Business Administrator

The Business Administrator (BA) is the senior administrative position in a department within a school & provides thought leadership in reviewing & recommending policy & procedure designed to enhance operational excellence. Ensures the effective, compliant, & efficient daily management of all operational, financial, & business functions in support of the business area's mission & in coordination with central offices such as HR, Budget, Facilities, IT, & Provost. Represents business area on internal & external administrative affairs by recommending alternatives & suggestions.

The Center for Regenerative Nanomedicine (CRN) promotes research convergence in basic science, engineering, and medicine to improve human health. The overarching goal is to foster effective research collaborations within Northwestern University and across the globe. CRN research concentrates on regenerative medicine with complementary activities in developing targeted nanotherapeutics, advanced materials, and electroactive biomaterials.

Specific responsibilities include administration and operations oversight, budget and financial overview, program deployment and evaluation, TGS liaison, regulatory compliance, grants/contracts, communication, proactive ideas and strategy input and support.

Specific ResponsibilitiesBudget & Financial:

• Serves a primary role in the development & implementation of annual budget including fiscal resource allocation of appropriated, discretionary, endowment & gift revenues.
• Typically involved in the budget management of numerous research grants.
• Responsible for payroll, purchasing, travel & entertainment (T&E) transactions & requesting new chartstrings using NU protocol.
• Prepares faculty salary recovery & summer salary.
• Creates & monitors recharge centers.
• Oversees prompt payment of invoices & related research of errors.
• Monitors open encumbrances & deficit chartstrings.
• Level II approver in NU Financials.
• School level approver in FASIS.
• Routinely reviews & reconciles actual expenses to budget per NU Audit guidelines.
• Approves funds reallocation within budget as necessary & appropriate.
• Responsible to stop an expense that is inappropriate or against deficit chartstring.
• Negotiates with vendors for purchases & leases.

Communications & Outreach:

• Delegates or completes maintenance of alumni lists or database; production, edit &/or distribution of newsletter; &/or management of website, & special events.

Facilities & Safety:

• Monitors area facilities conditions & directs requests to Facilities Management using FAMIS.
• Works with management to assign staff &/or faculty space including appropriate FM refresh/renovation & furniture purchase.
• Coordinates set up of furniture, data, phone lines, &/or renovations.
• Brings requests for building & space improvements to attention of management.
• Completes appropriate section of annual SIMS survey following NU protocol.
• Manages the development & communication of department safety plan.
• Monitors research lab compliance & responds to Risk Management reports.
• Ensures communication with Principal Investigators (PIs) regarding ISIS participation.

Grants & Contracts:

• Oversees &/or completes pre- & post-award research administration.
• Utilizes established systems (effort reporting, direct cost charging/SDA, & financial reporting) to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations.
• Interacts with Principal Investigators (PIs) to build relationships, transfer knowledge & advise on research policies & procedures.
• Oversees payroll for research appointments.
• Ensures faculty completion of effort certification.
• Provides appropriate training for staff & PIs.

Human Resources:

• Manages implementation of human resource programs, policies, procedures & talent management lifecycle & related mentoring & training.
• Posts positions to eRecruit, leads the recruitment & selection process.
• Manages area/unit structure & prioritizes & distributes staff workload.
• Oversees Performance Excellence plan for each employee & prepares annual review.
• Manages performance problems, administers leaves, approves timesheets & oversees completion of annual staff Conflict of Interest survey.
• Recommends complex HR solutions & implements decisions.
• Institutes departmental policy & implements school & NU policy.

IT Services:

• Acts as liaison to IT to ensure technology systems are properly installed & maintained & meet the informational, analytical & computing needs of users.
• Ensures necessary hardware, software & network infrastructure services are appropriated from central or internal IT.
• Issues work order requests for maintenance, repairs & upgrades.

Regulatory Compliance:

• Manages implementation of all safety, security & compliance programs & ensures compliance with all applicable federal, state, local & NU laws, regulations, policies & procedures.
• Develops innovative methods to assist faculty & staff with adherence to grantor compliance programs.

Strategic Planning:

• Manages & implements strategic operation plans.
• Reviews plans, meets with leadership & key faculty & staff, & recommends changes & improvements to administrative operations to better meet organizational needs & objectives.

Supervisory:

• Supervises 2 or more staff &/or provides work direction to others.
• Provides direction to or coordinate administrative effort of staff within or outside of immediate dept or division.

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a major such as business, accounting or related; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.
• 5 years' administrative experience including budgets, finance, grants, facilities, &/or human resources; or other relevant experience.

Minimum Competencies:

• Proven communication, interpersonal, and analytic skills.
• Adept at project management. Ability to work under pressure, prioritize and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated competency in organization management and financial stewardship.
• Proactive, energetic, innovative.
• Ability to work independently and yet is an accomplished team player.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in business administration or a PhD in a relevant science, technology, or engineering discipline.
• Previous management experience in a university environment.
• Experience in grant functions including proposal development, award management close-out.

Preferred Competencies:

• Working knowledge of Northwestern University systems such as NU Financials, Cognos, Info Ed, financial forecasting, basic intellectual property principles, granting agency policies and processes.

Target hiring range for this position will be between $77,000-$90,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant’s education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Benefits:

At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:

Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life’s challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles. We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:

Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you’re interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

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