Assistant Director of Business Services- English

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign•Urbana, IL

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of English at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is seeking an Assistant Director of Business Services to provide oversight and direction for the department’s financial and business services. The role advises the Executive Officer and program leaders, develops and maintains budgets and spending plans, implements compliant procedures, and oversees financial transactions, facilities, records, and internal controls. The position manages department finances across state, institutional, self-supporting, gift, and grant funds. It monitors fiscal activity and cash balances, supports appropriate use of donor funds, tracks multi-year commitments, prepares financial statements and reports, and advises leadership on the department’s financial position and resources for strategic initiatives. The Assistant Director supervises business and graduate office staff, supports staffing analysis and organizational planning, and serves as the department’s contact with the LAS HR Service Center on personnel matters. This is a 100% full-time, 12-month Civil Service appointment. Hybrid work options may be available, with on-site work as needed. The position is not eligible for work-authorization sponsorship.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, management, or a field related to the position.
Five years of professional business, financial, and/or managerial work experience.
Demonstrated experience in financial reporting and budgeting.
Skilled with common computer applications, including spreadsheets, word processing, email, and calendars.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to explain and clarify ambiguous or complex policies and procedures.
Ability to work harmoniously with faculty, staff, and students from a wide variety of disciplines.
Ability to manage and prioritize multiple demands on time.
Diplomatic, highly ethical, and strong integrity.
Ability to work within both the spirit and the letter of University policies and procedures.

Nice To Haves

Graduate degree in business administration or a related field.
Three years of professional business, financial, and/or managerial work experience in a higher education setting.
Demonstrated supervisory experience.
Knowledge of University financial and personnel policies and procedures in the Campus Administrative Manual, the OBFS Policies and Procedures Manual, and Staff Policy and Rules.
Knowledge of the Banner finance module, My-UI-Financials, Banner Feeder File processes, EDDIE, and other UI EDW data retrieval tools.
University Business Administrator Path certification.
Illini Certified Research Administrator.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary contact and advisor for business service operations in the Department of English.
Work with the Executive Officer to develop and maintain annual operating budgets and spending plans.
Provide regular financial reporting and fiscal-planning updates to the Executive Officer and English program leaders.
Create and implement policies and procedures consistent with campus and college policies.
Serve as Department Card Manager and ensure cardholder compliance with corporate card policies.
Approve employee reimbursement, vendor and other payment, purchasing requisition, and accounting adjustment transactions.
Review position requests in my.ATLAS for budget implications and accurate CFOPs.
Serve as the department’s main facilities contact and advise the Executive Officer on departmental needs.
Assess and address maintenance, security, remodeling, and networking issues; coordinate renovation projects with the LAS Facilities team.
Implement space accommodation requests as needed.
Assess equipment needs and replacement requests for offices, labs, and technology-equipped classrooms; evaluate purchase, rental, and lease options and make acquisition decisions.
Serve as unit approver for Fabweb and biennial inventory.
Serve as department USC and Pinnacle contact.
Develop and implement business practices that maintain strong internal process controls; complete annual FCIAA surveys.
Establish and maintain secure, confidential records in compliance with university retention and privacy policies.
Manage CFOPs and state, institutional, self-supporting, gift, and grant funds; monitor financial activity, revenues, transfers, spending, and cash balances; and communicate university policy on fund use.
Review gift funds and advise unit heads on their appropriate use based on balances, income, and donor intent; coordinate donor fund reviews and spending with LAS Advancement.
Track multi-year funding commitments made to and by the department, oversee commitment transfer requests, and process outgoing commitment transfers.
Prepare and distribute monthly financial statements on individual discretionary accounts.
Analyze the department’s financial position and advise the Executive Officer on funds available for strategic initiatives.
Generate regular financial reports, review statements for accuracy, and consult with units about their financial positions.
Supervise business and graduate office staff; delegate and assign work and manage performance, leave, and professional development.
Maintain and analyze internal staffing data and assist the Executive Officer with organizational structure and staff policy planning.
Coordinate with the LAS HR Service Center on appointments, waivers, visas, separation paperwork, and other HR matters.
Serve as backup timesheet approver for the department.