MAIN PURPOSE AND FUNCTION
Reporting to the Director of Financial Planning and Analysis, Parks & Recreation, the Financial Analyst 2 is responsible for financial planning and analysis for the City of Vancouver. The Financial Analyst 2 is responsible for leading specific FP&A functions including short-mid term planning, budgeting, forecasting, business case development, financial modelling and decision support for processes and initiatives. Working closely with other members of the Citywide and Business Unit (BU) FP&A, the main functions of the role include leading respective business area, support the development of the City’s annual budget and multiyear plan process, support monthly and quarterly financial reporting process, and analyzing key business issues impacting the revenue opportunities within a business unit.
The position ensures compliance with internal controls, policies, standards and business processes and systems. The position provides financial decision support to enable the City to meet its strategic objectives and goals and leads the development of policies and processes to support the effective financial management of departmental resources.
The position makes recommendations on transformational initiatives, including recommendations that could impact staffing levels in the organization and realization of cost efficiencies
SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Financial Analysis:
- Defines and uses logical and innovative approaches to evaluate and deconstruct accounting and business situations. Compiles and links analytical information, experience and insights using quantitative and qualitative reasoning skills.
- Demonstrates understanding and application of common quantitative techniques by preparing appropriate financial analysis with fact-based assumptions to enable decision making.
- Provides input into the formation of problem-solving approaches for business situations.
- Accurately analyzes a situation based on available data or information.
- Leads the problem-solving process by identifying alternatives and making recommendations.
- Consistently applies working knowledge of the organization’s information systems & appropriate financial tools and systems to find, extract, and analyze data and to produce reports.
- Applies basic modelling, forecasting and planning techniques to develop forecasts with cost drivers identified and explained.
- Supports management in developing and analyzing business cases, determining the financial implications for all major decisions, ensuring value for money, return on investment, productivity and service delivery analysis, quantifying impacts on budgets and forecasts
- Prepares materials to be presented to the Senior Leadership Teams, Directors, CFO, and other stakeholders as required.
Strategic Business Partnership and Decision support
- Demonstrates in-depth understanding of the organization’s business plan, immediate environment and the possible impact of events and activities on the organization; understand current role in relation to executing the business plan.
- Applies common business principles to critically evaluate and accurately perform analysis.
- Uses insights to influence the views of managers and provides guidance and support, supported by facts, to influence and lead business decisions.
- Ability to apply decision criteria to business propositions prepared by business units.
- Lead in explaining financial concepts and analysis in non-financial terms to counterparts.
- Identify and address additional business partner needs as they arise.
- Makes recommendations on transformational initiatives, including recommendations that could impact staffing levels in the organization and realization of cost efficiencies.
Planning, Budgeting, Forecasting and Performance Measurement:
- Leads, manages, and coordinates all aspects of operating and capital budget process within the Park Board; works with subject matter experts to provide inputs and assumptions and manages and monitors Operating & Capital budget expenditures, revenues and recoveries.
- Manages and prepares monthly, quarterly, and year-end variances analysis, forecasting and reporting; presents and reviews results with general manager and department leads; works to identify significant risks, and recommends mitigation strategies and raises to appropriate stakeholders.
- Provides financial and budget management to support major project leads.
- Manages and supports the development of multiyear financial and business plans and forecasts, review and validate financial assumptions and models, and identify trends that impact the Department’s ability to meet budget and service delivery targets.
- Leads and manages analysis of budgets, performance indicators, business plans and ongoing financial results to enable strategic recommendations on corrective actions.
- Interpret and provide forecasts and analysis that link to business unit strategy and operational performance.
- Complies with and administers Finance controls, policies and procedures.
Project Management and Process improvement:
- Supports and manages planning process timelines and identify opportunities for continuous improvement and standardization for business area.
- Identifies and implements opportunities for process automation/streamlining and support integration with financial reporting, capital budgeting, and long-term financial planning initiatives.
- Communicate budgeting policies and processes to Department FP&A and City staff; support planning processes improvement initiatives throughout the organization.
- Manage FP&A projects and sub-processes .