Business Administrator II

University of Delaware•Newark, DE

65d

About The Position

Materials Science and Engineering Department is a world leader in research and education related to the design, synthesis, processing, and characterization of solid organic, inorganic, and hybrid materials. The Department evolved from an interdisciplinary center and now has research expenditures in excess of $8M and an operating budget of ~$6M. The Department currently consists of 25 tenure track and continuing track faculty, 5 staff members 105 graduate students, 60 undergraduate students and several post doctoral researchers. Under the general direction of the Chairperson and with a functional reporting relationship to the College Sr. Business Officer, the Business Administrator II manages operations of the Department. The Business Administrator II interacts with faculty, students, College and University administrators, vendors, other educational institutions, alumni and government agencies to exchange information and/or solve problems and other issues.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in business administration, accounting, finance, or related field and five years of related experience, or equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
Education and/or experience should include a working knowledge of financial reporting, administrative policies and procedures, and human resources management.
Skill in budget preparation and management of contracts and grants.
Ability to analyze budgetary expenditures for compliance with approved policies and procedures.
Effective analytical and technical skills, including the use of financial management systems, relational databases, spreadsheets and word-processing software programs.
Effective organizational skills.
Ability to interpret, adapt and apply guidelines and procedures.
Ability to plan, organize, implement, evaluate and modify administrative support needs.
Ability to gather and analyze statistical data and generate ad-hoc reports that are meaningful and understandable to those not familiar with the data being reported.
Ability to develop and implement new strategies and procedures when necessary.
Ability to effectively communicate and adjust to an ever-changing environment.
Ability to encourage, mentor and lead assigned staff as they strive to better themselves in the work environment; support their efforts to prepare for future promotional and/or learning opportunities.
Exhibit the ability to promote an atmosphere in the office as one that encourages cross-training, transparency and a team approach to work/task coordination.
Demonstrates an understanding and consideration of the differing needs and concerns of individuals with varying identities, cultures and backgrounds.
Committed to fostering a workplace culture of belonging, where diversity is celebrated and equity is a core value.

Nice To Haves

Experience with federal grants administration a plus.
Familiarity with UD accounting system, PeopleSoft financials, UD grant policies and procedures is preferred.

Responsibilities

Manages the resources and operations of a department within the College of Engineering, ensuring compliance with College, University, local, state, and federal policies and procedures.
Interprets and provides guidance regarding University policies and procedures for the Chair, the faculty, and Departmental staff.
Works closely with the College of Engineering Business Office and Dean's Office personnel to coordinate administrative tasks related to financial, human resources, facilities and IT issues.
Oversees and coordinates departmental operating and discretionary budgets in coordination with the College of Engineering Budget and Planning staff. Interprets financial reports and manages internal documentation to assist the Chair and faculty in managing fiscal matters related to Departmental operating and discretionary funds as well as research and academic programs. Participates in developing strategic direction and policies for the departmental
Coordinates administrative tasks related to procurement, budget and planning, human resources, facilities, information technology, and communication and marketing with the College Business units.
Ensures adherence to academic and administrative deadlines.
Resolves complex administrative or procedural issues in a timely manner
Coordinates hiring of postdoctoral researchers, limited term researchers, and visiting scholars/visiting professors, and Misc Wage in UDTalent Link.
Prepares employment renewal letters, joint appointment and adjunct letters
Prepares letters and documentation for processing visa and permanent residency applications
Oversees the arrival/departure dates of all temporary employees and non-funded visitors. Coordinates with college and central units for timely terminations.
Oversees assignment of office and desk space with the Lab Manager who maintains office space inventory and asset tags.
Attend and records minutes for department faculty meetings
Serve as a major resource for faculty
Reviews all department charges and applies appropriate measures to correct any errors
Approves expense reports for the faculty and assists the students with any issues with preparing their expense reports in concur.
Review and approve all purchases for the students in UDExchange.
Work with the students when applying for professional development awards in coordination with the Graduate College. Managing the departmental monetary portion via UDataGlance reporting.
Interacts with faculty, students, staff and other internal University administrators.
Represents the department with vendors, other educational institutions, alumni and government agencies as necessary.
Develops policies related to specific functions of the department; guided by College and University policies.
Resolves complex administrative/procedural problems.
Directly supervises and provides evaluation for departmental administrative staff, ensuring that performance and contributions result in the efficient operation of the department.
Manages individual development by providing coaching, feedback, and reinforcement.
Oversees undergraduate staff in areas of advising students on course scheduling, teaching evaluations and coordination of programs such as life and study skill workshops and special orientation sessions.
Reviews undergraduate staff functions in the area of recruiting duties for a variety of special events and workshops for prospective students and parents. Ensures that the Department gathers and prepares all documents required for the ABET review.
Oversees graduate staff in coordination of graduate admissions and management of the graduate program.
Ensures that the graduate staff performs the responsibilities of registration, TA scheduling, Ph.D. qualifier is assembled and administered and that dissertations and thesis are produced and maintained.
Coordinates special functions such as committees, alumni events and programs.
Oversees Alumni Relations to include tracking of alumni and periodic correspondence to ensure that alumni are engaged with the department.
Gathers data and statistics for faculty annual performance reviews.
Ensures adherence to academic and administrative deadlines.
Performs other miscellaneous duties as assigned.