Financial Assistant

Benefits

Additional Information

Staff - Union Job Category CUPE 2950 Job Profile CUPE 2950 Salaried - Financial Proc. Spec 4 (Gr5) Job Title Financial Assistant Department Administrative Support | Department of Psychology Compensation Range $4,314.00 - $4,532.00 CAD Monthly Posting End Date June 23, 2026 Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date. Job End Date Ongoing At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career. Job Summary The Financial Assistant role is service oriented and provides financial, budgetary, and reporting support for the Department of Psychology. Working in an administrative team setting, the Financial Assistant will process complex financial documents including preparing, reviewing and initiating expense reports, expenditure and receivable transactions. This role will often be the first point of contact for faculty members, students and staff with accounts payable needs. Provides guidance and information on various Faculty of Arts, UBC and granting agency policies to faculty, staff, and researchers and ensures they are correctly applied. This role is responsible for the entry of transactions directly into Workday. The Financial Assistant is expected to provide excellent customer service and maintain a detailed understanding of the department's budget and finances. Ensures that assigned work is accomplished in a timely fashion and that deadlines and service agreements are met. Organizational Status The Financial Assistant works alongside an administrative team to support 60 faculty members, 130+ full-time graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, and other staff and students in the Department of Psychology. Interacts primarily with faculty, staff and graduate students in the Department of Psychology. Regularly liaises with Expense Specialists in the Arts Service Centre. Works with staff at Research Finance, UILO, Supply Management, Payroll, and the other staff from Dean of Arts office. Work Performed - Prepares and processes complex financial documents related to accounts payable or revenue accounting. Requires verification of worktag & spend category coding, signing authorities, appropriateness of expenditures, and adherence to University policies and generally accepted accounting principles. Documents include: expense reports, non-PO invoices, spend authorizations, domestic and international travel claims and cash receipts. - Investigates and resolves errors and discrepancies in financial data. Resolves most queries or errors independently. - Interprets and ensures adherence to specific UBC policies, Faculty of Arts policies, Tri-council and other Research Grant policies. - Reconciles, monitors and investigates and resolves errors and discrepancies on various Worktags (Programs, Grants, Gifts and Projects) as well as petty cash and UBC VISA; taking appropriate corrective actions and following up on outstanding items. Brings significant discrepancies to the attention of grant holders. - Responds to queries by email and in-person, interprets and accurately communicates written policies and procedures. - Reviews funding availability on research grants and follows up in cases of insufficient funding. - Assesses the accuracy of GST, PST and/or HST on invoices and self-assesses such taxes where necessary. - Creates Purchase Requisitions for the issuance of a Purchase Order. Prepares HR Fast Track Assessment Forms for payments made to independent contractors. - Creates Suppliers as necessary. - Prepares, maintains and distributes financial reports, ledgers, Statements of Accounts (Form 300s) and summaries as required. - Participates in the year-end processes and prepare budget variance reports, analysis and financial statements. - Develops expertise in Workday HR business processes. - Assists with updates to departmental financial control systems and prepares material for review during audits. - Participates actively in requirements sessions and design/test sessions for new systems development and roll-out. Trains and supports others in the use of new systems especially during major roll-outs. - Provides input for departmental finance policies and procedures, drafts routine correspondence or basic training material and provides input on the development of training material. - Responsible for the file management and/or archiving of all accounting documentation required to be kept by the Finance Unit; or responsible for returning it as needed to the originating departments. - Performs all other related duties. Consequence of Error/Judgement Work procedures are governed by UBC, granting agency and department policies and practices. Individual sets priorities and m