Business Administrator II, Applied Economics and Statistics

PAY GRADE: 31E

CONTEXT OF THE JOB:
The Department of Applied Economics and Statistics is a diverse and multidisciplinary department providing high-impact graduate and undergraduate educational programming producing cutting-edge research and supporting Delaware Agriculture. Our educational programs include three graduate programs with nearly 100 students in the fields of Applied Economics Applied Statistics (online) and Statistics. Our 100 undergraduate students are across majors and minors in Environmental and Resource Economics Food and Agribusiness Marketing and Management Sports Performance Analytics and Statistics. The department additionally supports world-renowned research in all the above areas with emphasis on Experimental and Behavioral Economics through the Center for Experimental and Applied Economics. Finally the department is home to the Northeast Risk Management Extension Center which supports Risk Management and associated educational programs through extension offices across the Northeast.

Under the general direction of the Department Chair the Business Administrator manages the administrative functions/fiscal affairs of the unit; monitors and reviews all departmental account expenditures; updates departmental web pages; coordinates departmental events; supervises support staff; serves as liaison between department and college business office regarding research and academic activities with responsibility for Department and University policy applications and interpretation; assists in policy development; assists in the submission of grant proposals to funding agencies; analyzes interprets and recommends administrative practices and procedures; provides financial and other reports to the Chair; and prepares agendas minutes and information packets for faculty and search committee meetings.

The Business Administrator supervises two non-exempt staff employees who provide administrative support to approximately 16 faculty and multiple professional employees.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manages the administrative functions of the department to ensure the smooth operation of the department administrative office that policies established by the Department Chair are implemented and recommends changes as needed. Ensures compliance with University State and federal laws policies and procedures.
• Manages all facets of the daily operation of the department ensuring compliance with university state and federal laws policies and procedures.
• Manages all departmental accounts and budgets including monitoring and reviewing all expenditures for funding ensuring compliance with reporting and policy performing analyses processing requisitions and providing projections
• Manages the financials for sponsored awards. Analyzes and reviews budgets and expenditures for compliance with approved budget; researches problems and handles accordingly.
• Effort administrator: Captures and documents grant cost share as well as faculty staff and student effort. Tracks workload and funding sources for each member of the department and keeps the Labor Allocation Module (LAM) updated. Reviews and certifies all effort reports three times each year. Oversees daily processing and accounting for revenue and expenditures; audits and reports financial transactions to funding sources; ensures accuracy and availability of funding and compliance with standard accounting and audit procedures. Including independent review of departmental purchasing card transactions.
• Handles all department grant closeouts in conjunction with Research Office and Deans Office.
• Supervises two non-exempt support staff including motivating developing directing and assigning work and special projects for staff; monitoring workload and productivity; evaluating performance; promoting and providing staff training and development; and assisting with analysis and resolving complex issues.
• Develops new policies and procedures consistent with those of the organization to ensure well organized and secure operation of the department.
• Manages the resolution of complex departmental matters.
• Serves as departmental HR Liaison providing new faculty and staff with departmental orientation information and access to University e-mail and web forms.
• Acts as unit liaison with internal and external contacts.
• Plans and manages projects requiring judgment in the independent evaluation selection and substantial adaptation and modification of standard techniques.
• Provides oversight over departmental events by managing admin staff handling travel arrangements and communicating with different departments on campus to ensure a smooth process.
• Oversees and initiates processing of personnel forms for faculty staff postdoctoral associates visiting scholars and professionals. This includes coordination of immigration documents with international scholars and Center for Global Programs and Services as necessary.
• Provides information resolves problems and completes surveys and reports for the department.
• Keeps abreast of changes in University policies and procedures and current developments in research administration accounting and auditing professions and changes in local State and federal law. Reports changes and updates to Chair faculty and staff.
• Complies with University policies procedures and best practices regarding protecting data and following UD data governance rules
• Provides coverage for departmental administrative staff and all their associated duties when they are out of the office.

Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelors degree in Business Administration Accounting or a related field and five years administrative and/or financial experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience with federal grants administration.
• Familiarity with UD accounting system PeopleSoft financials UD grant policies and procedures preferred.
• Ability to develop financial plans and manage resources and analyze budgetary expenditures for compliance with approved budgets for grants preferred.
• Working knowledge and understanding of federal and state regulatory policies procedures and guidelines.
• General familiarity with the OMB circulars i.e. OMB A-2I; OMB A-II 0; OMB A-133) regulating federal allowable and unallowable costs preferred
• Excellent interpersonal communication and organizational skills.
• Supervisory experience.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to evaluate the work of others.
• Ability to edit the content structure and format of a range of written material.
• Ability to interact well with people of all ages and diverse backgrounds.
• Understanding of the practices of effective office management; maintaining confidentiality; balancing multiple priorities; and meeting tight deadlines.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel Word Adobe and PowerPoint.