• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Temporary
• End Date if Temporary: 1/31/2024
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $72,000 - $78,250

Position Summary

Reporting to the Executive Director of Planning & Administration for the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement, the Business Manager is responsible for supporting the budget and operational management of the Center???s activities.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the Center???s budget process and to monitoring the budget on a routine basis which includes but is not limited to:
  • Prepare worksheets and gather key data to inform budget process.
  • Assists with annual budget planning and quarterly financial forecasting process, including providing trend and variance analyses for projecting and managing revenues and expenses.
  • Prepares and manages program budgets. Reconciles financial activities after conclusion of respective programs and debriefs with Center staff and program faculty.
  • Process journal entries for monthly, quarterly, and year-end close.

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• Manage the financial administration of a designated set of financial activities within the Center which includes but is not limited to:
  • Serves as the main point of contact from the administration and planning team for designated activities in planning meetings with other UGE team members.  Advises on appropriate payment mechanisms for activities and guides on necessary steps to transact business.
  • Manage international and local financial activities of assigned global programs including liaising with designated program faculty and program resident director to establish program budgets and oversee financial processing for programs. Collaborates with central University and other departments to problem solve issues and clarify processes as needed.
  • Reconcile monthly financial statements and analyze budget variance reports for designated activities; meeting on a periodic basis with relevant Center staff and faculty leads to review year-to-date activity and identifying trends that will impact budget plans for future periods.  Preparing ad hoc reports regarding designated activities as needed.
  • Assist in preparing financial summary presentations for annual consortium board meetings.
• Contribute to the overall financial and operational management of the Center
  • Develop and maintain expertise on processes, policies, and University best practices to ensure consistency of policies and practices across the Center and alignment with the University and College.
  • Communicate information about processes and policies to Center staff and program partners that is consistent with University and College protocols.
  • Assist Columbia College Finance during annual audit preparation (Schedule F of Form 990).
  • Review transactions at the first approval level, limiting to $2,500.
• Serve as department administrator of the office's purchasing card program; collecting and maintaining all documentation required by the program.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor???s Degree is required, with a preference for training in Finance, Accounting, or other relevant fields. 
• Minimum of 3 years of substantial hands-on experience in finance and administration.
• Demonstrated ability to research and prepare comprehensive reports, plan, implement, and evaluate programs and services, and develop and maintain effective relationships with faculty, staff and administrators at all levels.
• Expert-level computer skills including MS Excel, reporting tools, queries and reports. 
• Must have excellent interpersonal, communication, organizational, and leadership skills. Ability to establish priorities, work under pressure, and exercise independent judgment and discretion is necessary.  Ability to react quickly and effectively to other inquiries from a variety of management levels with comprehensive and accurate information in a wide variety of contexts and changing priorities is needed.
• Positive, forward-thinking, and mission-oriented attitude.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree desirable (e.g., MBA, MPA).
• Experience in higher education or other large, complex institution.
• Familiarity with Columbia financial systems, particularly the Accounting at Columbia (ARC) system.
• Experience with running financial report for project reconciliation, budgeting in the University Budget Tool and handling labor accounting in People @ Columbia (PAC). 

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.

About Columbia University

Columbia University is one of the world's most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the university to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.

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