About the role
About Spark
TELUS Spark Science Centre (Spark), a registered educational charity, exists to entertain and inspire people of all ages through creative encounters with science, engineering, technology, math and art. Spark exists to lift people up with the power of curiosity through creative encounters with science!
Calgary’s science centre is a pioneer in science entertainment and programming, with roots dating back to 1967. Home to one of Western Canada’s largest dome theatre, the Digital Immersion Gallery, VR experiences, and innovative spaces like Steven’s Lab, where interactive experiments unfold before your eyes. From the robot-dog Flint to Canada’s first robot-coa5ter, R05iE, and a 15-acre park surrounding the science of the developing brain, Spark is a hub for creative encounters.
Position Overview
The Director, Finance and IT is a member of the Senior Operating Team with leadership of the Finance and IT departments. This person is responsible for driving financial excellence, overseeing IT infrastructure, and aligning business strategies with financial goals, ensuring the organization remains at the forefront of financial management and technological innovation to support the Spark’s overall objectives. They will lead all financial operations for Spark, including general accounting and financial reporting, financial planning and analysis, internal controls, treasury, and tax, and be accountable for operating policies and procedures to ensure attainment of organizational goals and objectives. This role demands an experienced leader capable of driving financial excellence, ensuring robust IT infrastructure, and working alongside the management team to ensure budgeting, variance reporting and the overall financial health of Spark is shared across the organization. The role reports directly to the President and CEO.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic partner to the CEO and other leaders in the development and implementation of the organization’s strategic vision and strategies for long-term financial sustainability.
- Visible leadership of the complex financial operations of TELUS Spark with a particular focus on the long-term sustainability of the organization and strategies to drive growth in our reserve funds over the next 5 years.
- Work in close partnership with management to build the capacity of managers and a culture of shared accountability for the financial health of Spark.
- Be a strong leader, strategic thinker, excellent communicator and agent of change whose expertise is focused on Spark’s financial health and prudent management of IT assets and cybersecurity.
- Oversee the annual budgeting exercise in close partnership with the management team.
- Oversee the production of financial reports, financial statements and cash flow projections for use by the CEO, leadership team, and Board of Directors.
- Attend and present at board meetings and be the executive lead at all Finance and Audit Committee meetings, liaising regularly with the Committee Chair to provide transparent briefings on financial and IT matters.
- Ensure adequate controls are installed to safeguard financial assets by protecting against mismanagement, fraud, and non-compliance, and that substantiating documentation is approved and available that all accounts pass statutory financial, internal, and governmental audits.
- Analyze and manage cash flow, cost controls and expenses to guide leaders across the organization and to ensure the organization’s needs are met.
- Monitor and maintain treasury and banking activities of the organization.
- Ensure finance, accounting, financial grants management, procurement and auditing policies and procedures are kept current.
- Lead and coordinate changes and improvement in financial and management information systems.
- Lead the IT team to ensure robust and scalable infrastructure, aligning technological initiatives with business needs.
- Develop strategies for leveraging technology to streamline operations, enhance cybersecurity, and drive innovation across business services.
- Model the values of Spark every day.
Qualifications & Knowledge
- 10+ years of progressive experience at a leadership level in finance and IT, demonstrating a strong track record of strategic financial management and IT oversight.
- Must be CPA designated
- Familiar with Xero, Adaptive planning, Tipalti procurement and Microsoft suite of products.
- A strong understanding of non-profit accounting and other compliance requirements required.
- Proficiency in financial management systems, IT infrastructure management, and familiarity with technological advancements relevant to business services.
- Strong analytical skills balanced with sound business judgment and a track record of producing accurate, thoughtful and high-quality work.
- Proactive can-do attitude, taking initiative to lead effectively analyze complex financial and business issues and develop appropriate solutions to improve performance through redesign and continuous improvement in a timely and responsive manner.
- Project management skills for leading strategic initiatives and the annual financial cycle.
- Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
- Strong time management skills and ability to prioritize to meet deadlines
- A high level of critical, logical thinking and analysis coupled with an ability to factor in people and values-centered criteria in problem solving and decision-making.
- Capacity to adapt, handle ambiguity and pivot strategy due to changing dynamics internally and externally.
- A self-assured inspiring leader who cultivates a culture of high performance around them.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work with minimal supervision
- Strong ethics and ability to manage confidential data if required.
We thank all applicants for their interest. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women, people of colour, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Spark, we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace so if you are excited about this role, please apply! Excitement and passion for science can go a long way here so you may be just the right candidate for this or other roles at Spark.
About TELUS Spark Science Centre
We're a place for the curious. As Calgary's science centre, we ignite a sense of wonder and fuel a passion for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM). Collaboration, curiosity, courage and commitment are at the core of who we are. We're a place for people of all ages to discover the ‘why' behind the science.
TELUS Spark is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to be a role model and force for innovation that drives positive change. Our vision? A community transformed by a culture of curiosity, risk-taking and problem solving.
