Office Manager

Virginia Tech•Suffolk, VA

11d•Onsite

About The Position

This position has primary responsibility for management of the administrative office and critical business practices at Virginia Tech's Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center (Tidewater AREC). Located in Suffolk, Virginia (village of Holland) Tidewater AREC is one of the largest off-campus units within the university's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences/ Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station. Tidewater AREC is currently home to nine resident faculty members, three postdoctoral associates, 14 full-time staff, numerous part-time wage, and student employees, 11 graduate students; and has an annual research budget of approximately $2 million and personnel budget of $2.1 million. In this role, the Office Manager will be expected to oversee day-to-day fiscal and human resources operations at Tidewater AREC. The most critical areas of responsibility are accounting for and reconciliation of over 200 individual funds; financial reporting (monthly, annually, multi-year) at both the unit level as well as the individual faculty level; providing support for procurement and receiving shipments; payroll projections and entry; and local human resource tasks including onboarding and offboarding employees and troubleshooting issues. Other tasks include assistance with coordinating facility repair and maintenance with internal offices (i.e., University Facilities) and external contractors, inventory management, service on the TAREC safety committee, providing scheduling and communications support for the Tidewater AREC Director and Assistant Director, and development of guidelines and protocols that increase the efficiency of operations at the Tidewater AREC. The Office Manager will also manage a part-time (30 h/week) office assistant position that supports the activities listed above. Administratively, the position reports to the Tidewater AREC Director with input from the Assistant Director, Tidewater AREC faculty, college fiscal / human resources leaders, and Tidewater AREC senior staff for annual evaluation purposes. Success in this position will be heavily dependent on the candidate being self-motivated, highly organized, an excellent problem-solver, and service-focused. Excellent communications and collaborative leadership abilities are critical given the size and scope of ongoing activities at Tidewater AREC. Resources, training, and a strong peer support network will be provided to facilitate a successful transition to Virginia Tech’s unique fiscal, human resources, safety, and inventory management systems. This is a 100% in-office position with office hours between 8AM and 4:30PM; remote work is not available for this position. Occasional in-state travel may be necessary for training purposes or critical meetings.

Requirements

A positive and collaborative attitude with service-oriented mindset.
Associate's degree in administrative or business management, accounting, or related field; or the combination of education and work-related experience.
Computing experience with emphasis on the Microsoft suite of applications including Word, Excel, Outlook, OneDrive/Sharepoint and Teams.
Demonstrated ability to interpret and follow organizational procedures.
Ability to maintain accurate digital and paper records in an organized manner.
Ability to communicate effectively in oral and written English.
Ability to maintain confidentiality as required in matters related to personnel management.
Ability to multitask effectively and efficiently.
Ability to become proficient in the use of Virginia Tech proprietary software/databases used in fiscal, HR, safety, inventory, etc. within 12-months of start date.

Nice To Haves

University degree (BA/BS/MBA) in agricultural economics and/or business administration, business management, or accounting.
Demonstrated skills (coursework and/or experience) in financial data management, administrative office management and/or accounting.
Demonstrated leadership/supervisory experience in a business setting.

Responsibilities

Accounting for and reconciliation of over 200 individual funds
Financial reporting (monthly, annually, multi-year) at both the unit level as well as the individual faculty level
Providing support for procurement and receiving shipments
Payroll projections and entry
Local human resource tasks including onboarding and offboarding employees and troubleshooting issues
Assistance with coordinating facility repair and maintenance with internal offices (i.e., University Facilities) and external contractors
Inventory management
Service on the TAREC safety committee
Providing scheduling and communications support for the Tidewater AREC Director and Assistant Director
Development of guidelines and protocols that increase the efficiency of operations at the Tidewater AREC
Manage a part-time (30 h/week) office assistant position that supports the activities listed above