Department: MED-Ctr Food Allergy & Asthma
Salary/Grade: EXS/8

Job Summary:

The successful candidate will join a collaborative research team within a dynamic research environment. This position will support the Center for Food Allergy & Asthma Research (CFAAR), directed by Dr. Ruchi Gupta. As a center with a presence in the both the Institute for Public Health and Medicine (IPHAM) and Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (NUCATS), CFAAR provides community and stakeholder engagement infrastructure across the research spectrum.  

The Department/Center Administrator (DA/CA) is the senior administrative position in a department/center within the Feinberg School of Medicine (FSM) & provides thought leadership in reviewing & recommending policy & procedure designed to enhance operational excellence.  Ensures the effective, compliant, & efficient daily management of all operational, financial, & business functions in support of the business area's mission & in coordination with central offices such as HR, Budget, Facilities, IT, & Provost.  Represents business area on internal & external administrative affairs by recommending alternatives & suggestions.

Specific Responsibilities:

Areas of Responsibility:

• Tactical implementation of at least 6 of the following:

• Budget & Financial
• Communications & Outreach  
• Facilities & Safety                   
• Faculty Support                      
• Grants & Contracts
• Human Resources
• IT Services
• Regulatory Compliance
• Strategic Planning

Work Complexity:

• Employee uses judgment & an extensive amount of experience to adapt an advanced knowledge of skills, methods, practices, policies & procedures & a moderate degree of innovation, analysis, & reasoning to plan & prioritize work that is primarily project oriented & involves some extremely difficult problems &/or decisions. 
• Employee interprets policy.

Budget & Financial:

• Serves a primary role in the development & implementation of annual budget including fiscal resource allocation of appropriated, discretionary, endowment & gift revenues. 
• Typically involved in the budget management of numerous research grants.
• Responsible for payroll, purchasing, travel & entertainment (T&E) transactions & requesting new chartstrings using NU protocol. 
• Prepares faculty salary recovery & summer salary. 
• Creates & monitor recharge centers. 
• Oversees prompt payment of invoices & related research of errors. 
• Monitors open encumbrances & deficit chartstrings. 
• Level II approver in NUFS. 
• School level approver in HRIS. 
• Routinely reviews & reconciles actual expenses to budget per NU Audit guidelines. 
• Approves funds reallocation within budget as necessary & appropriate.
• Responsible to stop an expense that is inappropriate or against deficit chartstring. 
• Negotiates with vendors for purchases & leases.

Communications & Outreach:

• Working closely with the Office of Alumni Relations, may actively pursue opportunities for alumni contact & solicitation.

Facilities & Safety:

• Monitors area facilities conditions & directs requests to Facilities Management using FAMIS. 
• Maintains key database & security. 
• Works with management to assign staff &/or faculty space including appropriate FM refresh/renovation & furniture purchase. 
• Coordinates set up of furniture, data, phone lines, &/or renovations. 
• Brings requests for building & space improvements to attention of management. 
• Completes appropriate section of annual SIMS survey following NU protocol. 
• Manages the development & communication of department safety plan.
• Monitors research lab compliance & respond to Risk Management reports.
• Ensures communication with Principal Investigators (PIs) regarding ISIS participation.

Faculty Support:

• Manages administration of faculty recruitment including ads, candidate communication, interview & visit, HRIS paperwork & orientation.

Grants & Contracts:

• Oversees &/or completes pre- & post-award research administration. 
• Utilizes established systems (effort reporting, direct cost charging/SDA, & financial reporting) to ensure compliance with all applicable regulations.
• Interacts with Principal Investigators (PIs) I to build relationships, transfer knowledge & advise on research policies & procedures. 
• Oversees payroll for research appointments. 
• Ensures faculty completion of effort certification. 
• Provides appropriate training for staff & PIs.

Human Resources:

• Manages implementation of human resource programs, policies, procedures & talent management lifecycle & related mentoring & training. 
• Leads the recruitment & selection process.
• Manages area/unit structure & prioritizes & distributes staff workload.
• Oversees Performance Excellence plan for each employee & prepares annual review. 
• Manages performance problems, administers leaves, approves timesheets
• Recommends complex HR solutions & implements decisions. 
• Institutes departmental policy & implements school & NU policy. 

IT Services:

• Acts as liaison to IT to ensure technology systems are properly installed & maintained & meet the informational, analytical & computing needs of users. 
• Ensures necessary hardware, software & network infrastructure services are appropriated from central or internal IT. 
• Issues work order requests for maintenance, repairs & upgrades.

Regulatory Compliance:

• Manages implementation of all safety, security & compliance programs & ensures compliance with all applicable federal, state, local & NU laws, regulations, policies & procedures. 
• Develops innovative methods to assist faculty & staff with adherence to grantor compliance programs.

Strategic Planning:

• Manages & implements strategic operation plans. 
• Reviews plans, meets with leadership & key faculty & staff, & recommends changes & improvements to administrative operations to better meet organizational needs & objectives.

Supervisory:

• Supervises 2 or more staff &/or provide work direction to others. 
• Provides direction to or coordinate administrative effort of staff within or outside of immediate department or division.

Miscellaneous:

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a major such as business, accounting or related; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.  
• 5 years' administrative experience including budgets, finance, grants, facilities, &/or human resources; or other relevant experience.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Exceptional writing and organizational skills
• Ability to take initiative
• Ability to work well with a huge team.