Job ID: 43381

Job Category: Finance, Accounting & Purchasing

Division & Section: Financial Planning, Fin Plng Corp Financial Plng&Mgmt Team 1

Work Location: CITY HALL, 100 Queen St W, Toronto, M5H 2N1

Job Type & Duration: Temporary, Full-time, 12 month vacancy

Salary: $112,000.00 - $144,200.00

Shift Information: Monday to Friday, 35 hours per week

Affiliation: Non-union

Number of Positions Open: 1

Posting Period: 15-Feb-2024 to 07-Mar-2024

The Senior Financial Planning Analyst is expected to monitor and report on the City’s financial performance, providing oversight and ensuring compliance with financial planning and management policies and guidelines, and City financial and budgetary controls in order to fulfill the City’s fiscal management and accountability responsibilities, and financial stewardship obligations. This includes providing strategic financial and business analysis and advice to ensure informed decision-making by all levels of management, Committees, and City Council.

Major Responsibilities of All Positions:

• Prepares and presents reports, policy papers, briefing notes and/or presentations regarding strategic, financial and operational issues that are either within the purview of assigned programs, or corporate in nature to senior management and/or Committees of Council, providing comprehensive corporate budget data and analysis; identification of all relevant issues and appropriate recommendations for decision-making.
• Effectively participates in the development of strategic and innovative approaches, financial strategies and analytical techniques and ensures the effective provision of senior level advice, guidance, assistance and analytical services, providing fiscally sustainable solutions to meeting the City's fiscal challenges, including cost containment and revenue maximization.
• Identifies, verifies and analyzes quantitative and qualitative factors such as the analysis of performance trends, unit cost of service and benchmarks to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery.
• Provides senior management counsel in the budget and reporting processes, responding to ad hoc issues and requests for new, immediate program-specific or corporate information and being accountable to Councillors, Committees and Council for the collection, analysis and dissemination of that information and resolution of those emergent issues.
• Conducts short and long term financial planning studies, analysis and research regarding the economic and operational impact of planned or probable changes in the City’s scope, structure, functions and finances, providing strategic advice on financial issues
• Establishes and maintains productive relations with Budget Committee members, Councillors, the City Manager, Deputy City Managers, the Chief Financial Officer, client General Managers and heads of Agencies, Boards & Commissions and other orders of government and briefs and advises on financial planning and management policies and protocols as well as other key City policies and legislation and their application to all matters having financial or performance implications, fiscal challenges and strategies, and the budgetary process.
• Supports the development and participates in the delivery of the City's public consultation process.
• Manages the provision of expert financial support and advice to Budget Committee, Executive Committee and Council that supplements the City Clerk’s management and recording of budget meeting proceedings. Participates in/leads debriefing sessions with all client groups that supports continuous improvements in the City's financial planning and management services, processes and policies.
• Participates in special project teams relating to Council-directed, corporate, inter-program or services-specific initiatives or issues, providing sound strategic financial analysis and advice for recommendation, resolution and implementation.
• Monitors and evaluates in-year expenditure and revenue performance, compared to approved budgets and performance measures, reporting on causes for variances and recommending mitigating strategies.

Client Portfolios

Support and challenge clients (City Divisions, Agencies and Corporations) with breadth of financial knowledge, political acuity, and understanding issues from City-wide perspective.

• Acts as primary financial advisor to any assigned portfolio, providing strategic and expert financial planning, management and oversight, including business and service analysis as well as budget estimates and submissions during annual budget process.
• Facilitates budget briefings and reviews; providing financial advisory services during the budget process.
• Reviews and analyzes all City staff reports from assigned client programs and agencies with financial implications prior to submission to Standing Committees, Budget Committee and Notices of Motion to Council and provides "sign-off" on behalf of the CFO as required by the Financial Control By-law.
• Collaborates with client programs and agencies, ensuring on-going adherence to Council approved financial protocols, controls, policies and procedures for program operating and capital budgets, reviewing and approving allotments, budget transfers and supplementary adjustments.
• Advises client programs and agencies in the development, implementation, enhancement and use of corporate systems and tools that facilitate the preparation, analysis, consolidation and reporting for service planning, budgeting and performance management and that comply with corporate policies and financial planning requirements to support strategic corporate and political decision-making.

Corporate Projects and Planning

Develops, reviews and supports corporate financial planning and management policies and processes (both operating and capital budget). Responsible for the following:

• Contributes to the provision of media releases and background information to the media, Councillors and the public regarding the City budget/budget process as well as City financial planning and management policies and other financial or service-based information on behalf of the City.
• Leads multi-disciplinary project teams and working groups, applying proven project management methodologies including comprehensive work plans, key deliverables, and contingency planning, and time management.
• Coordinates complex tasks and advance work, drive consensus building, and promote collaboration on strategic plans for the delivery of complex City-wide initiatives.
• Provides guidance, advice and support to key stakeholders on report writing, interpretation of provincial regulations, and consolidation of financial information; and assists with the developing/formatting of PowerPoint, Excel and Word templates, presentations, etc.
• Conducts complex data mining and analysis of financial information and provides the aggregation of key findings, issues and recommendations.
• Organizes, coordinates and prepares documents and presentations for project team meetings, senior leadership, as well as preliminary briefings and Standing Committee meetings.
• Manages assigned projects, ensuring effective teamwork and communication, high standards of work quality and organizational performance.

Key Qualifications:

1. Post-secondary education in Public Administration, Business Administration, Financial Management, Accounting or a related discipline or the equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
2. Considerable experience in business planning or financial management such as the application of principles and practices of service, (business) planning and evaluation, , operating and capital budget formulation, financial analysis/reporting including reporting of capital assets, and asset management planning and forecasting.
3. Considerable experience in preparing comprehensive reports and presentations and analyzing, interpreting and summarizing information for the purpose of supporting decision-making regarding financial, budgetary, policy and/or service issues.
4. Experience with enterprise wide systems including human resources, accounting or budgeting, (e.g. SAP).
5. Expert knowledge in the use of Microsoft Office Suite (i.e. Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Access), raw data manipulation / data modelling, and preparation of reports to support decision making purposes.
6. Strong research, analytical and conceptual thinking skills, with the capacity to understand complex financial, service, operating and policy issues, program interrelationships and the potential results and outcomes of policy actions, and the ability to conceptualize and develop options and recommendations to support decision-making
7. Highly developed interpersonal, human relations, negotiation, conflict resolution, and problem solving skills, with the ability to collaborate, interact and communicate effectively with client programs and agencies, and to forge solid, effective internal and external relationships as a member of the Financial Planning Division.
8. Ability to exercise independent judgment and discretion in handling matters of confidential, proprietary or sensitive nature as they relate to Council and other senior staff, public and personnel relations.
9. Ability to prioritize and communicate important issues from a fiscal and political/policy perspective, manage multiple tasks under minimal supervision and produce results within tight timeframes.
10. Ability to support the Toronto Public Service values to ensure a culture that champions equity, diversity and respectful workplaces.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The City is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to creating a workplace culture of inclusiveness that reflects the diverse residents that we serve. Learn more about the City’s commitment to employment equity.

Accommodation

The City of Toronto is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We are committed to providing barrier-free and accessible employment practices in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Should you require Code-protected accommodation through any stage of the recruitment process, please make them known when contacted and we will work with you to meet your needs. Disability-related accommodation during the application process is available upon request. Learn more about the City’s Hiring Policies and Accommodation Process.