Business Manager: Tickle College of Engineering - UTK

University of Tennessee•Knoxville, TN

1d•$80,000 - $85,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Business Manager provides leadership and oversight for fiscal management, human resources, and office operations within the unit. This position ensures compliance with university, state, and federal policies while maintaining sound business and administrative practices. Responsibilities include financial approvals, budget management, personnel oversight, and coordination of data and reporting used in accreditation, audits, and academic reviews. The Business Manager serves as the primary resource for financial and HR policies and assists faculty and leadership with sponsored project activities and data management processes. This is a grant-funded position and is contingent upon the continued funding of the grant.

Requirements

High School diploma or GED
Six years of accounting and business management or HR management experience.
Minimum of two years of experience supervising regular employees
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 a small office team.

Nice To Haves

Associate degree with four years of accounting/business management experience Or Bachelor’s degree with two years of accounting/business management experience
Project management or administration of federally funded projects, including experience with project budgets, financial reporting, and forecasting.
Financial work history at a comprehensive research university.
Experience with Oracle/DASH (ERP), Award Management software (Research Admin), Student Information System (SIS)

Responsibilities

Overseeing unit-level financial and accounting operations, including approval of financial transactions, budget development, and ongoing monitoring of expenditures.
Leads the preparation of annual budgets, submission of required data files, and analysis of financial activity to support strategic planning initiatives.
Represents the unit in budget hearings and related meetings, ensures accurate financial reporting, and supervises accounting and bookkeeping functions.
Serves as a subject matter resource on financial policies and procedures, providing guidance in complex areas such as labor distribution, accounts receivable, and cash management.
Assists with the development and submission of research project budgets. This includes preparing and reviewing budget proposals and justifications, providing recommendations to ensure compliance with unit guidelines and funding agency requirements, supporting online proposal submissions, and assisting principal investigators with post-award financial reporting.
Collaborates closely with the Office of Research, as necessary, to ensure accurate, timely, and compliant financial management of grants and contracts.
Maintains a professional and well-organized office environment that reflects positively on the department.
Oversees daily office operations, assigning and prioritizing work to ensure balanced workloads, and implementing cross-training to promote teamwork and operational continuity.
Trains and develops staff, ensures compliance with university policies related to performance and conduct, and supports performance management activities, including evaluations and corrective actions in collaboration with department leadership.
Assists with recruiting and hiring office staff and ensures effective coordination of facilities, housekeeping, furnishings, and maintenance needs in partnership with Facilities Services.
Plays a central role in the acquisition, management, and reporting of complex data and information critical to unit operations, accreditation, and academic program review processes.
Coordinates and maintains accurate financial, student, and research data for accreditation reviews, surveys, and benchmarking activities.
Prepares analytical reports on budgets, expenditures, projections, research productivity, and project costs to support leadership decision-making and external sponsor requirements.
Supports annual budgeting, audit assessments, space inventory reporting, and manages scholarship and fellowship data, including award criteria and student award records.
Responsible for ensuring alignment between personnel decisions and budgetary requirements.
Approves personnel actions for faculty, staff, and students; serving as a subject matter resource on HR policies and procedures; supporting department leadership with recruitment and hiring; and supervising staff and student assistants.
Coordinates HR-related training, conducts performance evaluations for office staff, and provides effective solutions to a wide range of HR-related issues to support compliance, efficiency, and workforce effectiveness.