Principal Business Manager: Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering - UTK

About the role

The Principal Business Manager leads financial management, budgeting processes, human resources administration, business operations, and data reporting for the unit. The position ensures the accuracy, consistency, and integrity of all financial activities, coordinates sponsored research budgeting and post award financial management, and provides guidance to faculty, staff, and leadership regarding fiscal and operational decisions.

Responsibilities

• Oversight of all financial operations including annual budgets, college-level budgeting processes, and strategic recommendations to the department head or director.
• Management of all unit accounts including state appropriated funds, start-up accounts, seed accounts, endowed and non-endowed gift accounts, income accounts, and research accounts.
• Validation of fiscal activities such as additional pay, labor distribution, effort certification, procurement sourcing, vendor invoicing, and travel.
• Overseeing annual requirements including space surveys, asset inventories, and GASB reporting, and gathering, validating, and reconciling financial data to maintain accuracy and consistency.
• Supervision and coordination of accounting, bookkeeping, and human resources activities for the unit, management of accounts receivable and cash handling processes, preparation of annual reports on receivables, and serving as the unit expert on financial policies and procedures.
• Preparation of correspondence related to financial matters, solution of complex business problems through data collection and analysis, preparation of data queries and ad hoc reports, and response to inquiries from college and campus units.
• Support of faculty with proposal budgeting and justification preparation to ensure compliance with UT and federal requirements, assistance with online proposal submission, and management of post award activities including financial reporting, expenditure review, re-budgeting, tracking of project progress, and reconciliation of sponsored research accounts.
• Collaboration with the Office of Research for cost analyses and statistical reports related to research programs.
• Support of faculty, staff, and student organizations to improve processes, increase efficiency, enhance customer service, and reduce financial and compliance risks.
• Participation in committees and working groups related to software implementation such as DASH Research and Student Life Cycle systems, performance of special projects and analyses, support of policy development, management of departmental space planning, recommendation of space allocations for new hires, and exercise of high-level decision-making related to process improvement.
• Acquisition, validation, and management of data needed for accreditation reviews, academic program reviews, benchmarking, performance assessment, and routine audits.
• Preparation of monthly expenditure and projection reports, monthly research productivity reports, statistical summaries, and cost analyses for internal and external reporting.
• Human resource management of the unit by serving as the HR subject matter expert, development and analysis of faculty, staff, and student data for planning, oversight of recruitment and retention processes, coaching and mentoring staff, and fostering a positive unit culture.
• Development of HR training materials, conduct of performance evaluations for office staff, assistance with faculty evaluations, and support of the university's strategic HR plans and policies.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in human resource management, business, or a related field.
• Experience: Five years of accounting, HR management, or business management experience; five years of supervisory experience; four years of project management experience or experience administering federally funded projects including budgeting, financial reporting, and forecasting.
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: Sophisticated leadership abilities; strategic thinking and strong communication skills; ability to navigate complex organizational structures; deep knowledge of financial principles, GAAP, and federal regulations in higher education; integrity and confidentiality; expertise in complex budgeting, forecasting, and cash flow management; skill in problem solving, analysis, and decision making; ability to build and motivate high performing teams; ability to collaborate across units; advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
• Other: Legal authorization to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.