Assistant Business Manager: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering - UTK

About the role

The Assistant Business Manager supports departmental financial operations and human resources functions by ensuring accurate processing of financial transactions and maintaining compliance with university and agency policies.

Responsibilities

• Processes journal entries and financial transactions for accounts payable, accounts receivable, procurement card activity, and travel.
• Aids in documentation for sponsored projects, reconciles departmental accounts including scholarships startup accounts and fee for service accounts, and reviews labor distribution and effort certification data.
• Evaluates the allowability of funding changes, prepares non-labor cost transfer documentation, assists faculty with purchasing activity on sponsored projects, supports recharge center activities, handles accounts receivable collections, and assists with invoice creation, distribution, and analysis.
• Maintains labor distribution schedules, runs reports for analysis and validation, and manages Net ID requests for guest travelers and pending employee processes.
• Collaborates with College HR, Campus HR, and CIE staff to maintain compliance with fiscal and HR policies, facilitates H1B and J1 visa processes, evaluates department position titles for Actual Wage Certification, confirms financial support commitments, monitors work authorization expirations, ensures foreign national check-in and orientation completion, and manages OPIc testing requirements for graduate teaching assistants.
• Processes additional work payments, service awards, and assists with administrative duties for faculty searches, faculty development leave cases, and promotion and tenure cases.
• Supports procurement activities by supporting orders for equipment, office supplies, lab supplies, chemicals, and classroom materials, ensuring appropriate approvals, preparing requisitions, contracts, and non-competitive justification submissions, confirming delivery and setup requirements, managing asset inventory, and supporting annual inventory processes.
• Aids employees with procurement card transactions, completes required P Card and T Card training, tracks procurement activity, reconciles receipts, manages audit requests, addresses fraudulent activity concerns, oversees receiving and distribution of goods, and maintains unit records.
• Assists with timetable entry, running trend analysis reports, maintaining departmental account files, monitoring record retention, supporting departmental events, providing customer service to faculty, staff, and students, and answering phone calls and greeting visitors as needed.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED and 6-8 years of accounting or business management experience.
• Knowledge of basic accounting principles.
• Skills in communication, customer service, and organization.
• Ability to multitask and work independently.
• Ability to prioritize a heavy workload.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate degree or bachelor's degree in a related field with 4-6 years of accounting or business management experience.
• Licenses/certifications related to accounting or human resources management fields.
• Experience in an academic environment.
• Experience working with foreign nationals and non-native English speakers.
• Experience in recruiting, hiring, or employee relations.
• Knowledge of state and federal contracts and grant financial requirements.
• Knowledge of UT fiscal and HR policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of financial and personnel management systems such as Oracle Huron and DASH.
• Knowledge of personnel processes including hiring, I-9 E-verification, and USCIS visa procedures.