Associate Director, Financial Services

An accounting professional who is a best practices financial leader will see this Advancement role for what it is: an opportunity to make a bold career move as part of the team whose work supports the University of Guelph in meeting its strategic priorities in teaching, research and innovation.

Our Alumni Affairs & Development (AA&D) department is a central service at the University of Guelph, accountable for raising money for strategic priorities within our Integrated Plan, by identifying and aligning prospective donors. AA&D has recently undergone a re-organization to support the vision to attract $50 million in sustained annual philanthropic support (over a five- to eight-year period) and to be one of Canada’s most sought-after advancement organizations. As a member of Alumni Affairs and Development, youll play a critical leadership role in these endeavours while exemplifying the department values of respect, empowerment, integrity, appreciation and forward focus.

Reporting to the Director, Advancement Services, youll oversee the processing of all philanthropic gifts and pledged commitments to the University, and the maintenance of related biographical information for our alumni and donors, as well as develop, monitor and adjustinternal control procedures over gift processing and the integrity of the database. As Associate Director of Financial Services, you will also:

be responsible for all Advancement-related financial reporting for the University;
manage and report budgetary activities for AA&D, including the preparation of detailed,complex reports for financial management, campaign updates, donor relations, and government reporting purposes;
provide the various Colleges and other administrative units of the University community with financial information related to funding for their activities through the generous support of donors, a task that will involve regular communications with the University Controller, College Deans and College/Area Financial Managers; and
be a member of, and work closely with, the AA&D Management Team to inform the departments integrated strategic direction, monitor industry standards, best practices and risk, and develop and implement policies in support of these, as required.

This comprehensive mandate will see you using creative analysis and acting as a specialist in the advancement sector, to provide counsel to AA&D staff, donors and others across the University, while applying generally accepted accounting principles to the recording and reporting of data and information, and ensuring adherence to Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) guidelines.

As the ideal candidate for the role of Associate Director, Financial Services, you will have:

a university degree in a related field and a professional accounting designation;
university or advancement sector experience and a demonstrated ability to interact effectively with senior executives;
three (3) years of prior experience in a fundraising environment, preferred;
a demonstrated understanding of effective relationship-building and proven experience in managing and motivating staff;
the ability to act quickly and effectively under pressure, exercising tact and diplomacy, discretion and good judgement;
excellent analytical, communication and interpersonal skills;
proven budget planning and analysis experience;
exceptional computer skills, including word processing, presentation, and relational databases; and
proven expertise in producing effective management reports, including report-writing skills (SQL, reporting software, etc.) and spreadsheet development skills.

The University of Guelph (www.uoguelph.ca) is one of Canada’s leading research-intensive comprehensive institutions, with a record of outstanding scholarship in the arts, humanities, social sciences, life sciences, physical and engineering sciences, agriculture and veterinary sciences. This is your chance to join us in our endeavour to improve life.

To view a detailed posting for the role of Associate Director, Financial Services, including application instructions, please go to our website at www.uoguelph.ca/jobs. Applications, quoting Hiring #2019-0147, must be sent to: careers@uoguelph.ca. Closing date: Wednesday, April 24, 2019.

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.