The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.
Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.
Job End Date
OngoingJob Summary
We are seeking a strategic and results-oriented Finance Modernization Implementation Manager to lead enterprise-level transformation initiatives, with a focus on process improvement and program delivery for finance transformation initiatives. You will work closely with cross-functional stakeholders—including Finance, IT, HR, and business units to coordinate and drive modernization efforts across financial processes, reporting structures, and operating models. This role emphasizes project and program management leadership rather than technical systems design.
The ideal candidate combines strong project management expertise with deep knowledge of finance operations, data flows, system design, and integration. You will work across Finance, IT, and Business teams to modernize and streamline the finance function, enabling improved decision-making, operational efficiency, and scalability.
Organizational Status
This position reports to the Executive Director, Transformation. The manager will liaise and communicate with campus departments and users, and is responsible for ongoing interaction with internal organizations (UBC’s central finance teams, central HR, IT, the Office of the Provost & VP Academic, UBCO, the VP Students portfolio, etc.), as well as engagement with external consultants, faculty, staff, students, and the general public. The nature of project management requires that numerous resource people, including staff, consultants, and contractors may report to the Manager. As the complexity of projects vary the cost and number of resources vary.
Work Performed
Project and Program Management
Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of finance modernization initiatives, ensuring clear scope, timelines, deliverables, and governance.
Identify and assess new project opportunities aligned with strategic and operational needs.
Develop new business cases and project proposals, including recommendations on which initiatives should proceed.
Oversee the launch and initiation of approved projects, ensuring strong project controls and alignment with enterprise priorities.
Makes decisions related to project management approaches, budgets, and the confirmation of resource needs (people, financial and logistical).
Facilitate decision‑making across Finance, HR, IT, and business units to align project activities with strategic objectives.
Manage project risks, interdependencies, and resource needs across multiple workstreams.
Systems & Technology Enablement (Non-technical Project Oversight)
In collaboration with technical leads and key stakeholders, ensure shape and direct the implementation or optimization of finance systems and tools (e.g., Oracle Cloud, SAP S/4HANA, Workday Financials, Anaplan, OneStream, Hyperion), without owning technical design or systems architecture.
Work with technical teams to support activities such as data migration, system configuration, testing, and deployment.
Define and oversee system integration points with HR, procurement, grants, enrollment, as required.
Process Optimization & Automation
Analyze existing finance processes (e.g., close, consolidation, planning, reporting) to identify inefficiencies and standardization opportunities.
Provides strategic direction for workstream activities focused on automation solutions in partnership with process owners and technical specialists (e.g., RPA, workflow tools, data pipelines) to reduce manual effort and improve data accuracy and timeliness.
In consultation with key stakeholders, drives the creation of a global chart of accounts, standardized data models, and common reporting hierarchies.
Governance, Controls & Compliance
Ensure transformed processes incorporate strong internal controls, compliance standards, and audit readiness.
Support the design of role-based access, segregation of duties (SoD), and controls within financial systems.
Stakeholder Management & Change Readiness
Work with finance leadership, IT, and external vendors to manage priorities, scope, and resource alignment.
Provide updates to steering committees, sponsors, and executive stakeholders.
Develop communication strategies and plans to support coordination across teams, senior leaders and the campus community.
Assess organizational readiness and lead change activities by creating a clear vision and fostering a collaborative, collegial environment across all levels within the university.
Ensures support of change management efforts to promote user adoption and training across the finance organization.
Consequence of Error/Judgement
Excellent judgment and accuracy is critical. They perform a critical role for UBC, enabling the organization to execute on strategic initiatives and enhancing operational effectiveness. Poor decisions may negatively impact asset stewardship, maintenance and regulatory compliance. Errors in judgment, poor decisions or advice, or failure to act decisively may have a detrimental impact on the University’s reputation and its world class facilities.
Supervision Received
Works under the supervision of the Executive Director, Transformation and in accordance with established mandates of achievements of executive goals. Work is reviewed in terms of achievement of long-term strategic goals.
Supervision Given
Provides direction and guidance to UBC staff and consultants /contractors to ensure that projects and improvement initiatives are completed successfully. Monitors progress of projects and leads activities to ensure that deadlines are met.
Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of seven years of related experience, or the equivalent
combination of education and experience.
Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own.
Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Preferred Qualifications
PMP, PRINCE2, PSM or other project management certification preferred.
Experience with ERP (e.g., Workday, SAP, Oracle) or EPM (e.g., Anaplan, Hyperion, OneStream) implementations or enhancements is highly valued.
Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Information Systems, or related field (Master's degree or MBA an asset).
Extensive experience in project management experience, ideally in large-scale transformation or finance-related projects.
Skills & Competencies
Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams through complex change initiatives.
Strategic thinking and business acumen to align transformation with organizational goals
Analytical and problem-solving mindset to navigate complex dependencies and identify opportunities for innovation
Adaptability and organizational agility to operate effectively in dynamic, evolving environments
Strong knowledge of project management methodologies and tools (e.g., MS Project, JIRA, Smartsheet).
Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to analyze processes, identify improvement opportunities, and drive practical solutions.
Familiarity with change management principles (e.g., Prosci/ADKAR) is an asset.