Opportunity
Always loved numbers? Want to use financial skills in a unique environment? Then this is the job for you! As a Financial Services Administrator, you’ll help to keep the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) running smoothly. Financial Services Administrators are responsible for some of the most important details in a CAF member’s life, such as making sure they are compensated for travel-associated expenditures and providing financial support to the organization.
Overview
As a Financial Services Administrator you will provide financial assistance and budget resources support to all military activities. The primary duties of a Financial Services Administrator are to provide:
- Financial administration and services
- General office bookkeeping
- Accounts payable and accounts receivable support
- Budget management services
To be eligible to apply to the CAF, you must:
- Be a Canadian citizen
- Be at least 18 years old (17 years old with parental consent), except:
- For the paid education programs you may be 16 years old (with parental consent)
- For the Primary Reserve you may be 16 years old (with parental consent) and must be enrolled as a full-time student
- Have completed at least Grade 10 or Secondaire IV in Quebec (some jobs need higher levels of education)
Work Environment
Financial Services Administrators are employed at all CAF bases in Canada, on ships and overseas, in support of Canadian Army, Royal Canadian Navy or Royal Canadian Air Force operations. They may also serve in special operation units, medical organizations, recruiting offices, schools, reserve units, NATO/UN positions and other specialized units throughout the CAF. Opportunities are also available with embassies in countries where Canada has a military attaché.
If you chose a career in the Regular Force, upon completion of all required training, you will be assigned to your first base. While there is some flexibility with regards to postings (relocations), accommodations can’t always be made, and therefore, you can likely expect to move at some point in your career. However, if you decide to join the Primary Reserve Force, you will do so through a specific Reserve unit. Outside of training, your chosen Reserve unit will be your workplace on a part time basis, and you will not be obligated to relocate to a different base. As part of the Primary Reserve Force, you typically work one night per week and some weekends as a minimum with possibilities of full-time employment.
Basic Military Qualification
The first stage of training is the Basic Military Qualification course, or Basic Training, held at the Canadian Forces Leadership and Recruit School in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec, or through various training establishments across Canada from Esquimalt, British Columbia, to Halifax, Nova Scotia. This training provides the basic core skills and knowledge common to all trades. One main goal of this course is to ensure all recruits maintain the CAF physical fitness standard; as a result, the training is physically demanding but achievable.
Basic Occupational Qualification Training
The Financial Services Administrator attends the Canadian Forces Logistics Training Centre in Borden, Ontario. Training takes approximately 12 weeks and includes:
- Briefing on financial authority, regulations and financial structure
- Accounting 101
- Processing vendor invoices, payables and receivables
- Initiating, processing and finalizing claims
- Administering support to operations
- Assisting members with credit card application and reconciliation
- Reconciling departmental travel expenditures
- Providing support to personnel management
- Maintaining budgets and business plans
Specialty Training
Financial Services Administrators may be offered the opportunity to develop specialized skills through formal courses and/or on-the-job training, including:
- Cashier
- Non-Public Funds Administration
- Aviation Petroleum, Oil, and Lubrication Financial Administration
- Compliance and Verification
Advanced Training
As they progress in their career, Financial Services Administrators who demonstrate the required ability and potential may be offered advanced training. Available courses include:
- Verification Manager
- Business Planning
- Civilian Personnel Management
Education
The minimum required education to apply for this position is the completion of the provincial requirements for Grade 10 or Secondary IV in Quebec with Grade 10 Applied Math (Math 416 / CST 4 in Quebec) and Grade 10 (Secondary IV) English or French. Basic training and military occupation training is required before being assigned.
Join the CAF
To learn more about becoming a Financial Services Administrator, visit http://www.forces.ca/fr, talk to a recruiter at a centre nearest you or call 1-800-856-8488.
Explore over 100 different career opportunities at www.forces.ca/en/careers.
Job Type: Permanent
