Manager, Program Financial Support

Role Responsibilities

The Manager, Program Financial Support (PFS) provides overall leadership for the PFS Unit including the provision of direction and guidance on complex financial, business, and systems issues.  As the financial and business expert for Student Financial Services, the Manager is responsible for internal financial accountability and reporting mechanisms and ensures timely and accurate transactions including loan and grant program payments, revenue transactions, student award cancellations, adjustments, grant to loan conversions and tax slip amendments. The Manager is also responsible for monitoring and providing financial information to support the preparation of the annual department budget, loan provisions, scholarship forecasts/cash flows, revenue transactions, year-end journal entries and loan portfolio analysis.

This position provides expertise to support strategic planning, portfolio analysis of the $4.5 billion loan portfolio and decision making by providing information, analyzing proposed changes to program resource implications and systems, identifying impacts of federal and provincial program changes to business and system used; identifying and defining requirements for enhanced information systems, financial records and accountability mechanisms.

In this role, you will be responsible for the following key duties:
 

• Ensure that leadership and direction is provided to unit staff facing consistently changing practices while effectively using superior management practices, working and collaborating with the Public Service Commission to ensure HR policies and the collective agreement requirements are followed and maintaining a positive, productive and effective work environment.
• Oversee allocation of significant financial resources to students and institutions includes Canada Student Loan and Grants, Alberta Student Loan and Grants, more than 70 different scholarships and awards, and funding for adult learning supports approximately $1.5 billion in Canada Student Loans and Grants, approximately $1.3 billion in Alberta Student Loans and Grants and approximately $113 million in scholarships and grants.
• Represent PFS work unit in various committee and working groups such as Student Aid Operational Policy Committee, Coal and Electricity Transition Voucher Operational Committee, Student Aid New Year Working Group, Advanced Education AE Digital Strategy, CSFAP Integration, and 1GX Business Transformation.
• Provide leadership to sector/unit goals to ensure objectives are meet with constant changing priorities and programs.
• Coach and mentor staff through effective leadership to maximize individual and team performance.

Role Responsibilities (Continued)

• Monitors loan and grant expenditures, revenue collections to provide accurate information for budget submission, Ministry Annual Report, and the Ministry three-year business plan.
• Provide analytical feedback for financial implications of policy and program changes impacting budget submission, budget and forecasting for loans.
• Oversee Canada Student Disability Grant for Services and Equipment (CSG-DSE) repayment, reconciliations, and provide detailed repayment information to CSFAP for T4A amendments quarterly.
• Collaborate with CSFAP on debt write offs due to ID fraud.
• Manage the annual submission of the Alberta Student Aid KNOB documents and submit to OAG.
• Work collaboratively with Student Financial Services and Financial Services staff to respond to OAG issues as required.
• Ensure timely processing of loan and grant entitlement files to service providers, 1GX interfaces and invoice payments related to the issuance of scholarship and award payments, annual tax slips for the Alberta Student Aid, manages processing of student loan and grant payments award adjustments, and grant to loan conversions.
• CSAE3416 Audit key auditor liaison with the external audit service provider for the reviews and reporting on controls at DH for the processing of student loans, grants and repayment.
• Identifies system edits/controls, parameters, data variable and reports to ensure OAG requirements are met.
• Research and clarifies business/financial/system requirements with various stakeholders.
• Provide expertise on Program Financial Support business processes and systems used (SFS, SFS Legacy, 1GX, GALAXY systems) and identifies issues, enhancements, and unit requirements.

Please click on this link to view the job description for this position.

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

This link will assist you with understanding competencies:
https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf

 

• Systems Thinking - Considers the impact of strategies and changes on the work of clients, stakeholders, and team members and support organization vision and goals through strategic planning of tasks and considering relationships between different work approaches and their impact on different programs, divisions and ministries.
   
• Creative Problem Solving - Facilitates the creation of a work environment for generating and finding newer ideas to solve existing and potential problems. 
   
• Agility - Possesses an ability to create an adaptable environment and overcome barriers through proactive and flexible approach to work.
   
• Drive for Results - Plans for and delivers results, from concrete deliverables to process improvements, managing resources effectively and ensuring attention to detail.
   
• Develop Networks - Develops and sustains a network of relationships across the division and with other GOA ministries on issues and work with other branches to develop effective communication channels to enhance and maximize the effectiveness of interactions.
   
• Building Collaborative Work Environments - Leads cross functional collaboration and initiate strategic communication systems to anticipate and address potential conflict and builds and atmosphere of genuine trust and teamwork.
   
• Develop Self and Others - Proven ability to foster partnerships and to achieve organizational goals within an organization by adopting a continuous improvement approach to enhance efficiency and productivity among team members.

Qualifications

Requirements:
 

• University graduation in a field related to the position assignment, supplemented by four years related experience. 
• Previous supervisory experience of at least three years.

Knowledge of :
 

• Financial management, accounting, budgeting, forecasting, internal control principles, processes and mechanisms, including generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), Public Sector Accounting Board (PSAB) standards.
• Education funding assistance programs and policies administered on behalf of the federal and provincial governments, including related policies, procedures, and applicable provincial and federal legislations (i.e. Canada Student Loan Policy and Procedures Manual, Assessing Guidelines, Canada Student Loan Act and Regulations, Canada Student Financial Assistance Act and Regulations, Alberta Student Financial Assistance Act and Regulations, Alberta Heritage Scholarship Act and Regulations).
• Government and Ministry business plan goals, strategic and policy directions, priorities, and objectives.
• MS Office Products including Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook.
• Excellent Verbal and Written Communication Skills.
• Project Management and experience of working on multiple complex projects.
• Experience working with Change Management. 
• Excellent writing and communication skills.

Equivalency:
 

• Related experience or education may be considered as an equivalency on a one for one basis depending on the applicable statutory or unique requirements of the position, specific qualifications may apply.

Assets:
 

• A completed or in progress professional accounting designation like CPA/CA/CMA/CGA or other Accounting and Finance related professional designation other than those listed above.
• Program delivery and accountability requirements associated with student loan and grant funding to students attending post-secondary institutions.

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification.

Refer to https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-minimum-recruitment-standards.

Notes

Final candidates will be required to undergo a security screening.

Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses, will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in.

Links and information on what the GoA has to offer to prospective employees:
 

• Working for the Alberta Public Service - https://www.alberta.ca/about-the-alberta-public-service
• Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) - https://www.pspp.ca
• Management Employees Pension Plan (MEPP) - https://www.mepp.ca
• Alberta Public Service Benefit Information - https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-benefits
• Professional learning and development - https://www.alberta.ca/professional-development-support-directive
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool – https://researchapscareers.alberta.ca
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance
• Opportunity to participate in flexible work arrangements such as working from home up to two days per week and modified work schedule agreement
• Leadership and mentorship programs