Assistant Director – Finance

Application Deadline: January 16, 2026

Position Title: Assistant Director – Finance

Classification: Research Support Manager (Research Non-Unionized)

Start Date: As soon as possible

Salary: $100,000 – 115,000 per annum, depending on education and years of experience

Hours: 40 hours/week

Contract Length: One year with the possibility of extension subject to continued availability of research funding

Primary Investigator: Prof. Jason Edward Lewis

Supervisor: Reports to Prof. Jason Edward Lewis, Nominated Principal Investigator (NPI) and Co-Director, with supporting supervision by the Associate Director of Research Operations

Work Schedule: Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm (although may involve work outside of regular work schedule)

Work Model: In-person, with hybrid flexibility (at the NPI's discretion, in alignment with project needs)

Location: Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace, 1515 St. Catherine West, EV-11.625, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada

Pour consulter la version française de l'offre d'emploi, veuillez cliquer sur ce lien:

Who We Are

Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace (AbTeC) is a research studio-lab of artists, academics, activists, and technologists exploring the intersections between Indigenous creative practice, cultural expression & knowledge frameworks and digital & networked technologies. Prof. Jason Edward Lewis is AbTeC's Primary Investigator (PI). AbTeC is part of the Indigenous Futures Research Centre (IFRC), which, in turn, is part of Concordia's Milieux Institute for Arts, Culture and Technology. AbTeC is based at Concordia University (Montreal). See

AbTeC is home for Abundant Intelligences. Abundant Intelligences is an ambitious, large-scale ($28 million), six-year research partnership exploring how to integrate Indigenous Knowledges and Artificial Intelligence systems. It is conducted by an international research team co-directed by Prof. Lewis and Prof. Hemi Whaanga at Massey University (New Zealand). The research team consists of 48 co-investigators and collaborators at 13 universities/research institutes and 8 community-based organizations across 18 time zones. We are artists, computer scientists, community knowledge-holders, historians, designers, neuroscientists, linguists, sociologists, and more, with representation from 15 Indigenous nations. See

Position Description

We are seeking a highly organized and analytical Assistant Director – Finance to manage the financial administration of research and restricted funds at AbTeC. The ideal candidate will ensure effective budgeting, partner finance coordination, proactive forecasting, and financial compliance for a complex research portfolio. They will bring deep experience helping manage multi-year, multi-institutional research programs; strong technical and operational skills; and the ability to collaborate effectively with academic leaders, research partners, and internal administrative units.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Planning & Program Support
• Collaborate with program leadership to renew strategic plans, monitor progress toward annual goals, and support long-term program objectives.
• Participate in the annual strategic planning cycle, supporting data analysis and reporting for executive-level decision-making.
• People Management
• Hire, train, supervise, direct and motivate financial support staff, including but not limited to overseeing and modifying workflow and processes, ensuring staff have clear priorities, manageable workloads, and the resources to work effectively and creatively. Maintain records and ensure accurate HR management.
• Grant Financial Management
• Manage post-award finance operations for federal and provincial grants, including large-scale, multi-year programs (SSHRC Partnership Grant, NFRF Transformation Grant).
• Oversee program budgets, expenditures, commitments, and variances across multiple institutions and partners.
• Prepare and maintain detailed financial forecasts and scenario analyses to support program planning and decision-making.
• Ensure ongoing compliance with agency guidelines, institutional policies, and grant agreements.
• Internal and External Stakeholder Collaboration
• Maintaining regular strategic communication with the Office of the Vice-President, Research, Innovation, and Impact (OVPRII), Financial Services, Human Resources, University Secretariat, external research partners, and nonprofit organizations for the purposes of providing expert financial guidance to Co-Directors, the Steering Committee, research partners, and federal and provincial sponsors.
• Coordinate with external research partners across universities and nonprofit organizations to support financial reporting, fund transfers, and compliance requirements.
• Serve as a financial liaison to Co-Directors, Steering Committee, research partners, Funding Agency
• Contract, Transfers & Payroll Administration
• Oversee the administration of contracts, including payroll processing, discrepancy resolution, and coordination with HR.
• Prepare Transfer of Funds Agreements and process distribution of funds to partner institutions.
• Support budgeting for internal calls for research subprojects and participate in jury evaluations of proposed projects.
• Data Visualization, Dashboards & Automation
• Design, maintain, and optimize interactive financial dashboards using Power BI to support PIs, Co-Directors, and international collaborators.
• Produce clear, actionable visualizations for budget utilization, spending trends, and forecasting.
• Optimization of Financial Operations
• Under the direction of the Associate Director of Research Operations and NPI, oversee the integration of financial operational functions across the organization to ensure alignment with strategic frameworks, project goals, compliance requirements, and funder expectations. Monitor overall resource use, project reporting timelines, and financial administrative systems to ensure they support long-term effectiveness, accountability, and impact.
• AbTeC Studio-Lab Collaboration
• Other duties as necessary for the efficient functioning of the research unit.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or related field; CPA or graduate degree an asset.
• 3–5+ years of experience in research finance, post-award management, or institutional grant administration.
• Demonstrated experience managing multi-million-dollar research grants involving multiple institutions and partners.
• Proficiency with financial systems, budgeting tools, and data visualization platforms (Power BI required).
• Proven ability to lead and manage finance or administrative teams with strong organizational and administrative skills.
• Strong understanding of Tri-Agency and provincial research funding policies.
• Excellent spoken and written English, combined with diplomacy, sensitivity, and cultural awareness to work effectively with scholars, students, partners, and Indigenous communities.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively, demonstrating adaptability, curiosity, and responsiveness within evolving networks.
• Proficiency with Google Suite, Microsoft Office, Slack, Asana, and the capacity to quickly learn new digital platforms.
• Ability to prioritize work and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to work under pressure with overlapping priorities and deadlines in a high-volume unit.

