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Financial Services Administrator

Non-Commissioned Member | Full Time, Part Time

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    • Overview

    As a member of the military, Financial Services Administrators 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 

    Work environment

    Financial Services Administrators are employed at all Canadian Armed Forces (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.

    Career Overview

    Transcript

    Canadian Armed Forces Recruiting Videos

     

    FINANCIAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATOR

     

    Reviewed – 23 Mar 23
     

     

    MASTER CORPORAL ANASTASIA PHILLS: I'm Master Corporal Anastasia Phills from Edmonton, Alberta – a Financial Services Administrator currently posted to Canadian Forces Base Edmonton.

     

    NARRATOR: Financial Services Administrators – or FSAs – provide financial services, advice and management for the Royal Canadian Navy, Army, Royal Canadian Air Force and Special Operations Forces. This includes general office bookkeeping, as well as budget management services.

     

    MASTER CORPORAL ANASTASIA PHILLS: The role of the financial administrator is really important. We all know money makes the world go round and we help facilitate members getting that money. One of the basic roles that we do is travel arranging and claims finalization.

     

    So that involves us booking flights for members, booking car rentals, hotels to get members to and from wherever they need to go. We also finalize and initiate all of their claims. So when you go on temporary duty, we start your claim at home and we finalize it either when you get home or when you arrive in theatre.

     

    So that includes your incidentals, all of your meals, baggage and that kind of thing. As you move up the ranks, you also have more opportunity to work in the budget. We also act as a cashier, so if members need cash when they're deployed, we hand out money to them.


     

    NARRATOR: They are advisors to their chain of command on how budgets can be spent in order to keep daily activities going, not only here in Canada but also on operations in other parts of the world.


     

    MASTER CORPORAL ANASTASIA PHILLS: The closest equivalent for an FSA is probably accounting or an accountant. The only thing about being in the military and being an accountant is you get to do all of the Army things or the Navy things or the Air Force things that people on the civvie side won't be able to do. You get to go on the range. We get the opportunity to deploy anywhere in the world depending on what the needs of the CAF are.





     

    MASTER CORPORAL ANASTASIA PHILLS: The coolest part of the job is getting to go out and do army things. So everyone says, “Oh, you're just an FSA. What does that mean?” Yes, I work in an office, but at the same time I've had the opportunity to go to the field. We do all of the same things that combat arms do.  We just do it on a little bit of a less scale.




     

    NARRATOR: Once they complete their training, Financial Services Administrators are posted to a base, unit, or ship.  

     

    MASTER CORPORAL ANASTASIA PHILLS: I walked into the job with not as much experience, and I was able to gain a ton of knowledge just working with the people that I was working with. I started off doing lots of claims, planning travel, and then as you go and grow, you are afforded more opportunities.

     

    I also started taking my Bachelor of Accounting, so I've been using the military support system to pay for my Bachelor's Accounting while I'm working as an FSA.

     

    NARRATOR: Wherever they are stationed, they will also have additional responsibilities directly related to the Army, Navy or Air Force unit they are working in at the time.

     

    MASTER CORPORAL ANASTASIA PHILLS: One of the great things about being an FSA in the military is the opportunity to grow within the CAF. So if you're going to work hard, you're going to see your roles increase and new opportunities to learn more things increase as well.

     

    NARRATOR: There are also opportunities for FSAs in the Primary Reserve, serving part-time in their local community while going to school or working at a civilian job. 




     

    MASTER CORPORAL ANASTASIA PHILLS: The thing that I love most about being in the military is the family that you get when you're in. So you get to your unit and you start to know people, and those people are friends that you're going to have for the rest of your life. And it's nice because you can literally walk into a brand new unit and the family starts all over again. You're still in that family no matter where you are.

     

    Related Civilian Occupations

    • Financial Records Entry Clerk
    • Financial Manager
    • Accounting Technician
    • Bookkeeper
    • Budget Officer
    • Cashier Clerk
    • Business Planner Technician
    • Verification Manager

    Training

    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, Quebec. This training provides the basic core skills and knowledge common to all trades.One of the goals of this course is to ensure that all recruits maintain the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) physical fitness standard; as a result, the training is physically demanding but achievable.

    Learn more about Basic Training here.

    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 and reconciliation
    • Reconciling departmental travel expenditures
    • Providing support to personnel management
    • Maintaining budgets and business plans

    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

    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

    Entry plans

    No previous work experience or career related skills are required.  CAF recruiters can help you decide if your personal interests and attributes match the criteria for this occupation.

    The minimum required education to apply for this occupation is the completion of the provincial requirements for Grade 10 or Secondary 4 in Quebec with Grade 10 applied math (math 416 / CST 4 in Quebec) and Grade 10 (Secondary IV) English or French.

    Foreign education may be accepted.

    Part time options

    This position is available for part-time employment with the Primary Reserve at certain locations across Canada. Reserve Force members usually serve part time in their community, and may serve while going to school or working at a civilian job. They are paid during their training. They are not posted or subject to a military move. However, they can volunteer to move to another base. They may also volunteer for deployment on a military mission within or outside Canada.

    Financial Services Administrators may serve with the Canadian Army, the Royal Canadian Navy, or the Royal Canadian Air Force and experience the unique challenges associated with these environments. They can be employed providing financial support to military activities. When they are employed on a part-time or casual full-time basis they usually serve at a Canadian Armed Forces headquarters, home port or unit located within Canada.

    Find a Recruiting Centre

    Reserve Force members are trained to the same level as their Regular Force counterparts. They usually begin training with their home unit to ensure that they meet the required basic professional military standards. Following basic training, occupational training for Financial Services Administrators takes about 15 weeks and may be conducted at the Canadian Forces Logistics Training Centre in Borden, Ontario.

    Reserve Force members usually serve part-time with their home unit for scheduled evenings and weekends, although they may also serve in full-time positions at some units for fixed terms, depending on the type of work that they do. They are paid 92.8% of Regular Force rates of pay, receive a reasonable benefits package and may qualify to contribute to a pension plan.