This is an exciting prospect to shape the future of one of McMaster's most dynamic and entrepreneurial portfolios. As the Associate Director, Finance, Ancillary Operations, you will provide strategic financial leadership across five diverse and revenue-generating businesses, including Housing & Conference Services, Hospitality Services, The Campus Store, Media Production Services, and Parking Services, overseeing a portfolio of approximately $112 million in annual operations. In this newly created role, you will play a pivotal part in designing and leading a shared-services finance model, driving operational excellence, strengthening financial sustainability, and influencing key business decisions that enhance the experience of students, employees, and campus visitors.

Working closely with senior leaders across the University, you will have a unique prospect to build something new, modernize financial practices, and help position McMaster's ancillary enterprises for long-term success and growth.

Job Summary:

The Associate Director, Finance – Ancillary Operations provides strategic and operational leadership for the full range of financial activities across the Ancillary Operations portfolio, including Housing and Conference Services Hospitality Services, Campus Store, Parking Services, Media Production Services, and other assigned operations. The role is accountable for integrating financial planning and analysis, accounting and financial operations, financial reporting, controls, revenue and pricing analysis, and business performance management to support the financial sustainability and effective operation of the portfolio.

The Associate Director provides strategic financial advice to support business planning, investment, resource allocation, revenue generation, pricing, and operational decision-making. The role provides oversight of portfolio financial activities and establishes effective financial management practices, controls, and evaluate and improve processes across diverse operations.

Through a functional reporting relationship to the Controller, the Associate Director ensures Ancillary Operations financial activities are aligned with institutional accounting requirements, financial policies, controls, systems, and reporting standards, while representing the financial and business requirements of Ancillary Operations within the broader University finance function.

Accountabilities:

1. Financial & Business Leadership

- Provide financial leadership across the Ancillary Operations portfolio, integrating financial priorities and activities across diverse revenue-generating operations.
- Lead the development and execution of annual budgets, forecasts, multi-year financial plans, and longer-term financial strategies aligned with portfolio and institutional objectives.
- Serve as the senior financial advisor to the Executive Director and Ancillary leadership team on financial sustainability, resource allocation, investment, and financial performance.




- Establish financial priorities and plans for the portfolio and provide direction on how financial objectives and targets will be achieved.

2. Financial Planning, Revenue & Business Performance

- Provide leadership and financial advice related to revenue generation, revenue diversification, pricing strategies, capital and deferred maintenance planning and strategies, cost-recovery models, margins, and financial sustainability.
- Partner with business leaders to evaluate and shape new services, business opportunities, service delivery models, building and space refresh planning, and revenue-generating initiatives.
- Establish approaches for assessing profitability, margins, return on investment, break-even points, and other measures of financial and business performance.
- Monitor market, demand, volume, revenue, cost, and other business drivers and assess their implications for portfolio financial performance in collaboration with campus business partners.
- Identify significant financial risks and opportunities and lead the development of strategies to improve business and financial outcomes.

3. Accounting, Financial Operations & Reporting

- Provide oversight of accounting, financial reporting, and transactional financial activities across Ancillary Operations, ensuring accurate, timely, efficient, and appropriately controlled financial operations.
- Ensure appropriate oversight of revenue and expenditure transactions, accounts receivable and payable activities, internal and external billings, reconciliations, journal entries, and other portfolio financial processes.
- Ensure appropriate accounting treatment, internal controls, documentation, approvals, reconciliations, and financial controls are consistently applied across operations.
- Oversee portfolio financial reporting, including financial results, forecasts, variance analysis, revenue, expenses, margins, and other key financial measures.
- Establish explicit roles, responsibilities, service expectations, internal controls and processes for financial activities undertaken within Ancillary Operations.
- Resolve complex accounting and financial management issues in collaboration with the Controller and other areas of central Finance.
- Lead opportunities to standardize, streamline, and automate financial processes while maintaining appropriate financial controls and service levels.
- Lead and manage all internal and external financial audit processes; including the year-end process in collaboration with central Finance.

4. Financial Governance, Controls & Stewardship

- Establish and maintain effective financial management practices, processes, and controls across the Ancillary Operations portfolio.
- Ensure portfolio financial activities comply with University policies, accounting requirements, financial controls,



and applicable regulatory requirements.
- Interpret institutional financial requirements and determine appropriate approaches for implementation across the portfolio.
- Assess the effectiveness of portfolio financial controls and lead corrective action in response to identified risks, deficiencies, or compliance issues.
- Support internal and external audit activities and ensure appropriate resolution of findings related to portfolio financial operations.
- Promote and advance financial accountability, stewardship, and consistent application of financial practices across Ancillary Operations.
- Recommend improvements to financial policies, practices, and controls based on changing business requirements and identified risks.

5. Partnership & Institutional Alignment

- Serve as the primary financial partner to the Executive Director, Ancillary Operations and provide financial leadership to the broader Ancillary leadership team.
- Translate complex financial, operational, and business information into clear insights and recommendations for senior decision-makers.
- Present financial performance, forecasts, business cases, risks, opportunities, and recommendations to senior leadership and other decision-making forums.
- Build effective relationships with the Controller, central Finance functions to ensure alignment between portfolio and institutional financial requirements.
- Represent Ancillary Operations in institutional financial planning, budgeting, reporting, accounting, and financial process discussions.
- Ensure portfolio financial plans, accounting practices, reporting, systems, and controls align with institutional frameworks and standards.
- Contribute to University-wide financial initiatives and provide input into institutional practices and processes based on the needs and complexity of revenue-generating operations.

6. People Leadership

- Lead, develop, and provide direction to financial professionals supporting the Ancillary Services portfolio.
- Establish annual objectives, priorities, accountabilities, and performance expectations aligned with portfolio and institutional financial objectives.
- Delegate operational financial activities appropriately to enable effective oversight of the broader finance function and focus on portfolio-level priorities and longer-term planning.
- Coach and develop financial staff and provide guidance on complex financial, accounting, analytical, and business issues.
- Ensure appropriate quality assurance and review of financial planning, analysis, reporting, accounting, and transactional activities.
- Build financial management capability and strengthen financial literacy and accountability across Ancillary Services.
- Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, service excellence, sound financial stewardship, and accountability.

The salary band for this position is currently under review. The anticipated hiring range for the position is $115,000 - $150,000, annually.

How To Apply To apply for this job, please submit your application online.

📌 Associate Director of Finance (Canada)
🏢 McMaster University
📍 Canada