Debt Analyst

Reporting to the Manager Revenue Planning and Strategy the Debt Analyst is responsible for providing administrative support of the Niagara Region’s and local area municipal debt issuance, including both capital markets and ministry offerings.

• Post-secondary degree in a finance or business-related field of study.

• Minimum of 3 years progressive experience, with an emphasis in reporting and analysis and related financial analyst experience, responsible for detailed reporting considered an asset.

• Experience within the Ontario Municipal financial context considered an asset.

• Knowledge of the Municipal Act requirements as it relates to financing considered an asset

Responsible for the coordination of the Niagara Region’s and local area municipal debt issuance, including both capital markets and ministry offerings. (40% of time)

• Maintain and lead communication of timelines including key decision points and milestones to meet informational and report deadlines.

• Liase with debt issuing bodies (i.e. Infrastructure Ontario (IO), debt syndicates (Capital Markets), Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), Province of Ontario for Tile Drainage Loans) ensuring understanding of the debt programs and requirements.

• Liaise with outside legal counsel on the administrative and document steps required to issue new debt, ensuring that documents and information flows from the region on a timely basis

• Coordinate with other departments, such as Legal and Clerks, on the required approval of steps and trail of documents required by external Counsel to provide a clear opinion to issue debt.

• Prepare draft documents and information required by Treasurer and the Debt Issuance Syndicate Lead, up to and including the final pricing conference call, including related by-laws.

• Organize meetings and conference calls between the Debt Issuing Syndicate, Corporate Finance staff and other Regional staff as appropriate. Drafts agendas and circulates discussion documents.

• Coordinate information flow and meetings with other sections and/or divisions to ensure financing documentation is in good order.

• Coordinate information flow with the area municipalities with regards to their portion of debt issued through the Region, including reports, schedules, ensuring the flow of electronic funds to meet repayment deadlines to bondholders.

• Coordinate the proper filing, labelling, sequenced by date of all documents, Committee and Council approvals, legal certificates, Canadian Depository for Securities authorizations, pricing tables, term sheets and repayment schedule(s) for debt issues.

• Coordinates all authorizing documents and signatures.

Responsible for the day-to-day administration of the Niagara Region’s and local area municipal debt issuances (35% of time)

• Maintains Debt Register; addition of new debt (sets-up debenture specific type, term, rate, and amount) and administrative adjustments as required.

• Ensures appropriate treatment of debt activities in general ledger, managing payment schedules in project module through journal entries.

• Distributes debenture proceeds and recovers associated fees (bill requests).

• Ensures debt payments are collected/remitted in an accurate and timely manner and recording in general ledger (payment requests).

• Prepares debt charge placeholder year end journal entries and complete quarterly forecasting.

• Maintains sinking fund, including working papers, quarterly journal entries and preparation of annual sinking fund Financial Statements

• Supports other year end requirements; preparation of audit working papers, preparation of reconciliations, year-end audit sampling requests, debt confirmations (including requests from local area municipalities) and preparation of financial information return (FIR) debt related schedules.

• Prepares cost allocation calculations for both issued and unissued debt.

• Prepares quarterly and annual debt information reports for inclusion in quarterly financial update reports.

• Prepares and submit Statistics Canada monthly reporting.

• Develops and maintains standard operating procedures, including ongoing development and refinement of a debt issuance procedure manual that details the necessary steps for the Region to issue debentures.

• Develops and maintains educational materials for regional and local area municipal staff and Council.

• Participates in setting budget guidelines.

• Supports development of budget policies and procedures related to debt to improve the overall budgeting process, including researching best practices.

• Prepares supporting documentation, analysis, and reports as required based on general ledger.

• Responsible for budget and quarterly reporting of debt charges related information, including debt charge placeholder and related external revenue.

• Participates in new system implementation testing and design as it relates to debt.

• Supports annual corporate credit rating exercise.
  • Coordinates the flow of pertinent information from corporate leadership, operational staff and outside statistical sources.

  • Maintains Multi Year Debt charge and Issuance forecast file for Region and LAM’s

  • Maintains and monitors debt and liquidity ratios associated with annual credit rating review (s), advising management if corrective action is required.

• Support investor relations exercise, which includes coordinating the flow of information requirements and preparing materials and presentations in collaboration with Manager and Associate Director.

Perform other related duties and responsibilities as assigned or required.

• In accordance with the Corporate Criminal Record Check Policy, the position requires the incumbent to undergo a Criminal Records Check and submit a Canadian Police Clearance Certificate.

• Regional staff strive to enable the strategic priorities of council and the organization through the completion of their work. Staff carry out their work by demonstrating the corporate values.