Senior Business Officer, College of Earth, Ocean and Environment

The University of Delaware is seeking a Senior Business Officer for the College of Earth, Ocean and Environment in Newark, DE. This full-time position involves managing fiscal affairs, overseeing grants, and enhancing internal processes to support the College's mission. The role includes providing reports, ensuring compliance with policies, and participating in strategic planning. The position is integral to the College's leadership team and supports academic and operational functions.
University of Delaware

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Delaware is an Equal Opportunity Employer which
encourages applications from Minority Group Members, Women,
Individuals with Disabilities and Veterans. The University's Notice
of Non-Discrimination can be found at http://www.udel.edu/aboutus/legalnotices.html

Job No: 501873

Work Type: Staff

Location: Newark

Categories: Academic Administration, Full Time

This position will be posted until filled. The search
committee will begin reviewing applications on May 5, 2025.

Context of the Job:

The College of Earth, Ocean and Environment offers modern
instruction and research facilities on both the Newark and Lewes
campuses. The college is home to more than 70 professors and
research scientists and 70 staff that deliver education to
approximately 450 undergraduate students and 150 grad students and
postdocs, and perform research all over the world. The College has
annual grant expenditures totaling approximately $12 million and
increasing annually. The College basic operating budget is
approximately $18 million and the total annual operating budget is
approximately $34 million. The college houses the world-class
Irenee DuPont Mineralogical Museum, the Delaware Geological Survey,
the Scientific Committee for Ocean Research, the Mangone Climate
Change Science and Policy Hub, and the Delaware Sea Grant program.
In addition, CEOE is home to a fleet of innovative vehicles and
instruments that contribute to CEOE's environmental research: the
R/V Hugh R. Sharp, a state-of-the-art 146-foot research
vessel that is part of the National University Fleet; a
cutting-edge Geographic Information Systems Laboratory; the
University’s AUV fleet (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle); and the
wind power turbine.

The Senior Business Officer serves as an integral member of the
leadership team of the College and is responsible for enhancing the
internal organization processes and infrastructure in support of
the College’s mission and that of the University of Delaware. The
Senior Business Officer provides accurate and consistent reports
for the dean, chairs, and other internal and external constituents
as well as supporting the business services in all academic
departments. The Senior Business Officer directs, plans, and
manages complex and diverse administrative, academic and research
functions as measured by annual revenue and number of faculty and
staff, ensuring compliance with University policies and procedures.
The Senior Business Officer provides leadership and oversight of
the fiscal affairs and research activities of the various academic
and operational components of the College. The Senior Business
Officer acts as liaison with other University departments on behalf
of the College and/or Dean. The Senior Business Officer
participates with the Dean and internal management in strategic and
operational planning and decision making as a member of the central
management team.

Major Responsibilities:
• Manages fiscal affairs of the College including budget
planning, financial analysis, cash flow, and policy issues. Manages
Grant Manager and Financial staff; the Business Administrators in
the units have a dotted line to the Senior Business Officer.
• Oversees grants and contractual agreements for the
College.
• Works with central administration to improve financial
management processes.
• Provides leadership and oversight for business operations
including fiscal affairs and research activities college-wide.
Participates in both strategic and operational planning and
decision-making regarding various programs, services and
functions.
• Provides strategic consultation to the Dean on financial
issues, to include financial analysis and projections, cost
identification and allocation, and revenue and expense
analysis.
• Prepares and presents materials to summarize and justify
unit/program budget requests, including data gathering/reporting
and trend analyses in connection with budgetary formulation and
administration.
• Prepares and presents business cases and budget proposals for
specific projects or ongoing operational needs to the Dean. Such
recommendations have a lasting impact on operations of the
College.
• Manages internal activities of the College, including budget
formulation and expenditures, accounting, cost control, contract
and grant administration, and administrative policy
formulation/implementation.
• Monitors, evaluates, and implements procedures that foster
cost-effective administrative operations for the College. Seeks
best practices and affects changes required for improvement.
• Participates in developing new business, specifically: assist
the Dean and Chairs/Director in identifying new funding/growth
opportunities, the drafting of business plans including budgets and
cost effectiveness.
• Supervises the business office staff; assigns work and special
projects; monitors workload and productivity; evaluates performance
and makes recommendations for personnel actions; motivates
employees to achieve peak productivity and performance; promotes
staff training and development; provides assistance in analyzing
and resolving complex issues.
• Assists the dean and deputy dean on operational and
administrative matters; reviews, interprets, recommends, and/or
implements College policies; identifies and resolves issues
regarding administrative and fiscal matters; develops systems to
monitor academic and administrative deadlines; regularly evaluates
College administrative systems and services.
• Establishes and implements short- and long-range goals,
objectives, policies, and operating procedures; monitors and
evaluates operational effectiveness.
• Provides direct oversight for CEOE capital projects and other
renovation activities.
• Oversees space inventory and space planning for CEOE
• Serves as the point of contact with University Facilities
Management to ensure appropriate maintenance and upkeep of all
CEOE-assigned instructional, research, and office space.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Business, Finance or other
job-related field and eight years of progressively responsible
job-related experience. Master’s degree preferred.
• Supervisory experience.
• Ability to work effectively with people and with varied public
and private organizations.
• Strong oral and written communication and strong interpersonal
skills with effective interactions with senior administration,
faculty, and other constituents.
• Leadership ability including strategic planning, team building,
business development and change management.
• Knowledge of federal and state financial regulations, and
University financial policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of and experience with computerized information
systems used in financial and/or accounting applications, financial
accounting, budgeting, control, and reporting principles, methods,
techniques, and standards.
• Experience with software to quantify and illustrate complex
financial reports, comparisons, impacts, and/or projections.
• Experience with business practices and procedures.
• Advanced analytic, financial modeling and critical thinking
skills are expected as are exceptional judgment and
initiative.
• Ability to plan, organize, implement, evaluate, and modify
financial programs, informational support systems, and
processes.
• Ability to supervise and train employees, to include
organizing, prioritizing, and scheduling work assignments. Employee
development and performance management skills. Ability to make
evaluative judgments.
• Ability to analyze and interpret financial data and prepare
financial reports, statements and/or projections.
• Ability to foster a cooperative work environment.
• Ability to develop and implement strategic business and
operating plans.
• Ability to develop and maintain recordkeeping systems and
procedures.
• Ability to analyze and interpret financial and systems support
requirements, and provide consultation and recommendations to
operational management.
• Skill in examining and re-engineering operations and
procedures, formulating policy, and developing and implementing new
strategies and procedures.

Notice of Non-Discrimination, Equal Opportunity and Affirmative
Action

The University of Delaware does not discriminate against any person
on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity
or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital
status, disability, religion, age, veteran status or any other
characteristic protected by applicable law in its employment,
educational programs and activities, admissions policies, and
scholarship and loan programs as required by Title IX of the
Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act
of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and
University policies. The University of Delaware also prohibits
unlawful harassment including sexual harassment and sexual
violence.

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