Assets

• Experience with SAP Concur, Ariba, and SAP S/4 HANA.
• Experience working in a post-secondary environment.
• Experience contributing to national and international collaborations.
• Experience developing automated workflows using Microsoft tools (SharePoint, Power Automate).
• Good knowledge of written and spoken French.
• Experience working with Indigenous communities and organizations.

Category

This Research Support Manager position is non-unionized. Your employment will be governed by Concordia University policies available on the university's policy website found here:

Benefits

For pension and benefits information, please consult the Concordia University Pension & benefits webpage regarding eligibility, and select "Research Grant Employees" for details specific to this position:

How To Apply

Please send your CV and cover letter to abtec-lab- by the application deadline. The cover letter should address why you are applying, what about the position attracts you, and how you heard about the position.

All applicants will receive an acknowledgement email; however, only those selected for an interview will receive further instructions. Interviews will take place in person or over Zoom until the right candidate is found. Thank you very much to those who apply for your time and interest.

Territorial Acknowledgement
Concordia University is located on unceded Indigenous lands. The Kanien'kehá:ka Nation is recognized as the custodians of the lands and waters on which we gather today. Tiohtià:ke/Montreal is historically known as a gathering place for many First Nations. Today, it is home to a diverse population of Indigenous and other peoples. We respect the continued connections with the past, present and future in our ongoing relationships with Indigenous and other peoples within the Montreal community.

Employment Equity
Concordia University is strongly committed to employment equity within its community, and to recruiting a diverse faculty and staff. The University encourages applications from all qualified candidates, including women, members of visible minorities, Indigenous persons, members of sexual minorities, persons with disabilities, and others who may contribute to diversification; candidates are invited to self-identify in their applications.

Immigration Status
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian and Permanent Residents will be given priority. To comply with the Government of Canada's reporting requirements, the University is obliged to gather information about applicants' status as either Permanent Residents of Canada or Canadian citizens.

Accessibility
Concordia desires to increase diversity among its community members and we strive to make our recruitment processes as accessible as possible and provide accommodations as required for applicants. If you are contacted for an interview and anticipate needing accommodations during the process, please contact, in confidence, hr-

Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 12 months

Pay: $100,000.00-$115,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Casual dress
• Company events
• Company pension
• Disability insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Extended health care
• Life insurance
• On-site gym
• Paid time off
• Relocation assistance
• Tuition reimbursement
• Work from home

Work Location: In person