• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $70,000-$80,000

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director of Academic Administration and Finance (DAAF), the Business Manager manages and implements the financial, budgetary and administrative operations of the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology. She/he/they serve as the primary grants administrator (pre and post award) and represent the department to sponsoring agencies. The incumbent exercises responsibility for the department???s budget and financial reconciliation, reimbursement, payment and procurement requests, as well as assisting with processing student, adjunct, research and staff appointments. The incumbent will have departmental approval function for University financial and human resources systems.

Responsibilities

• Advises the Chair and DAAF as to historical levels of spending, prepares monthly reports and manages department budgets and monitors expenditures for compliance with University and federal policies and regulations.
• Develops spending reporting systems that best support the department???s operations. Creates report templates and reporting tools, in consultation with DAAF, to provide financial reports to key stakeholders including department leadership and faculty, and external partners and agencies. Analyzes financial data and prepares financial and budgetary reports.
• Works with faculty and researchers and students on Concur submissions.
• Supervises administration of faculty research accounts; processes all adjunct faculty, research, staff, and student teaching and research appointments.
• Supervises faculty, visiting scholar and research personnel immigration and visa processing; and allocates and approves payroll for casual and work study employees.
• Oversees a full-time Financial Coordinator
• Works closely with the Office of the Executive Vice President for Arts and Sciences to perform fiscal year-end closing; and performs other duties as required.
• Provides budget and administrative support to principal investigators, faculty, and other administrators during grant proposal preparation and acts as a liaison to the CU Office of Sponsored Project Administration (SPA) and Sponsored Project Finance (SPF) concerning grants, gifts, and contracts; tracks grants, gifts and contracts and their reporting deadlines; and produces timely reports and certifications.
• Act as liaison between PI???s and Sponsored Projects Administration (SPA)
• Initiate projects in SPA???s internal reviewing program, RASCAL.
• Provide guidance on compliance matters related to sponsored projects and review submission documents for compliance with Columbia policies and those of the sponsor.
• Award set-up, modification and budgeting.
• Prepare subcontract documents for funded projects and incoming and outgoing agreements.
• Work with PI on payroll allocation, and update them as needed.
• Prepare various financial reports including spending projection for PIs and regularly analyze and oversee expenses and review them with PIs and Director.
• Process cost transfers when needed.
• Assist with quarterly/annual budget submissions/updates
• Prepare quarterly grant attestations (Uniform Guidance)
• Monitors revenue receipts
• Oversee the purchase of highly technical, scientific, laboratory and computer equipment to be bought with sponsored funds
• Inform and apprise PI???s of policy changes from the university???s Purchasing Office related to the use of sponsored funds.
• Work with SPA for no cost extensions, re-budgeting, and carry over requests.
• The Business Manager will maintain all pertinent records, files and documents and ensure completeness and accuracy consistent with external and internal compliance requirements.
• Act as effort coordinator
• Supervises the timely submission of all required paperwork for vendor setup, wire requests, reimbursements, and invoice payments. Researches and independently reconciles discrepancies and disagreements between external vendors, central procurement, faculty, staff and students regarding the status of their payment requests.
• Works closely with the DAAF and the Office of the Executive Vice President for Arts and Sciences to perform quarterly reporting, fiscal year-end closing, budget tool submissions, and variance analysis
• Manages and processes appointments of faculty, student, administrative staff, teaching fellows, research assistants, student casuals, and work-study employees, including those related to special programs such as visiting scholars.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and/or the equivalent, plus a minimum of 3 year's related experience required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in accounting or finance preferred. Knowledge of University financial policies and systems (Concur, RASCAL, ARC, FINSYS); relevant experience in grants and financial administration, especially at a university.

Other Requirements

• Ability to problem solve and create effective processes.
• Proven ability to use sound judgment in making financial decisions.
• Must be able to interpret accounting and purchasing policies to staff, faculty, and students, as well as, internal and external vendors. and researchers and their staff at other institutions.
• Have the ability to communicate (written and verbal) professionally and persuasively to diverse stakeholders.
• Manage difficult situations, respond promptly to the needs of constituents and solicit feedback to improve service.
• Tactfully approach others, react well under pressure, and follow through on commitments.
• The incumbent must have the ability to respond to time-sensitive requests and work in a deadline-driven environment.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

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

About Columbia University

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