Operations Manager

Towson University (TU) has earned distinction as both a top-100 public university and one of the nation's great colleges to work for. Located north of Baltimore, TU currently enrolls over 19,000 students and is the second-largest university in the prestigious University System of Maryland.  Towson University fosters a climate that is grounded in respect to cultivating the intellectual and personal growth of the entire university community.

The Operations Manager manages the day-to-day operations of the Department of Biological Sciences, working closely with Department Chair, Assistant/Associate Chairs, and with university administrative counterparts to maintain efficiency of all administrative, business, and operational processes. The Operations Manager anticipates the needs of the Department Chair/Department and acts independently to resolve and prevent any issues.

Budget Analysis & Financial Records: Monitor Department budget allocations and expenditures, as well as grant awards, travel vouchers, and other expenses. Provide monthly (or on demand) budget reports to the Department Chair including current and projected balances. Maintain internal bookkeeping for startup, plant funds, self-support, and foundation grant awards. Enter budget journal entries to reconcile charges and to reallocate expenses. Support faculty and student submission of travel authorizations and vouchers; review travel forms to verify accuracy of funding and completion of documentation. Work with lab coordinators to establish and spend budget for lab courses on a semester basis. Collaborate with the Building Manager and Budget & Operations Coordinator. Maintain departmental fiscal documentation for audit compliance and oversee purchasing activities for all procurement card holders in the department.

Purchasing and Resource Selection: Work closely with faculty, staff, and students to place orders in support of teaching and research. Provide logistical support to faculty managing grants and those involved in departmental programming/initiatives; coordinate with other departments/offices to execute events. Investigate competitive pricing options where possible. Research and suggest alternative vendors when competitive bids are required. Work with Procurement in writing Sole Source Justifications, competitive bidding and award of purchase orders.

Property Control and Equipment Inventory: Maintain accurate equipment inventory and keep up with gas cylinder locations and types of gases/liquid cryogens tank counts. Coordinate service calls for equipment and instrumentation with faculty or staff and service vendors. Assist in acquisition of furniture for offices and classrooms and coordinate furniture and equipment relocation or renovation logistics as needed. Perform equipment inventory with required updates for equipment being moved to new locations. Support department computer census audits.

Timekeeper for Student Employees: Support departmental supervisors by entering and removing student employees from payroll in support of departmental student help, students employed on grants, and students serving as undergraduate learning assistants.

Space Utilization and Facilities Liaison: Maintain detailed knowledge of physical space in the department; coordinate renovation/repair requests. Manage daily housekeeping and maintenance requirements for the general upkeep of labs and classrooms by coordinating work performed by Facilities Management.

Maintain an effective and professional level of communications with faculty, staff, and students with respect to the university’s policies and procedures concerning budgets, inventories, renovations, safety, and procurement. Exhibit a positive attitude during times of change. Handle multiple priorities and adapt to changing priorities. Be a team player in issues involving daily operations.

• Bachelor's degree and two years of work experience.
• Background in accounting and/or financial management, and the ability to use university budgeting and accounting software.
• Able to plan, organize, prioritize and execute multiple and continuing assignments with general instructions.
• Able to manage change, deal with new circumstances, and work both independently and as part of the team. Able to maintain schedules and meet deadlines.
• Able to communicate (written and verbally) information effectively with internal and external stakeholders, develop standard operating procedures, and summarize complex financial states. Technological competence, and the ability to communicate with technical staff to manage department infrastructure.

Preferences:

• Peoplesoft & Peoplesoft Financials, STRATUS.

Salary of $74,000-$79,000 annually and full University benefits that include 22 days of annual leave, up to 15 holidays, personal and sick days; excellent health, life, and retirement plans; and tuition remission. To learn more about our benefits, click here. TU also offers a variety of great perks and discounts, which can be found here.

This position will be open for a minimum of 14 days. For consideration, please submit a cover letter and resume with your online application.