Senior Business Manager: Department of Biomedical Engineering

The Senior Business Manager provides strategic and operational leadership in fiscal management, human resources, and administrative operations for the unit. This position serves as the financial authority, HR liaison, and data management lead, ensuring compliance with university, state, and federal regulations while supporting the department's academic and research mission. The role involves significant independent decision-making and collaboration with faculty, staff, and leadership to advance departmental goals.

Reporting to the Department Head/Director, the Senior Business Manager oversees all aspects of the department's fiscal integrity, human resource management, office operations, and data systems. The incumbent ensures compliance with university fiscal policies, federal Uniform Guidance, and sponsor award requirements, while providing guidance on strategic budgeting, sponsored research administration, and personnel management. This position requires exceptional analytical, organizational, and leadership skills to maintain the unit's operational and financial health.

Provide oversight and leadership for the unit's fiscal, human resource, office, and data management operations to ensure compliance with university, state, and federal policies. Assure accuracy and integrity of all financial matters of the unit. Review and approve transactions, perform reconciliations, prepare annual budgets, and provide strategic recommendations to leadership. Manage and oversee all accounts including state, start-up, gift, income, and research accounts. Validate fiscal activities such as additional pays, labor distribution, procurement, vendor invoicing, and travel. Oversee space and asset inventories and prepare reports. Supervise accounting and business-related activities, train personnel, and serve as the financial policy expert. Assist faculty with proposal management, budget preparation, and financial reporting for sponsored projects, ensuring expenditures comply with sponsor and university requirements.

Oversee employment-related actions including e-forms, new hires, and transfers. Manage the unit's international visa process with the Center for Global Engagement. Serve as the HR policy and procedure resource. Facilitate searches for faculty and staff vacancies, supervise and mentor staff and student assistants, coordinate HR-related training, and conduct performance evaluations.

Supervise the unit office's physical and human resources. Establish work assignments, balance workloads, and ensure cross-training. Maintain compliance with university policies, assist with hiring, and address performance and behavior issues. Oversee departmental events, student recruiting, and board of advisor meetings.

Coordinate and maintain financial and student databases for accreditation reviews, audits, and reports. Prepare monthly budget and research productivity reports. Collect and analyze data for budget preparation, audits, and space inventory surveys. Compile and maintain scholarship and fellowship records and databases for graduate students, offices, and laboratories.

Required Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in HR Management, Business, or related field

Experience:

• 4 years of accounting, HR management, or business management experience
• Will also accept high school diploma with 6 years of combined education, training, and experience with finance, human resources management, or business management as it relates to managing the full life cycle of staff, students, and faculty, sponsored projects, procurement, invoicing, and financial forecasting/budgeting and reporting.
• 3 years of supervisory experience
• 2 years of Project management experience or administration of federally funded projects including, experience with project budgets, financial reporting, and forecasting.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Knowledge of standard accounting principles.
• Professional integrity, including a thorough understanding of confidentiality.
• Communication and interpersonal skills sufficient for effective interactions with a broad range of individuals, including faculty.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Excellent writing, grammar, and proofreading skills.
• Decisiveness and extensive problem-solving skills.
• Competence with common office and database software.
  Ability to multi-task. Ability to lead office team.

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Master's Degree in business or related field

Experience:

• Financial work history at a comprehensive research university

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

Working knowledge of ERP systems, student database software, research proposal submission software, and recruiting software

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville, TN
• Hybrid

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: MR 13
• Anticipated hiring range: Commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Application Instructions

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments.

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of 3 Professional References

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university's tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service.

UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee's flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy's largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

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