Financial Advisor

This competition may have a hiring priority for Indigenous people, Black people, racialized people, Deaf people, people with disabilities, women, or members of 2SLGBTQI+ and gender diverse communities. Candidates belonging to these equity deserving groups who wish to be considered must self-identify. This initiative is in support of the Council’s employment equity and diversity goals.

About the Role

Under the direct supervision of the Manager of Finance, the Financial Advisor provides:

• Functional direction to other employees at Council;
• Prepares the yearly and quarterly financial statements;
• Develops and updates financial policies;
• Conducts analysis of the historical and current financial data to monitor and recommend adjustments to the annual budget and quarterly forecast exercises;
• Reviews and validates the reconciliation and analysis of all transactions related to the investment portfolio (asset of approx. $500M) and ensures proper accounting treatment for the financial statements;
• Is responsible for filing various financial reports to Government of Canada (ie Treasury board, CRA); responds to external requests;
• Assists in managing the approval and tracking process for the financial system content enhancements;
• Provides customer service to all users and responds to financial  and technical internal enquiries; provides guidance and training to Council employees on the Finance section’s policies;
• Acts as a liaison with other Sections of Council but also with external stakeholders such as Treasury Board, the Office of the Auditor General and commercial bank;
• Keeps abreast of all changes to the Canadian public sector accounting standards (PSAS) and its impact on the Council’s financial statements;
• Performs quality assurance and review of other team members’ reconciliations and journal entries;
• And performs other related duties.

Education

• An undergraduate degree in accounting or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience related to the responsibilities of the position
• A Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation

Experience

• Five (5) years of experience in Canadian accounting practices and principles and budgeting procedures, and in their analysis, preferably in the field of arts administration
• Experience in preparing financial statements as per the Canadian public sector accounting standards (PSAS)
• Experience analyzing financial and statistical data utilizing a computerized system
• Experience in extraction, validation, analysis and presentation of quantitative data
• Experience with Unit 4 financial systems would be an asset

Knowledge

• Extensive knowledge of Canadian public sector accounting standards
• Strong knowledge of budgetary control and financial cost management principles, practices and analysis
• General knowledge of government legislation, regulations and practices such as the Financial Administration Act (FAA) and the Income Tax Act
• Extensive knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite

Skills & Competencies

• Strong ability to analyze financial and statistical data to recognize significant factors, relationships and trends, and provide recommendations
• Excellent attention to detail
• Ability to collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to work independently without constant supervision
• Strong organizational and communications skills and initiative
• Demonstrated problem solving and decision-making skills
• Ability to make recommendations for improvement to processes/systems
• Strong time management and prioritizing skills

Bilingual Requirements

This position requires the use of both official languages. The requirements in the second official language are:

• An advanced level in reading comprehension (C)
• An intermediate level in writing (B)
• An advanced level in oral (C)

*Important: Please submit your resume and a cover letter clearly demonstrating how you meet the above qualifications for Education and Experience. Please note that selection for further consideration will be based solely on the information provided in your cover letter, resume and application.

We are committed to providing a workplace that is inclusive and accessible to all. Should you require accommodation during the recruitment and selection process, please contact the Council directly.

For people who are Deaf, hard of hearing, or TTY users, please use your preferred MRS (Message Relay Service) or IP service to contact us.

The Canada Council for the Arts is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the individuals and communities we serve. We invite applications from individuals with any combination of backgrounds, origins, identities, and forms of self-expression. The Council is committed to enhancing the representation of the following groups within its workforce: Indigenous people, Black people, racialized people, Deaf people, people with disabilities, women, and members of 2SLGBTQI+ and gender-diverse communities.

We encourage you to include information on how you identify in the Voluntary Self-Identification section of the application form. This information is used during the recruitment process to enhance representation of historically underserved and marginalized communities, as per the Employment Equity Act and the Council's ongoing commitment to equity. This information is also used for reporting at an aggregate level.

Please note that all persons requiring accommodation and/or assistance in completing the Canada Council’s Careers application process are welcome to contact the Council for support.