Business Officer and Assistant to the Director

Date Posted: 10/27/2026
Req ID: 50788
Faculty/Division: Faculty of Arts & Science
Department: Cinema Studies
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)
Position Number: 00058801
Existing Vacancy: Yes

Description:

About us:

The Faculty of Arts & Science is the heart of Canada’s leading university and one of the most comprehensive and diverse academic divisions in the world. The strength of Arts & Science derives from our combined teaching and research excellence in the humanities, sciences and social sciences across 29 departments, seven colleges and 46 interdisciplinary centres, institutes and programs.

We can only realize our mission with the dedication and excellence of engaged staff and faculty. The diversity of opportunities and perspectives within the Faculty reflect the local and global landscape and the need for curiosity, innovative thinking and collaboration. At Arts & Science, we take pride in our legacy of innovation and discovery that has changed the way we think about the world.

The Cinema Studies Institute (CSI) is one of the most established and longstanding units devoted to the study of cinema in North America. Offering an exceptionally challenging and diverse undergraduate program of study and an innovative and rigorous suite of graduate programs, CSI covers a host of national cinemas with a global reach and our faculty utilize a wide arrange of methodologies for the study of moving image-media.

Your opportunity:

As the Business Officer and Assistant to the Director, you will play a central role in supporting faculty, staff, graduate students, and academic leadership within the Cinema Studies Institute. This position provides comprehensive financial and administrative support to the Institute. This involves advising academic leadership on a variety of complex financial and human resources issues, liaising with Innis for facility needs, ensuring compliance with the university’s Guide to Financial Management, evaluating financial objectives, preparing and providing advice regarding the department budget, analyzing financial reports, and preparing explanations for budget variances. You will manage administrative matters, identify urgent matters of high importance and respond to, redirect, or refer up based on understanding of priorities and activities of the Director and the Institute. You will compose correspondence, reports and other communications; and you will coordinate the Director’s schedule while maintaining a high standard of confidentiality. Working under the provision of University policies and guidelines, you will provide high-level administrative support and coordination for academic processes, including academic searches, tenure, promotion and PTR, and coordinate and support the related committees. You will also assist with the completion of faculty research grant proposals.

Your responsibilities will include:

- Forecasting, planning and monitoring multiple complex budgets

- Analyzing financial trends and preparing analytical reports and forecasts for management decision making

- Monitoring department budget to ensure expenditures remain within budgeted allocations

- Applying the University Guide to Financial Management and other applicable policies, agency and regulatory requirements

- Fostering cooperative working relationships with a wide variety of internal and external contacts

- Liaising with clients and vendors to resolve minor complaints and address issues

- Preparing draft employment letters using templates

- Coordinating the tenure, promotion, three-year and sessional lecturer review processes

Essential Qualifications:

- Bachelor's Degree in commerce, accounting and/or finance or acceptable combination of equivalent experience.

- Minimum (4) four years' relevant, progressively responsible experience in financial administration and operational support, preferably in a post-secondary environment.

- Experience developing monitoring, forecasting and reconciling multiple budgets and funding sources.

- Experience with verifying and processing all accounts payable and receivable activities, and expense reimbursements.

- Experience providing administrative support to senior leadership which includes, drafting letters, writing routine documents, scheduling appointments etc.

- Experience processing payroll for appointed and non-appointed staff, generating reports, and troubleshooting and resolving payroll discrepancies.

- Experience preparing financial analyses, budget variance reports, forecasts, and management reports to support decision-making.

- Experience with academic search process including managing applications on applicant tracking systems such as SAP Success Factors, notifying candidates, and preparing itineraries

- Experiencewith tenure and review process support by preparing portfolios for Committee review, scheduling meetings, submitting reports to the Faculty.

- Demonstrated ability to apply collective agreements, employment legislation, privacy requirements, and university policies and procedures.

- Ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, and confidentiality when handling sensitive financial and personnel information.

- Experience working in a post-secondary or public-sector environment is an asset.

- CPA designation or equivalent financial management credential preferred.

- Excellent written communication skills with the ability to prepare reports, correspondence, procedures, and documentation.

- Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, along with experience using enterprise financial and human resources information systems

- Strong customer service orientation with the ability to resolve issues diplomatically and professionally.

To be successful in this role you will be:

- Accountable

- Meticulous

- Multi-tasker

- Organized

- Proactive

- Problem solver

Closing Date: 11/10/2026, 11:59PM ET
Employee Group: USW
Appointment Type : Budget - Continuing
Schedule: Full-Time
Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone:
USW Pay Band 13 -- $89,794 with an annual step progression to a maximum of $114,832. Pay scale and job class assignment is subject to determination pursuant to the Job Evaluation/Pay Equity Maintenance Protocol.
Job Category: Arts & Culture
Divisional HR Office Email: [email protected]

Lived Experience Statement
Candidates who are members of Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, persons with disabilities, and other equity deserving groups are encouraged to apply, and their lived experience shall be taken into consideration as applicable to the posted position.

Job descriptions are available upon request for internal applicants.