevant systems and processes. This requires knowledge of accounting principles as well as UBC policies and procedures to make decisions for accurate document preparation.

• Assists with the reconciliation of research grants follows-up on and resolves variances or discrepancies and makes corrections with direction from PIs and Finance.

• Runs relevant reports and follows up as required.

• Supports the reconciliation of PI UBC credit card transactions; assists with credit card transaction questions and anomalies. Follows up on all required documentation and unresolved issues in a timely fashion. Ensures card integrity is maintained at all times.

• Provides training and advises on the research finance systems and policies for researchers staff and students.

• Coordinates financial administration and tracking of CCDPM Trainee Travel Awards and other trainee engagement initiatives.

• Coordinates financial administration and tracking of CCDPM internal funding initiatives.

• Coordinates and attends meetings with PIs to support grant financial planning and reporting.

• Maintains record management system for research finance operations and administrative support.

• Performs other related duties or special projects as necessary in keeping with the qualifications and requirements of the job.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Must exercise judgement based on thorough knowledge of procedures guidelines and regulations. When dealing with financial and sensitive records confidentiality is essential and employee is required to use sound judgment when sharing information. The impact of error in transaction documentation could result in additional work and/or substantial monetary loss to the grant holder. Position is subject to working under pressure and to meeting deadlines. Poor judgment or failure to act in a professional tactful and discretionary manner will have an adverse effect on the reputation of the CCDPM. Work is not checked on a day-to-day basis.

Supervision Received
This position works independently and reports directly to the Research and Operations Manager. Liaises with and takes direction from PIs and Finance. Performs familiar duties independently and in accordance with established policies procedures and standards. Keeps Research and Operations Manager apprised of the status of tasks and consults with Finance with reference to new or complex research finance problems.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school graduation plus a two-year post-secondary diploma in accounting finance or business over four years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and related experience.

• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives including perspectives in conflict with ones own.

• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing ones own awareness knowledge and skills related to equity diversity and inclusion.

Preferred Core Competencies and Criteria

• Research finance and/or research administration experience is preferred.

• Ability to analyze and reconcile financial statements.

• Ability to analyze and reconcile accounts.

• Ability to develop and monitor budgets.

• Ability to accurately gather organize and summarize financial information.

• Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail.

• Knowledge of University and Faculty of Medicine policies procedures governance and administrative systems is preferred.

• Experience in Workday and other UBC platforms is preferred.

• Comfortable working within ambiguity invigorated by change often requiring immediate response or action in a high-stakes environment.

• Must have excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to navigate in the changing landscape of research administration.

• Ability to arrive at creative solutions to complex problems and take initiative to improve processes where possible.

• Ability to exercise high level of tact and discretion project positive image and be diplomatic in stressful situations while maintaining confidentiality.

• Must have intermediate or advanced skills in Microsoft Office programs including Word Excel Outlook MS Teams and Sharepoint.

• Demonstrated ability to prioritize work (gathering recording and organizing information) multi-task work under pressure and meet deadlines. Attention to high-level detail required.

• Superior skills in verbal and written communication.

• Ability to work independently but also function collegially within a close team-working environment.

• Ability to take and transcribe minutes.

• Comfortable learning new technologies.

• Superior knowledge of file and records classification systems and processes.