Business And Operation Manager (Economics)

General Summary:

The Business and Operations Manager will be responsible for providing professional-level administrative and programmatic support for the Department of Economics. The incumbent will be responsible for running daily operations of the department, have primary responsibility for all financial and business operations, serve as the primary point of contact for the Master's Program, and be responsible for faculty and staff personnel processes.

Examples of Duties:

Assist Chair in budget management and planning. prepare projected line-item budget to account for major Departmental or programmatic changes. Responsible for monitoring the finances and human resources needs of the department's undergraduate and graduate programs. Assure faculty know proper policies and procedures for allowable purchases. Maintain accurate knowledge of University policies and procedures regarding financials. Handle all department finances and financial tasks such as tracking monthly/annual finances. Process all financial reimbursements. Complete funding reallocations. Prepare and process purchase orders and disbursement vouchers.

Work with the Department Chair and faculty on critical and sensitive projects, which may require multiple deadlines, such as fourth-year, tenure, and post-tenure reviews, as well as faculty promotion cases, AQUAD assessments, Annual Faculty Reports (AFRs) and other reviews. Compile candidate tenure and promotion files and process according to standardized University policies and procedures.

Serve as one of the BankCard cardholders for the department and maintain BankCard activity of all purchases. Receive and maintain original itemized receipts for items purchased, as well as travel arrangements, department events and other department expenses and complete necessary forms for payment. Reconcile statements in compliance with university regulations, policies and procedures.

Process all human resources paperwork and related requests for the department. Serve as one of the department timekeepers. Assist with faculty searches, including travel arrangements and travel reimbursements, as well as coordinating and scheduling the interview process. Assist with other personnel processes like major personnel reviews, processing leaves, hiring of assistants, etc.

Prepare non-tenure track faculty contracts each semester. Prepare graduate assistant contracts, where relevant.

Serve as the administrative point of contact for new faculty, new student employees, graduate student assistants, and visiting scholars. Prepare ePafs, contracts, and other paperwork for new adjunct faculty, graduate assistants, and student employees. Assist new tenure track faculty and visiting scholars with initial paperwork and start-up needs.

Work with relevant departments to ensure the smooth on-boarding of new staff. Ensure that all new hires receive e-mail and telephone access and appropriate office space, as well as access to required software applications, when appropriate. Serve as department point person regarding equipment issues and office moves/logistics.

Serve as departmental point person in responding to routine inquiries from potential graduate applicants, as well as current students, alumni/ae and constituents regarding the Economics program. Assist new and continuing students with information and other needs. Serve as key point of contact for graduate assistants and other university offices (Human Resources, Bursar, Controller, etc.)

Work with the Graduate Program Director in processing graduate admissions applications. Prepare and send out letters of acceptance and rejection. Work with the GPD and Graduate Studies to ensure the accurate and timely processing of assistantship contracts.

Along with the department's Administrative Assistant, greet and direct visitors and provide assistance to those seeking to contact the department.

Supervise classified staff as needed for completion of administrative tasks. Supervise office work-study students, when relevant.

Serve as back-up for other office staff, when necessary.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Bachelor's Degree and a minimum of three-five (3-5) years of progressively responsible administrative experience, preferably in an academic or non-profit program, required. An additional four years of progressively responsible administrative experience can be substituted for the required Bachelor's Degree. Knowledge of and experience with PeopleSoft HR and Finance, as well as Student Information software (WISER) is preferred. Knowledge of social media, web editing, and publication software preferred. However, the knowledge may be acquired through on-the-job training.

• Knowledge of standard administrative, personnel and operational procedures.

• Knowledge of the organizational structure and needs of a university department with both undergraduate and graduate programs.

• Knowledge of software applications, including office software and database management.

• Ability to understand and apply university policies and procedures.

• Ability to work independently within the department and with other central administrative units of the university.

• Ability to maintain accurate records and to prepare summary reports.

• Ability to act with discretion and judgment and maintenance of confidentiality.

• Ability to manage multi-phase projects from inception to completion.

• Ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities.

• Ability to work independently, as enlist cooperation of others as needed.

• Ability to manage precise details from beginning to end.

• Ability to be flexible and to shift priorities as needed.

• Ability to effectively communicate orally as well as through written communications.

• Ability to supervise the work of administrative staff, effectively assigning tasks, setting deadlines, and assuring that tasks are completed.

• Strong oral and written communication skills.

• Strong and effective analytical and creative problem-solving skills, with the ability to prioritize and work under pressure in a deadline-oriented environment.

• Strong interpersonal skills.

• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.

• Strong attention to detail.

• Strong commitment to student service.

Application Instructions:

Please apply online with your resume, cover letter and list of three professional references.

Review of candidates will begin following the application closing date.

Only Internal candidates in the Professional Staff Bargaining Unit will be considered during the first 10 business days of the posting. All other candidates will be considered after that period.

Salary Ranges for the appropriate Pay Grade can be found at the following link:

Grade: 30

Salary Ranges

This is an exempt union position.

All official salary offers must be approved by Human Resources.

UMass Boston is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, we will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact HRDirect@umb.edu or 617-287-5150.

Applications close: 10 Jul 2024 Eastern Daylight Time