Do you want to help enable and advance excellent teaching and groundbreaking research through financial management, facilitating purchases, and sponsored research? Do you enjoy a position that is always changing and rarely stale? Are you looking to apply your problem-solving skills combined with a strong attention to detail to support faculty teaching and research on a historic campus? Are you ready to steer an exceptional team of people to support the financial needs of the department?  If so, Princeton University's Electrical and Computer Engineering department is recruiting a Business Manager to join its team and lead its grants managers and purchasing teams.

 

The Business Manager will report to the Senior Manager of Finance and Administration. You will serve as a senior staff member, responsible for the oversight and the day-to-day financial management of the department.   You will analyze financial data and prepare financial information for reports. The Business Manger has oversight of use and reconciling of all operating (~2.38M), unrestricted ($3M) and endowment ($1M) funds for the department. You are also the key approver for all purchases and payments for the department.  Persistence, problem-solving, and a high attention to detail are other key skills needed for this role. Additionally, you will supervise, support, and develop the grants management team (4 Grants Mangers) and the purchasing team (1 Purchasing Coordinator who supervises one Purchasing Specialist).

 

If you are very detail orientated, have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, unwavering grit and a relentless perseverance, enjoy problem solving, can support and develop a high performing team, and can handle multiple tasks under pressure and deadlines, then you have the right skill set and attributes to make an immediate impact on the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. The position offers an ever-evolving environment where staleness is a rarity. You will have the opportunity to regularly work closely with colleagues associated with Finance and Treasury, research administration, as well as with faculty, student/postdoctoral researchers, and technical staff in Princeton’s Electrical and Computer Engineering Department to enable, accelerate, and leave an indelible mark on the pursuit of academic endeavors and scholarly research in a historic academic setting.

Departmental Finances - Budgeting

• Formulate and create a recommendation of annual operating budget for approval by Senior Manager and Chair; manage and forecast expenses.
• Ensures compliance with intended purpose for endowed funds as indicated in the deed of gift. Establish new chart fields such as fund and program as needed for new awards and tracking of funds.
• Work with Sponsored Research Accounting to ensure compliance with sponsored funding and university policies and procedures; approval of expenditures in accordance with sponsor restrictions; Liaison to the project grant managers.

Departmental Finances – Approver:

• Process and approve labor accounting transactions for faculty, research staffs, graduate students and administrative staff and provide back-up for graduate administrator.
• Time and Absence Manager – set-up casual employee tasks, approve all bi-weekly Time and Absence for the Department. Hire and approve payroll for students through new student employment JobX Hiring and TimesheetX Time Approval system.
• Liaison to department staff regarding Prime and other university business systems; grant authorization to People Soft Financials and Labor Accounting to department staff and affiliated departments.
• Hire and process casual and student employees.
• Process HR/DOF paperwork for job changes, additional pay request, etc.
• Verify and approve all expenses on the department’s purchasing credit cards to confirm the charges are appropriate and comply with University policies; annual review and certification. Approve and submit applications for processing on all travel and expense credit cards; approver for all cost object approvals.
• SAFE administrator - funding student projects and clubs.
• ERA proposal approver.

Departmental Finances - Compliance

• Communicate university, departmental, and sponsored research policies and procedures to ensure compliance.
• Attend all relevant training classes and stay current with changes in policies, procedures, and processes.

Staff Supervision

• Supervise, support, and develop the Purchasing team (two staff, one direct report, one sub-report) and four Grants Managers (with four sub-reports).
• Meet regularly and provide feedback on work.
• Look for opportunities to develop skills and talents.
• Submit annual performance appraisals.
• Review and approve flexible work requests.
• Help ensure the staff feel included in the department.
• Communicate with Senior Manager any performance issues or achievements that should be recognized by the department.
• Work with the Senior Manager to balance workload challenges amongst the Grants Managers, and other staff as needed.
• The Business Manager should have enough knowledge and skills to temporary backfill the grants manager positions in times of crisis.

Collaboration, Communication, and Professional Development:

• Collaborate, support, and serve as backup to the Senior Manager.
• Develop and maintain a good working relationship with the staff in COS, PMI, ACEE and other departments as our faculty collaborate across many centers and departments.
• Work closely with Office of Research and Project Administration (ORPA) and Sponsored Research Accounting (SRA) representatives to ensure university and sponsored research regulations are followed. Respond and coordinate internal and external audit requests.
• Work with other colleagues in the department as team spirit is highly advocated.
• Assist Department Manager in projects as needed.
• Maintain current knowledge of sponsor and university rules and regulations by attending relevant training and professional development opportunities.
• This role requires constant monitoring of ever-changing regulatory requirements. Continuous training/learning is required.

Operations and Facilities Management:

• Supervise purchasing team as they handle the asset management/inventory process.
• Collaborate with the Senior Manager on department business processes improvements, as well as resource and inventory development and management.
• Participate in departmental, school, and university committees to develop networks and skills to improve the department's efficiency.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Essential Qualifications:

• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills; high attention to detail partnered with the ability to think and execute strategically. Highly effective organizational and project management skills. Exercise independent judgment to plan and prioritize diverse workload, takes initiatives, and is self-motivated.
• Superior interpersonal skills across a variety of communities (faculty, staff, administration).
• Demonstrated ability to gather, analyze, interpret, and present data (quantitative and qualitative) for varying constituencies and purposes. Proficient Excel skills. Superb organizational skills and ability to work proactively on multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong background in budget development, account reconciliations, financial analysis and reporting; solid understanding of accounting concepts and procedures.
• Experience in the supervision and monitoring of staff relations, staff development, and delegation of supervisory responsibility.
• Experience in managing and administration of sponsored research and grant proposals and familiarity with Uniform Guidance regulations and federal compliances, or willingness to quickly learn.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience

 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior work experience in higher education or related field
• Experience with University Financial systems (PRIME, People Soft, Concur) is a plus
• Curiosity and willingness to seek out answers and information.

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

36.25

No

Yes

180 days

No

No

No

Mid-Senior Level

#LI-ZY1

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