• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $95,000 to $100,000

Position Summary

The Operations Manager will, under the direction of the Associate Vice President for Human Research Protection (AVP), manage the Columbia University Human Research Protection Office (HRPO) budget, execute financial transactions, manage equipment and supplies, and support the Human Resources (HR) and operational needs of the office.  The incumbent is responsible for knowing and adhering to requirements for applicable University financial policies and systems; serving as the office liaison to central HR; and providing analytic and problem-solving support in regards to all matters of financial and operational planning for the HRPO.  

Responsibilities

1. Manage the HRPO annual operating budget

1. Analyze budgeted vs. actual expenditures
2. Assist with preparation of the annual budget narrative and requests for new needs

2. Execute financial planning, processing and accounting in support of office needs
1. Manage all matters related to Accounts Payable, e.g., process invoices and purchase orders for office expenditures, reimbursements, and internal transfers
2. Provide oversight for the process of invoicing for recovery of IRB review fees
3. Generate, provide and maintain reports of all relevant financial accounts and records, e.g., provide ongoing (e.g., monthly, quarterly, annual) reporting that reflects utilization and reconciliation of the HRPO financial resources
4. Act primarily as approver and serve as backup initiator, as needed, for actions in University financial systems, including but not limited to ARC, PAC (People at Columbia), Labor Accounting, and FinSys
3. Manage HRPO personnel matters, e.g., work closely with HRPO management and Columbia HR on recruitment, onboarding, off-boarding, salary allocation, processing of additional compensation, and all associated paperwork and documentation for employees of the HRPO
4. Manage departmental events including but not limited to staff meetings, periodic receptions, IRB meetings, and informational sessions
5. Manage departmental equipment, e.g., document inventory, manage maintenance, and oversee purchasing
6. Oversee departmental facilities and space utilization, e.g., approve requests to Facilities Management for repair and space improvements
7. Supervise, mentor and develop staff, e.g., directly supervise the full-time Operations Specialist and Quality/Data Specialist, develop and maintain SOPs to document workplace procedures and processes, and optimize efficiency through standardization
8. Identify and recommend process improvements and promote a culture of innovation, advancement, and continuous improvement
9. Oversee general office functions, e.g., ensuring that procedures are in place to manage general email inboxes and phone lines, and confirming website changes
10. Perform other duties and collaborate on special projects as assigned

Core competencies necessary for success:

• Strategic Decision-Making - Obtains information and identifies key issues and relationships relevant to achieving a long-range goal or vision; commits to a course of action to accomplish a long-range goal or vision after developing alternatives based on logical assumptions, facts, available resources, constraints, and university values.
• Strategic Job Design - Determines the most effective organization structure and job structure to accomplish a goal or strategy; appropriately reconfigures jobs to maximize opportunities for associate empowerment, continuous improvement, and flexibility.
• Initiating Action ??? Takes prompt action to accomplish objectives; takes action to achieve goals beyond what is required; is proactive.
• Work Standards - Sets high standards of performance for self and others; assumes responsibility and accountability for successfully completing assignments or tasks; self-imposes standards of excellence rather than having standards imposed.
• Interpersonal Awareness - Leverages one???s awareness of the emotional states of others to maximize the productiveness of interactions.
• Leading through Vision and Values - Keeps the university, school and/or department vision and values at the forefront of associate decision making and action.
• Building a Successful Team - Effectively coaches individuals and teams to improve performance.
• Communication - Clearly conveys information and ideas through a variety of media to individuals or groups in a manner that engages the audience and helps them understand and retain the message.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree or its equivalent is required, with a preference for training in Finance, Accounting, or other relevant fields.  Minimum of three years of related experience. 

Additional Position-Specific Qualifications:

• Demonstrated financial experience in budgeting, accounting, and compliance.
• Strong verbal, written, and interpersonal skills.
• Customer service focus, superior detail-orientation and excellent organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently, coordinate multiple projects with competing priorities, and meet deadlines for short-term, long-term, and ad-hoc assignments.
• Must exercise good judgment, exhibit discretion, and adhere to confidentiality requirements.
• Ability to work as a team player in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent computer skills, including advanced knowledge of the Microsoft Office family.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience in higher education or other large, complex institutions is preferred. Familiarity with Columbia financial systems, particularly the Accounting at Columbia (ARC) system, is desired.
• Experience running a financial report for project reconciliation and budgeting; experience in the University Budget Tools, handling labor accounting in PAC, and working in the ARC and FinSys systems desired.
• Must have, or be able to acquire quickly, detailed knowledge of University policies, procedures, and systems.

• Proficiency and/or understanding of data sets; extract, evaluate, clean, and summarize; conduct qualitative and quantitative data analysis and validation as applicable to areas of responsibility. 
• Ability to communicate effectively in both oral and written form.  This position requires the ability to interact positively, constructively, and effectively with professional staff and organizational stakeholders. 
• Ability to lead and mentor team through new and changing situations.  Demonstrate a professional and compassionate manner while conveying a positive image of FPO Operations.
• Must demonstrate leadership and relationship management skills, and manage conflicts with tact, sensitivity, and respect.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, changing environment, take initiative, be flexible, and perform multiple tasks
• Ability to work independently and follow through and handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a culturally diverse staff and patient/family population demonstrating tact and sensitivity in stressful situations.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word & Excel) and Database Management software is critical and the ability and willingness to learn new systems and programs is necessary.
• Must be a motivated individual with a positive mindset and exceptional work ethic.
• Must successfully complete systems training requirements.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.