Business Manager- Baker School- UTK

The Howard H. Baker School of Public Policy and Public Affairs (Baker School) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, seeks applications and nominations for a full-time Business Manager.  This position reports to the Budget Director and serves as an integral member of the Baker Schools' Budget Team. The position serves as an expert financial and administrative resource while providing professional guidance and management of all financial and administrative processes.  Duties include financial modeling, forecasting, and developing and disseminating data to inform decision-making across the school. This position will monitor and ensure that departments and units comply with relevant University and department policies, procedures, and external regulations. This position will also be responsible for developing innovative solutions to enhance operational and technological efficiencies to provide "best practices." The position assists with fiscal operations, including, but not limited to, overseeing budgets, financial planning, and other financial and accounting tasks as assigned by the Budget Director.  The position also assists with human resources activities, including faculty appointments, promotions, and tenure processes, as well as human capital budgeting and other assigned human resource operations.  The position will be a direct supervisor and will work closely with the finance and human resource specialists of the school, providing guidance and backup for processes.

Administrative Operations Oversight:

•  Develops, revises, and disseminates expectations, processes, and procedures and provides guidance as needed to current and new employees
•  Directs and/or advises administrative and financial staff, as well as the leadership team, on interpretation of policies and procedures on behalf of the Budget Director to ensure consistency and compliance
•  Develops and maintains "best practices" guides and procedures for the various areas of finance, human resources, travel, procurement, and grant and contract operations in coordination with the finance and human resources specialists and the sponsored programs/contracts manager
• Maintains an extensive understanding of institutional and departmental policies related to the role
•  Partners with on-campus departments and off-campus entities to research, report, and resolve financial and HR issues
•  Assists with strategic planning for internal operations
• Provide work direction, supervise and evaluate performance of the Financial and Human Resources Associate(s) 
• May supervise student workers as needed
• Promotes and contributes to a successful collaborative environment by maintaining a positive office workspace
• Set goals for administrative and office management, customer service excellence, and establishes metrics to achieve such goals

 

Financial Operations Oversight and Compliance:

• Oversees the day-to-day management of budget and finance areas 
• Utilizes excellent professional judgment and integrity to evaluate the appropriateness of expenditures and possesses the maturity and confidence to address questionable transactions either directly or by escalating them, if needed
• Maintain system perspective to ensure that all expenditures are evaluated to assess impact on departmental strategic and operational needs as well as financial goals and make recommendations to leadership
•  Direct and assist with office transactions, referring compliance and practice issues to the Budget Director or appropriate supervisor as needed
• Exercises acute attention to detail to ensure expenditures are accurate prior to and all the way through approval process
• Monitors budget-to-actuals, budget allocations, expenditures, fund balances, and related financial activities to ensure accuracy and compliance and assist with budget planning
• Gather required documentation, submit contracts and respond to contract related inquiries utilizing Agiloft contract life-cycle management software
• Administration of scholarship manager for Baker and IAC awards
•  Coordinates faculty hiring, appointment, promotion, and tenure processes
• Serves as a backup for the Budget Director to review/approve financial and human resource transactions, payroll, p-card & travel card expense reports, invoices, contracts and monthly ledger reconciliation reports while referring compliance and practice-based issues back to the Budget Director or related department head
• Proactively monitors and communicates with appropriate parties on the status of all items in workflow to ensure timely processing

Budget Development and Financial Reporting:

• Collects and analyzes data necessary for annual and monthly financial reporting and budget creation
•  Assists with salary reconciliation and