Senior Business Administrator, College of Social & Behavioral Science

At the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS), we work to investigate ideas, transform social conditions, and tell unheard stories. We prepare students, engage in research, and collaborate with community partners to address everyday challenges, be thoughtful problem-solvers, and build solidarity with others across the world. We are rooted in the unique sense of place in our Borderlands region. With more than 30 SBS majors, the College of SBS has a portfolio of competitive and highly ranked graduate programs. Seven of our graduate programs are nationally ranked in the top 25, including top 5 programs in anthropology, geography, political philosophy, and creative nonfiction. With a wide range of subjects to choose from, our students can explore subjects ranging from ancient philosophy to artificial intelligence.

The University of Arizona's Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences Administration invites you to apply for the role of Senior Business Administrator. In this role, you will serve as a senior-level business professional within the SBS Centralized Business Services Unit, serving multiple academic and functional units within the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. You will work on and oversee the work of others in the area of financial, budget, purchasing, reimbursement, some HR functions, and other complex business and fiscal matters, with an emphasis on those activities funded by grants, the Foundation, and other restricted/external monies. You will manage a portfolio of restricted-funded business activities for Principal Investigators, donors, and SBS unit administration. Senior business personnel work to provide excellent business support to administrators, staff, faculty, and students, coordinating the work of and collaborating with other business personnel in a central location.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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Financial Management and Compliance Oversight:

• Manage and control financial, budgeting, purchasing, and fiscal compliance functions for multiple academic and functional units within the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences centralized business services model, focusing on portfolios of grant, Foundation, and other restricted funding source activities.
• Oversee complex portfolios of grant, sponsored, donor, and other restricted-level activities in conjunction with Principal Investigators, unit administration, and other University departments (Office of Sponsored Projects, UA Foundation).
• Proactively develop and implement solutions for effective fund management, ensuring compliance, optimizing resource allocation, and reducing financial risk.

Business Operations
and Team Coordination:

• Oversee and coordinate the work of other business services personnel within the SBS centralized business services team, including managing the ticketing queue and workload distribution.
• Guide staff in transactional processes such as reimbursements, budget management, chart of accounts administration, and the effective use of financial and logistical software systems.
• Foster continuous improvement by identifying operational inefficiencies, implementing solutions, and mitigating risks related to financial processes and restricted funding activities while supporting faculty, staff, students, and Principal Investigators (PIs).

Post-Award Financial
Management and Compliance:

• Oversee the review, approval, and reporting of expenditures assigned to restricted and research portfolios.
• Manage post-award functions including effort report certification, budget reconciliation, and position funding distributions.
• Interface with the UA Office of Sponsored Projects to ensure compliance with sponsor and institutional requirements. Identify compliance gaps, implement corrective solutions, and proactively reduce financial risk.

Cross-Functional
Leadership and Business Support:

• Provide leadership and coordination across functional areas within the centralized SBS business services center, supporting similar financial, budgetary, transactional, and HR responsibilities on an ad-hoc basis as part of the larger business services area.
• Contribute to cross-functional problem-solving, assisting with the development of solutions for business processes and promoting efficiency across units.

Knowledge,
Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):

• Knowledge of grants management, budgeting, and financial reconciliation.
• Skill in overseeing a team and individually processing reimbursements, providing purchasing assistance (e.g., purchase orders, credit card management), and managing budgets in a professional business environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Outlook) in a professional setting.
• Proficiency in using financial, enterprise, or budgeting software systems to support business operations and reporting.
• Knowledge of post-award grant administration.
• Skilled in proactively strengthening financial controls to reduce risk.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to adapt to shifting priorities while providing excellent service to administrators, staff, faculty, and students.
• Ability to work with a high level of detail and accuracy.
• Ability to foster collaboration across departments.
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships.

This job posting reflects the general nature and level of work expected of the selected candidate(s). It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The institution reserves the right to amend or update this description as organizational priorities and institutional needs evolve.

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience required.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant work experience, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

• Demonstrated experience in leadership roles within professional business functional units.
  
• Demonstrated professional experience in a university, government, or similar environment with budgetary, financial, and business responsibilities.