Senior Financial Analyst

Horizon Recruitment is recruiting for a Senior Financial Analyst to join an established post-secondary institution's Financial Services team. This role supports financial planning and decision-making across the organization by helping managers develop budgets, prepare forecasts, and understand financial performance.

Working closely with finance leaders and department managers, the successful candidate will turn complex financial data into clear insights, strengthen budget controls, and identify opportunities to improve financial processes. This is an excellent opportunity for a finance professional who enjoys working with numbers, solving problems, and partnering with stakeholders across a large organization.

Responsibilities:

• Support annual budget development by reviewing departmental submissions, assessing financial requests, and identifying potential issues.
• Prepare consolidated budgets and quarterly forecasts by reconciling information from departments across the organization.
• Analyze monthly financial results, investigate significant variances, and communicate findings to key stakeholders.
• Guide department managers through budget preparation, variance analysis, and updates to financial planning systems.
• Maintain accurate budget records and ensure approved initiatives are properly reflected in financial systems.
• Monitor salary budgets, position control records, and payroll-related financial information to ensure accuracy and appropriate budget allocation.
• Review requests for new positions and salary budget transfers, confirming approvals, coding, and supporting documentation are in place.
• Investigate unusual revenue and expenditure activity, recommend solutions, and help prevent recurring issues.
• Verify that financial transactions meet spending guidelines, have appropriate approvals, and comply with established policies.
• Prepare financial reports, payroll reports, and ad hoc analysis to support management decisions.
• Provide guidance and training to managers and internal teams on budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting systems.
• Work with technology teams to improve financial reporting tools, test system changes, and maintain data integrity.
• Recommend improvements to financial procedures, reporting practices, and budget controls.
• Collaborate with finance leadership to address budget, forecasting, position control, and restricted fund concerns.
• Provide leadership coverage for the Manager of Budgets, Analysis & Business Intelligence or the Associate Director of Finance when required.

Requirements:

• Completion of the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) program. A combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Three to five years of relevant experience in financial analysis, financial reporting, budget development, forecasting, and capital fund accounting.
• Experience working with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, such as Banner.
• Familiarity with business intelligence and financial reporting tools.
• Strong knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and the ability to make sound, objective recommendations.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and intermediate proficiency with other Microsoft Office applications.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to interpret complex financial data and identify discrepancies.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong attention to detail, sound professional judgment, and a practical approach to problem-solving.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, meet deadlines, and adapt to changing requirements.
• A proactive, collaborative approach to work, with the initiative to identify improvements and support team objectives.

Remuneration:

• $90,000 - $100,000
• A minimum of 25 days of vacation.

Only candidates eligible to work in Canada will be considered

Horizon Recruitment Inc. is a specialized recruitment and search firm with two complimentary practice areas: Finance & Supply Chain.