Business​/Operations Manager

Title: Business/Operations Manager

Executive Area: Academic Affairs

College/School/MBU: College of Natural Sciences

Department: Microbiology

Work Location: Amherst

Schedule: Full time

Work Arrangement: Hybrid

The Business Operations Manager serves as the primary financial contact for the department of Microbiology with college administrators, University offices, and other institutions and organizations. Provides fiscal and administrative support to the Department of Microbiology. Responsible for the financial management of all department accounts. Serves as an advisor on matters related to financial management and operational effectiveness. Manages and supervises the Microbiology office staff.

Ensures effective management of the daily operations of the department.

Oversees departmental and research budgets, ensuring compliance with University, state, and federal policies, monitors expenditures, processes journal entries and budget transfers. Advises faculty and program directors on budget status and reviews grant and contract budgets and internal processing forms for principal investigators.

Manages the effective day‑to‑day operations of the department through direct supervision and leadership of departmental administrative staff, including hiring, training, performance management, mentoring, and staffing recommendations. Ensures efficient and professional execution of routine office functions and provides backup support in Buy Ways, Concur, and other administrative systems as needed.

Supports the faculty lifecycle, including promotions, appointments, and searches. Prepares and routes faculty personnel documents and serves as liaison with college Academic Human Resources (AHR) to ensure compliance with hiring policies.

Provides guidance to faculty on policies, procedures, budgets, and curriculum; communicates updates and ensures consistent compliance with University, state, and federal policies.

Advises the Director of the Microbiology Teaching Services (MTS) and the Director of the Applied Molecular Biotechnology Program on budget allocations and expenditures. Oversees allocations to MTS from participating colleges and departments on campus.

Represents the Department Head in financial and administrative matters and serves as a liaison with college and campus offices. Communicates and oversees dissemination of policies, procedures, and system changes to department staff, faculty, and administration, ensuring consistent interpretation and compliance with University, state, and federal requirements.

Manages academic programs and student support, including undergraduate and graduate admissions, curriculum coordination, course scheduling, graduate appointments and non‑working fellowships, tracking student progress and milestones, and processing graduate records and publications.

Serves as webmaster for the department's website. Designs and edits web pages for the departmental website. Maintains departmental email groups, responds to website inquiries, and maintains Google email groups and Google calendar for conference rooms. Reviews and evaluates departmental network needs with building systems manager. Serves as liaison between network systems manager and department staff members.

Plans, schedules, and coordinates departmental events and receptions, including Graduate Recruitment, Undergraduate Celebration, and other events as needed. Directs publicity (faculty searches, accomplishments, etc.) for the Department through various publications. Acts as liaison with the college Communication team.

Manages and oversees departmental infrastructure including repairs and renovations of departmental space, work requests, coordination with outside vendors. Acts as Building Manager. Reviews and determines equipment service contracts with input from faculty, assists in equipment inventory inquiries, and updates Department Space Audit.

Work collaboratively and effectively to promote teamwork, equality and inclusiveness.

Work in partnership with colleagues within the CNS community and across the campus to support the Dean’s strategic priorities.

Perform other duties as assigned…