Pay Grade: 32E

Context of the Job:

The Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (CBE) is nationally and internationally recognized for excellence, with undergraduate and graduate programs that are consistently ranked in the top 10 in the U.S. (e.g., #5 and #7, respectively; 2024 US News and World Reports), and a #1 ranking in the latest NSF HERD report on chemical engineering R&D expenditures. The teaching, research, and service activities of the department are competitive with top programs across the U.S. and around the world. The departments 29 primary and joint faculty are leaders of major, internationally-impactful institutes and centers that are fueling discovery, unprecedented new training, and impactful problem-solving, including the Manufacturing USA Institute NIIMBL (National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals), the NSF Materials Research and Engineering Center CHARM (Center for Hybrid, Active, and Responsive Materials), the DOE Center for Plastics Innovation (CPI), the DOD Center for Clean HydroUnder the limited direction of the department chairperson and in coordination with the University of Delaware (UD) College of Engineering (COE) Sr. Business Officer (SBO), the Sr. Business Administrator has critical leadership roles including direct management of CBE primary staff and department finances, with department operating expenditures of over $1M, as well as human resources (HR) and supervisory support roles for over 40 research staff. The Sr. Business Administrator supports staffing and operations with a high level of complexity, particularly given the sizable experimental / laboratory research portfolio, including intensive CBE chemical and biomolecular laboratory operations spanning four buildings on campus (Colburn Laboratory; Harker ISE Laboratory; Ammon-Pinizzotto Biopharmaceutical Innovation Building; 15 Innovation Way). The Sr. Business Administrator interacts with faculty, students, COE and UD administrators, vendors, other educational institutions, alumni, and government agencies to exchange information and/or solve problems and other issues, with a highly complex portfolio stemming from the departments extensive external connections to companies and other academic institutions via its center and institute leadership portfolio.

Major Responsibilities:

• Manages the resources and operations of the department, including centers and programs, ensuring compliance with college and university policies and procedures.
• Interprets and provides guidance regarding university policies and procedures for the department chair, the faculty, and departmental staff.
• In coordination with the department chair, provides oversight and support for the internally-facing academic budgeting and financial activities of the department and centers by overseeing departmental financial activities in sponsored expenditures, annual operating, discretionary, and endowment budget preparation, reconciliation, and reporting.
• Works closely with department chair to ensure accuracy, develop and implement best practices and to troubleshoot financial issues.
• Work with the COE SBO to build and maintain reporting needed by and for the department and associated centers.
• In consultation with COE HR, assists in periodically reviewing departmental staffing needs, leveling, and compensation; maintains a matrix of staffing levels and responsibilities and continually reviews levels of departmental and center staffing.
• Responsible for convening the departmental and center administrators on a regular basis to gather feedback, review processes, and address any issues that may arise.
• Convenes smaller focus groups to work through policy, procedure, and system changes at both the department and college level.
• Presents focus group recommendations to CBE leadership for consideration. Meets regularly with departmental and center leadership, to include chairs, directors, and faculty, to gather feedback on current service levels, policy and procedure concerns, and staff performance and training needs.
• Responsible for compiling this feedback, presenting to COE leadership, and implementing changes as needed. Designs, implements, and presents metrics to measure operational efficiencies and service level satisfaction.
• Partners with the functional areas of COE to include Financial Operations, HR, Facilities and Planning, Sponsored Research, Computing Operations, Communications, and Graduate and Undergraduate Academic Services to design, coordinate, and standardize services and support for department and centers while ensuring alignment with COE and UD goals.
• Works with COE leadership to design and implement processes, procedures, workflows, and metrics to support the business and academic needs of a highly ranked department and centers.
• Creates, distributes, and ensures adherence to timelines for all business processes within the college.
• Serves as the lead business administrator for CBE and is responsible for the direct supervision, coordination, and support of multiple departmental administrators and associated center and program directors.
• Works closely with department chair and associated center directors to ensure appropriate service levels and support for departmental faculty, students, and staff and resolves complex and highly sensitive personnel and operations issues as they arise.
• Advocates for department and center needs with COE leadership.
• Partners with the COE SBO to support talent management initiatives for direct and indirect reports.
• As vacancies resulting from turnover or leaves occur within the departments and centers, works with the department and center leadership to cover business gaps, and will act in the absence of departmental administration.
• Manages departmental and center talent development, cross-training programs, employee relations, and performance management issues in conjunction with Department Chair and College leadership.
• Leads search committees convened to fill departmental administrator vacancies.
• Manages hiring of postdoctoral researchers, limited term researchers, and visiting scholars/visiting professors. Prepares employment renewal letters and tracks time of term in the Department.
• Prepares verification letters when requested by faculty and staff.
• Prepares letters and documentation for processing visa applications. Manages termination of postdoctoral researchers, limited term researchers, and visiting scholars/visiting professors.
• Prepares employment verification letters.
• Oversees the monthly arrival/departure coordination to properly track and manage arrival and departure dates of all employees and non-funded visitors.
• Represents the department with vendors, other educational institutions, alumni and government agencies.
• Attends department faculty meetings.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelors degree in Business Administration or a related discipline and six years of job-related work experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Knowledge and experience of financial reporting, administrative policies and procedures, contract and grant administration and human resources management.
• Thrives in a fast-paced environment and is excited to advance and share in the success of a nationally-ranked program.
• Experience leading complex organizations and managing complex tasks.
• Demonstrated excellence in personnel management and team building.
• Ability to encourage, mentor, and lead assigned staff.
• Ability to promote an atmosphere in the office as one that encourages cross-training, transparency, and a team approach to work/task coordination.
• Effective analytical and technical skills, including the use of financial management systems, relational databases, spreadsheets, and word processing software programs.
• Effective organizational skills.
• Ability to interpret, adapt and apply guidelines and procedures.
• Ability to plan, organize, implement, evaluate and modify administrative support needs.
• Ability to gather and analyze statistical and financial data and generate ad hoc reports.
• Ability to develop, plan, and implement new strategies and procedures, and be part of COEs continuous improvement plan and effectively share any new ideas with peers in other departments and COE leadership.
• Ability to communicate effectively and interact well with people of all ages and diverse backgrounds.
• Committed to fostering a workplace culture of belonging, where diversity is celebrated and equity is a core value.
• Demonstrates and understanding and consideration of the differing needs and concerns of individuals with varying identities, cultures, and backgrounds.