Financial Analyst - TERM

About Red Deer
Red Deer sits at the heart of Central Alberta along the QEII corridor, perfectly positioned between Calgary and Edmonton. With more than 100,000 residents and a regional reach of over 300,000, it’s a growing hub for business, services, and opportunity.

Here, big-city amenities meet small-city ease. Enjoy abundant parks and trails, vibrant arts and culture, excellent recreation and education, and a strong sense of community.

With easy access to lakes, outdoor adventures, and the mountains, plus a thriving economy and high quality of life, Red Deer is an inviting place to live, work, and grow.

About The City of Red Deer Municipal Government
The City of Red Deer is a dynamic municipal organization with a $480M operating budget, a $60M capital program, and a workforce of nearly 1,700 employees. It is focused on growing with purpose by attracting talented, community-minded people who want to make a difference.

Guided by the vision “Our City, One Voice,” Red Deer is building a thriving, inclusive, and connected community, with priorities centered on a vibrant economy, community wellbeing, and strong engagement.

At its core, the City values its people, embracing diverse perspectives and fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and shared success.

The Opportunity:
The City of Red Deer is currently recruiting for a Financial Analyst to fill a 2-year Full-time Term position. The Financial Analyst is responsible for analyzing, facilitating, developing and interpreting financial information and legislation in the budget, business process, systems and financial reporting areas. The Financial Analyst is also responsible for reporting, documenting, monitoring and reviewing controls and integrity. A high degree of professional judgement and independence is required in performing these duties while supporting City departments and maintaining strong working relationships with stakeholders.

Top Key Responsibilities:

1. Lead Corporate Financial Planning and Reporting - Lead the planning, preparation, analysis, and review of major corporate financial processes, including annual budgets, month-end and year-end reporting, audits, and financial forecasts.
2. Conduct Financial Analysis and Business Case Evaluations - Analyze contracts, agreements, business plans, financial feasibility studies, economic assumptions, variances, and operational performance to support decision-making.
3. Manage Financial Systems and Process Improvements - Plan, design, implement, test, and optimize financial systems, applications, upgrades, integrations, and related business processes.
4. Provide Strategic Financial Advice and Recommendations - Advise management on financial policies, procedures, controls, business practices, project feasibility, and process improvements.
5. Lead and Facilitate Corporate Projects - Manage financial and business transformation projects by coordinating resources, monitoring progress, resolving issues, and ensuring successful implementation.
6. Develop and Maintain Financial Controls and Governance Frameworks - Establish and monitor internal controls, audit trails, reconciliation standards, security requirements, and compliance measures to safeguard financial integrity.
7. Ensure Legislative and Accounting Compliance - Interpret and apply GAAP, PSAB, MGA, taxation requirements, contracts, and corporate policies to ensure compliance and minimize organizational risk.
8. Prepare and Present Financial Reports and Information - Develop financial statements, management reports, business cases, projections, regulatory filings, and executive-level presentations for stakeholders.
9. Build Strong Stakeholder Relationships and Provide Consultation - Collaborate with departments, leadership, external partners, vendors, and contractors to identify requirements, solve business challenges, and improve service delivery.
10. Deliver Financial Training and Organizational Support - Assess training needs, develop financial training materials, deliver education programs, and provide guidance to managers and staff on financial processes and systems.

As our preferred candidate, you will have:

• Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), or equivalent education and experience may be considered.
• Five years related accounting experience, significant experience with complex financial applications in a computerized environment, and strong knowledge of GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles). Preference will be given for experience in:
  
  • Implementation and upgrade experience for systems including setup and testing
  • Project management and/or project teamwork
    Financial impact analysis and/or business process development and documentation
  • Coordination of multi-departmental budgets or guidelines
  • Development and implementation of process changes
  • Budget monitoring/variance analysis
  • Internal or external audit
  • Experience with auditing.
  • Experience with financial statement preparation.
  • Experience with PC software such as Microsoft Office suite including Excel, Word, Access, Microsoft Project and PowerPoint. Knowledge of PeopleSoft financial software is considered an asset.
  • Municipal fund accounting including the requirements of the MGA (Municipal Government Act) and the Public Sector Accounting Board (PSAB) etc.

Competencies:
The following are specific to this position:

• Ability to apply advanced accounting principles, knowledge and skills to the maintenance of a complex set of accounting and budgeting records. Ability to perform financial and budgetary analyses, prepare complete financial reports and complex account reconciliation.
• Ability to deal effectively, both verbally and in writing, with the public, other City departments and agencies, including in conflict situations. Must regularly communicate with software consultants, customers, vendors and other organizations such as the city’s external auditors, city solicitor, etc.
• Ability to work with considerable independence and to demonstrate initiative and resourcefulness in establishing and achieving business objectives.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential subject matter, which, if improperly handled, would have a significant negative impact on The City.
  

Specific Demands of the Job:

• Frequent periods of stress, associated with resolving problems and meeting deadlines.
• Must quickly prioritize work while dealing with frequent interruptions and conflicting priorities.
• Required to work outside regular business hours, including weekends and holidays, in order to meet deadlines, especially during budget reviews.
  

Affiliation: Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 417
Status: Term Full-time
Remuneration: $47.37 to $50.16 per hour
Hours of Work: 75 hours biweekly; Monday to Friday, some evening and weekend work may be required when needed.

Additional Information: The term of this position is anticipated to be approximately 24 months.

The City of Red Deer does not permit the use of unauthorized internet resources or Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools (for example, Copilot, ChatGPT or any other form of AI) during interviews or any supervised or timed assessments. Any violation may be investigated and result in serious consequences, including the rejection of your application.

We thank you for your application. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

We are a municipal government, eager to meet tomorrow's challenges. Our employees are the cornerstone of our organization. We are always seeking creative and skilled individuals with the ability and desire to lead in our dynamic workplace. Each of our employees brings diverse experiences and perspectives, as well as unique skills and talents to the job. Our diverse employee base ensures an environment where individual, team, and organizational successes are embraced and celebrated. We strive to ensure a supportive and respectful work environment for all. Employees are treated fairly and have equal opportunity within the organization to thrive and attain their highest potential. We welcome your application and look forward to discussing how The City of Red Deer can become your next career choice.