Working/Functional Title

Administrative Associate II/S

Position Summary

The Administrative Associate II/S is responsible for overseeing the financial, human resources, purchasing and facilities management functions of University Communications and Marketing (UCAM) including participation in development of unit strategic initiatives and policies and procedures as it relates to finance and human resources. The director manages the annual budget process to ensure funds support priorities, are budgeted appropriately and are spent according to fiscal policy. The position is responsible for categorizing expenses and providing detailed information to forecast future budgets. It also supports the unit’s human resources needs, ensuring compliance with policies and procedures, maintaining employee records and processing HR documents. The director is the unit’s liaison with the university’s procurement office and plays an essential role in supporting departmental procurement and contracts.

About University Communications and Marketing
University Communications and Marketing increases awareness of and appreciation for Michigan State University, its people and its impact as a leading global public research university, builds trust and inspires connection to cultivate support and make MSU a preferred choice.   

Characteristic Duties and Responsibilities
Budget and Financial Administration (40%)

• Manages the fiscal activities for the unit, including annual budget and raise processes
• Approves financial expenditures and personnel transactions in MSU’s Enterprise Business System
• Understands university initiatives related to financial systems and leads implementation of such initiatives for the department
• Develops, implements and maintains methods of tracking and communicating budget and accounting information that meet the needs of the unit
• Oversees all aspects of the daily accounting functions, including preparation and processing of all accounting documents, reconciliation of operating statements, processing of payroll and pcard management
• Plans, oversees and coordinates preparation and administration of various operating budgets, program budgets and special budgets, and develops monthly reports comparing actual expenses to the budgets and analyzes variances
• Ensures compliance with university policy and business practices
• Establishes accounting strings such as sub-accounts, sub-object codes and project codes to categorize expenses and provide detailed information to forecast future budgets
• Serve as unit security administrator for financial and HR systems

Human Resources (30%)

• Works with leadership and hiring managers to determine and support staffing needs; understands and advises on position requirements for new positions, prepares and maintains position profiles for all unit positions, and assists with appropriate classification and reclassification of positions
• Oversees the hiring processes and processing of all personnel actions for the unit and offers recommendations for process improvements
• Serves as a liaison to central MSU Human Resources to manage and coordinate human resource activities and to interpret and implement human resources policies, procedures and practices
• Ensures compliance with university and unit human resources policies and procedures
• Plans, develops and implements communications strategies and training programs for staff affected by change in policies, procedures and practices; responds to internal questions and serves as resource for unit executive leaders and hiring managers
• Supports compensation decisions with accurate information and analysis and processes raises and changes in compensation
• Maintains employee records
• Prepares and processes HR documents

 Procurement (20%)

• Processes, reviews and renews procurement requisitions
• Assists with the creation and coordination of requests for proposal (RFPs)
• Serves as a unit liaison to University Procurement and Logistics
• Ensures invoices are paid accurately according to PO line item(s)
• Prepares and issues timely invoices for commercial filming on campus
• Ensures colleges and departments are billed on time for enterprise licenses and scopes of work applicable to them
• Manages vendor relationships

Supervision and Staff Development (5%)

• Supervises and ensures quality of work of direct reports
• Trains or ensures access to training for direct reports on university and unit systems, policies, processes and procedures relevant to assigned work
• Develops staff and ensures avenues for growth and challenge

 Other (5%)

• Stays up to date in relevant professional fields through continuous learning and professional development
• Maintains records related to capital assets and ensures assets are properly tracked and handled
• Assists with IT related needs for the unit
• Assists with space assessment, improvement and renovation projects
• Other projects and duties assigned

Minimum Requirements

Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in Business Administration, Accounting, Management or field related to employing unit; five to eight years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in financial or accounting practices, developing research projects, funding and grant practices and/or experience in a field related to the area of employment; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Desired Qualifications

Master’s degree in business administration, accounting, finance or a related field. Eight to ten years of as fiscal officer developing budgets, approving expenditures and forecasting; experience with human resources, personnel management, and supervision of support staff; demonstrated excellence in leadership, communication, critical thinking and analytical skills; ability to interact with varied constituents in a timely, courteous and professional manner; and ability to multitask and prioritize work. Experience with all aspects of EBS including, but not limited to, Kuali Financial Systems, SAP HR/Payroll and  Spartan Financial Navigator; experience with Microsoft Office Suite including Outlook, Word, Excel, Power BI; demonstrated orientation to teamwork and collaboration, process improvement, problem solving and adaptability to change; ability to focus on continuous learning for self-improvement and expansion of skills and skill-sets. Related experience in a higher education setting is highly desirable.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Application Materials

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• 3 Professional References

Work Hours

STANDARD 8-5

Website

https://comms.msu.edu

Remote Work Statement

MSU strives to provide a flexible work environment and this position has been designated as remote-friendly. Remote-friendly means some or all of the duties can be performed remotely as mutually agreed upon.

The Bidding Eligibility ends on 07/22/2025 at 11:55 PM