Job Description

Description

Financial Operations

within

Finance

is currently seeking a Full-time Regular

Director, Financial Operations

.


Under the overall direction of the Vice President (Finance and Services) & CFO, the position leads directly and indirectly several units involved in providing and promoting strategic, specialized, integrated and comprehensive finance operational services across the University of Calgary (UCalgary) community and beyond in support of academic, research, and learning activities.


The Director will lead the departments responsible for the delivery of Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Financial Operations and Payroll. The Director, Financial Operations ensures that the above-mentioned departments are provide service/support to all stakeholders effectively and efficiently to enable seamless and consistent support for executive and senior management, students, faculty, and staff. This position provides expert knowledge in areas of Financial Operations for UCalgary while collaborating across the entire Finance portfolio.

Summary of Key Responsibilities

(job functions include but are not limited to):


Primary Accountabilities

The strategic leadership of Financial Operations portfolio operations for UCalgary. Assure strategic alignment through prioritization, resource capacity management, key result tracking, budget planning and allocation, and Finance service supports to achieve the strategic vision of the institution. Leads the process improvement and change management in entire Financial Operations portfolio including leveraging Robotic Process Automation (RPA) as required and must have expert knowledge in internal controls and transformation. Defining and enabling the financial, operational, and cultural components that drive continuous improvement and successful transformations. Financial management reporting associated with these areas and service delivery for all stakeholders involved. Working within or exceeding the expectations of service delivery to the university community Ensuring that Financial Operations portfolio meets the needs of the University's core activities of the academy, research, learning and service Aligning all initiatives within their department with the UCalgary strategic direction, ethics, values, and professional standards Ensuring that stakeholder expectations are negotiated, agreed to, and incorporated into the service plan process with service standards and delivery which are consistent

Relationship Management

Through significant interaction and collaboration with internal and external partners and participants, influences the direction of strategies and initiatives related to Financial Operations, and demonstrates a high level of engagement skills. Creates and builds commitment to the vision for units through effective communication strategies. Serves as a role model in the development of an organizational culture and promotion of the vision for Service Delivery. Actively develops close partnerships with the Executive and Senior Management Teams, Finance functional leaders and service providers as well as other UCalgary departments including Information Technology, Human Resources, Communications and front-line management. Leads and supports the Financial Operations teams in fostering and building high-levels of customer service and building positive relationships with internal and external clients.

People Management

Strategic use of Finance resources in providing the most effective and efficient delivery of services. Provides leadership to the Financial Operational teams including management and staff. Develops succession plans and mentorship strategies to ensure assigned Finance employees are engaged and encouraged to grow into positions of greater opportunity and accountability.

Change Leadership

As a senior Finance leader this role is not static and will integrate constantly changing dynamics into an evolving delivery practice. Ability to build strategy, initiate, implement and support new or modified approaches, practices and processes in the organization. Recognizes need for change across service areas and sets priorities accordingly. Engages key stakeholders in change process, understands the impact on both internal and external stakeholders and manages risks and benefits accordingly. Continually analyses the change process and makes necessary adjustments to maximize effectiveness.

Resource and Risk Management

Leads and manages the overall Financial Operations portfolio for all stakeholders and the institution. Strategizes, plans, and determines allocation of resources, authorizes, and controls expenditures, and is accountable for managing resources within Financial Operations. Applies a pragmatic risk management stance to design and rollout processes and controls to meet stakeholder needs. Promotes an environment that fosters quality improvement and a culture of safety for all staff. Commits to continually improving health and safety performance through promotion of culture supporting hazard assessment, risk management, incident identification, reporting and correction, and compliance with applicable internal controls, regulations, policies, and safe work practices.

Qualifications / Requirements:

Professional accounting designation (CPA, CA, CMA, CGA) and a related University degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Ten or more years' progressively more responsible experience in the planning, developing and managing of the support of academic uses of Finance in a complex research and university setting. An understanding of other Finance portfolios and related business systems and processes (Finance, HR, Payroll, and Research) to successfully lead all service aspects of the portfolio to meet the needs of the research support model. A track record of creating an agile service culture and best-in-class service delivery. Experienced leading finance transformations, continuous improvement, and change management projects in an academic setting. Strong organizational, interpersonal, and written communication skills are required to ensure this client-facing function is effectively managed. The ability to communicate effectively with executive and senior management, faculty, administrators, staff, is essential. This role demands a high level of interaction and is front-facing which requires tact and diplomacy, confidentiality, ability to gain respect and trust, and a requirement to build strong working relationships across UCalgary. A record of strong leadership and a strategic vision must be combined with awareness of current and emerging developments in educational finance, academic and research environments. Demonstrated specialize experience in creating service performance management frameworks and taking action to correct performance where required This is specific to the deployment of Finance resources to ensure services levels are set up and maintained in accordance with the needs.

Application Deadline:

December 26, 2025

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.


This position is classified in the

Management Career Band, Level 4

of the Management and Professional Staff Career Framework.


For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our

Management and Staff Careers website

.

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.


The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy ii' taa'poh'to'p committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.


The university's commitment to the Indigenous Strategy is evident through the oversight of 18 Elders serving on the Circle of Advisors and the many unit-based circles working towards implementation of the strategy including the Faculty Advisory Circle and teams such as the Office of Indigenous Engagement, the Writing Symbols Lodge, and the Indigenous Research Support Team. Many Indigenous-based events and processes are impacting curriculum, programming and polices at the University of Calgary.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments (

oic@ucalgary.ca

) and requests for accommodations can be sent to People & Culture (

hrhire@ucalgary.ca

).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role.

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.