Charitable business number: 118781079 RR0001
About the role
About Spark
TELUS Spark Science Centre (Spark), a registered educational charity, exists to entertain and inspire people of all ages through creative encounters with science, engineering, technology, math and art. Spark exists to lift people up with the power of curiosity through creative encounters with science!
Calgary’s science centre is a pioneer in science entertainment and programming, with roots dating back to 1967. Home to one of Western Canada’s largest dome theatre, the Digital Immersion Gallery, VR experiences, and innovative spaces like Steven’s Lab, where interactive experiments unfold before your eyes. From the robot-dog Flint to Canada’s first robot-coa5ter, R05iE, and a 15-acre park surrounding the science of the developing brain, Spark is a hub for creative encounters.
Position Overview
The Director, Finance and IT is a member of the Senior Operating Team with leadership of the Finance and IT departments. This person is responsible for driving financial excellence, overseeing IT infrastructure, and aligning business strategies with financial goals, ensuring the organization remains at the forefront of financial management and technological innovation to support the Spark’s overall objectives. They will lead all financial operations for Spark, including general accounting and financial reporting, financial planning and analysis, internal controls, treasury, and tax, and be accountable for operating policies and procedures to ensure attainment of organizational goals and objectives. This role demands an experienced leader capable of driving financial excellence, ensuring robust IT infrastructure, and working alongside the management team to ensure budgeting, variance reporting and the overall financial health of Spark is shared across the organization. The role reports directly to the President and CEO.
Key Responsibilities
- Strategic partner to the CEO and other leaders in the development and implementation of the organization’s strategic vision and strategies for long-term financial sustainability.
- Visible leadership of the complex financial operations of TELUS Spark with a particular focus on the long-term sustainability of the organization and strategies to drive growth in our reserve funds over the next 5 years.
- Work in close partnership with management to build the capacity of managers and a culture of shared accountability for the financial health of Spark.
- Be a strong leader, strategic thinker, excellent communicator and agent of change whose expertise is focused on Spark’s financial health and prudent management of IT assets and cybersecurity.
- Oversee the annual budgeting exercise in close partnership with the management team.
- Oversee the production of financial reports, financial statements and cash flow projections for use by the CEO, leadership team, and Board of Directors.
- Attend and present at board meetings and be the executive lead at all Finance and Audit Committee meetings, liaising regularly with the Committee Chair to provide transparent briefings on financial and IT matters.
- Ensure adequate controls are installed to safeguard financial assets by protecting against mismanagement, fraud, and non-compliance, and that substantiating documentation is approved and available that all accounts pass statutory financial, internal, and governmental audits.
- Analyze and manage cash flow, cost controls and expenses to guide leaders across the organization and to ensure the organization’s needs are met.
- Monitor and maintain treasury and banking activities of the organization.
- Ensure finance, accounting, financial grants management, procurement and auditing policies and procedures are kept current.
- Lead and coordinate changes and improvement in financial and management information systems.
- Lead the IT team to ensure robust and scalable infrastructure, aligning technological initiatives with business needs.
- Develop strategies for leveraging technology to streamline operations, enhance cybersecurity, and drive innovation across business services.
- Model the values of Spark every day.
Qualifications & Knowledge
- 10+ years of progressive experience at a leadership level in finance and IT, demonstrating a strong track record of strategic financial management and IT oversight.
- Must be CPA designated
- Familiar with Xero, Adaptive planning, Tipalti procurement and Microsoft suite of products.
- A strong understanding of non-profit accounting and other compliance requirements required.
- Proficiency in financial management systems, IT infrastructure management, and familiarity with technological advancements relevant to business services.
- Strong analytical skills balanced with sound business judgment and a track record of producing accurate, thoughtful and high-quality work.
- Proactive can-do attitude, taking initiative to lead effectively analyze complex financial and business issues and develop appropriate solutions to improve performance through redesign and continuous improvement in a timely and responsive manner.
- Project management skills for leading strategic initiatives and the annual financial cycle.
- Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
- Strong time management skills and ability to prioritize to meet deadlines
- A high level of critical, logical thinking and analysis coupled with an ability to factor in people and values-centered criteria in problem solving and decision-making.
- Capacity to adapt, handle ambiguity and pivot strategy due to changing dynamics internally and externally.
- A self-assured inspiring leader who cultivates a culture of high performance around them.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work with minimal supervision
- Strong ethics and ability to manage confidential data if required.
We thank all applicants for their interest. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women, people of colour, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Spark, we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace so if you are excited about this role, please apply! Excitement and passion for science can go a long way here so you may be just the right candidate for this or other roles at Spark.
About TELUS Spark Science Centre
We're a place for the curious. As Calgary's science centre, we ignite a sense of wonder and fuel a passion for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM). Collaboration, curiosity, courage and commitment are at the core of who we are. We're a place for people of all ages to discover the ‘why' behind the science.
TELUS Spark is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to be a role model and force for innovation that drives positive change. Our vision? A community transformed by a culture of curiosity, risk-taking and problem solving.
Charitable business number: 118781079 RR0001