Finance and Operations Manager

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

1d•$61,368 - $90,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Finance and Operations Manager for the Washington Nanofabrication Facility (WNF) plays a role in ensuring financial sustainability, operational efficiency, and strategic growth of the facility. This position supports advanced academic research across multiple disciplines and colleges at the University of Washington, as well as external academic and industrial users. The Operations Manager oversees complex program management, financial oversight, grant administration, and compliance functions for the WNF, which operates as a recharge center. Working closely with the WNF Director and with the College of Engineering (CoE) and Collaboration Core, the Operations Manager ensures the facility's high performance, supporting the institution's strategic research goals. The role oversees the financial health of the WNF, managing intricate budgeting and cost-recovery models, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations, and administering both pre- and post-award grants. The position requires coordination with multiple university departments, external stakeholders, and research collaborators while addressing the evolving needs of both academic and industrial users. The complexity of the position is compounded by the need to maintain rigorous compliance, support cutting-edge research, and drive financial sustainability in a dynamic academic and regulatory landscape. The Operations Manager is instrumental in shaping the financial and operational success of WNF, ensuring the facility’s long-term sustainability and continued support of cutting-edge research at the University of Washington.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Higher Education Administration, or a related discipline.
2 years of experience in administration, higher education, and/or fiscal management
Equivalent experience may be considered in place of the degree requirement.
Flexibility and willingness to work under pressure of frequent deadlines and changing priorities in a high-volume academic setting.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and financial management software.
Experience establishing new processes and/or independently managing administrative or financial processes.
Ability to exercise independent judgment and work independently to resolve problems.
Ability to work effectively and cooperatively with a wide range of students, administrators, faculty, staff, and external constituencies on a daily basis with a strong service orientation.

Nice To Haves

Expertise in financial analysis, budgeting, and developing cost-recovery models for research facilities.
Demonstrated ability to supervise, teach and mentor others in the Department, specific to fiscal tasks (reporting, reconciliation, purchasing).

Responsibilities

Oversee recharge center operations, including budget management, cost analysis, invoicing, and financial reporting.
Develop and maintain detailed financial records, including expenditure tracking, user fee collection, and cost allocation, ensuring accuracy and compliance with audit requirements.
Develop budget projection for annual rate review by Management Accounting and Analysis Office and inform users of rate changes.
Lead the quarterly budget reporting process, preparing detailed analyses for the Management Accounting and Analysis Office and WNF Director.
Manage user databases, invoicing systems, and financial transactions, ensuring timely and accurate user billing and payment processing.
Lead cost-saving initiatives, identifying opportunities to improve financial efficiency and implementing strategies to reduce operational costs.
Act as the primary liaison between WNF and auditors during recharge center audits, ensuring compliance with all policies and regulations.
Keep current on state and UW recharge center policies.
Attend seminars and classes, read policy, search websites and confer with Management Accounting and Analysis Office staff as needed.
Oversee major instrumentation purchases and complete monthly Procurement Card verification reviews for WNF staff.
Collaborate with WNF faculty to identify grant opportunities and develop proposals that align with the facility’s strategic research goals.
Manage all aspects of sponsored grant proposal submission process, including budget justification, administrative sections, and sponsor documentation, ensuring compliance with university and sponsor requirements.
Advise PI of any omissions and suggest re-writes of critical grant sections that may not be addressing sponsor guidelines.
Edit grant document sections for spelling, punctuation, syntax, clarity, succinctness and accuracy.
Oversee post-award processes, including budget revisions, no-cost extensions, and expenditure tracking, ensuring proper documentation and reporting.
Serve as the primary liaison with the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), ensuring timely submission of grant documents with adherence to OSP guidelines.
Compile data for progress reports.
Serve as liaison between the facility and funding agencies and Grant & Contract Accounting (GCA) in regulation adherence, information gathering, and revisions.
Review Faculty Effort and Project Statements in adherence with University’s effort certification guidelines.
Serve as supervisor for WNF administrative assistant.
Train, set priorities, review workloads and performance, and conduct annual performance evaluations.
Liaise with WNF Director and staff to prepare job descriptions for WNF positions, including student assistants and permanent staff positions.
Work with Shared Engineering Payroll & Recruitment to submit descriptions for review and approval by COE and campus HR.
Serve as I-9 coordinator for the facility's new hires, including quarterly student assistants.
Keep current on federal, state, and UW personnel policies.
Participate in college/school meetings and contribute to committees.
Other duties as assigned.