Academic Administrator - Open Rank (2026-51838)

University of Massachusetts Medical School; Worcester, Northern (MA, KY); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Job summary

UMass Chan Medical School seeks an Academic Administrator to lead budgeting, grants administration, hiring, and strategic operations for the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biotechnology.

The role collaborates with School leadership to define priorities, oversee space and facilities, and ensure compliance with university and funding regulations, while supporting the Chair with high level administrative and finance oversight.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Administration or related field or equivalent experience.
• 5 years of related experience; prior supervisory experience.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with School to define and prioritize departmental strategy and direction.
• Oversee facility needs for the department including renovations and day to day operations.
• Advise the Chair on Human Resource issues and staff plans.
• Manage the department's annual budget and funding sources.

Skills

Grant management

Budget analysis

Staff supervision

Strategic planning

Interpersonal communication

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Administration

Masters degree in Business/Finance/Public Administration

5 years related experience

Supervisory experience

Tools

Excel

Budget software

Job description

Explore the Possibilitiesand Advance with Us.

You can view all open jobs by visiting our jobs page or use the following search form to find jobs that suit your specificcareer interests.

When you join the UMass Chan Medical School team, you join us in advancing together to improve the health and well-being of our diverse communities throughout Massachusetts and across the US and the world.Together, we lead in education, research, health care delivery, and public service. Your life’s work is more than a career. It’s an expression of your passion, intellect, skill, and drive.UMass Chan's commitment to excellence, innovation, competitive benefits, and work-life integration will allow you to build a professionally rewarding career as we work together to better or improve the health of people around the globe.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Under the general direction of the Department Chair or designee, the Academic Administrator is responsible for planning and managing the administrative and business affairs of a department whose functions include primarily research (budget management, grants administration and hiring) and also education and service.

This is an open-rank posting (there are 3 levels of Academic Administrator) - candidates will be hired into the level commensurate with their experience.

The Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biotechnology (BMB) at UMass Chan Medical School seeks applicants for an Academic Administrator position. The Administrator is responsible for planning and managing the business affairs of a large, vibrant fundamental science department. The Administrator also provides high-level administrative, budgetary, recruitment and organizational support to the Department Chair.

We are searching for a highly motivated and enthusiastic leader committed to a welcoming community, creativity, and collaboration, to join our team and to play an active role in the Department. The Department is home to 28 faculty members and over 120 employees, including lab personnel, administrative staff, postdoctoral associates, graduate students and interns. The Department is home to the Institute for Drug Resistance and the Program in Chemical Biology, a wide range of cores including cryoEM, small molecules screening facility, mass spectrometry, structure based drug design/ x-ray crystallography and macromolecular NMR. For more information about BMB please visit www.umassmed.edu/bmb

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Academic Administrator II:

• Collaborate with the representatives of the School to define and prioritize departmental strategy and direction. Identify trends, appraise cause and effect, and evaluate and highlight opportunities to improve department performance
• Foster on-going improvements in operating efficiency/process
• Direct analytical studies of existing or proposed services and activities to provide the economic basis for management decisions to improve operational/financial performance and to realize productivity improvements
• Assist the chair in determining space needs for faculty and revenue operations in the Department
• Oversee facility needs for the department including renovations and day to day operations as it relates to the research and teaching mission of the department
• Advise the Chair on Human Resource issues such as the development and execution of organizational/staffing plans for faculty and non-faculty
• Responsible for the recruitment, compensation plans, and merit of faculty
• Advise the Chair, faculty and department personnel on employee relations issues
• Supervise all personal action activity related to hiring, termination, increases contracting and funding
• Serve as advisor to faculty for the pre and post award activity relating to grant management
• Assist with the negotiation of research and trust fund contracts with outside organizations
• Develop and manage the department's annual budget reporting significant variances and trends, recommending corrective action, and providing forecasts
• Review department needs and recommend priorities based on availability of funds
• Devise funding strategies where the sources represent multiple venues, internally and externally
• Manage all department funding sources by monitoring revenue and expenditure activity
• Adhere to University, State, and funding agency regulations
• Responsible for the division's indirect cost, time, and effort reporting
• Advise faculty in charge of revenue generation research trust funds assuring viable operations, revenue billing, and compliance to University and Federal guidelines
• Represent the department at administrative meetings within and outside of the Medical School
• Serve on Institutional committees established to improve school operations and system implementations
• Perform other duties as required

Academic Administrator III:

• Collaborate with the representatives of the School to define and prioritize departmental strategy and direction
• Oversee teaching and research facility needs for the department as it relates to the research and teaching
• Assist in determining space needs for the faculty and revenue (trust fund) operations relating to school activity
• Advise the Chair or Senior Administrator on development and execution of organizational/staffing plans for faculty and non-faculty school merit
• Advises faculty and school personnel on employee relations issues
• Supervise personal action activity related to hiring, termination, increases contract and funding for school employees and employees funded from school accounts
• Serve as advisor to faculty and division administrators for the pre and post award activity relating to grant management
• Assist with the negotiations of research and trust fund contracts with outside organizations
• Develop and manage the department's annual school budget reporting significant variances and trends, recommending corrective action, and providing forecasts
• Review departments educational and research needs and recommends priorities based on availability of funds
• Manage department funding sources by monitoring revenue and expenditure activity
• Adhere to University, State, and funding agency regulations
• Responsible for the Department's indirect cost time and effort reporting
• Advise faculty in charge of revenue generation research trust funds assuring viable operations, revenue billing, and compliance to University and Federal guidelines
• Represent the department at administrative meetings within and outside of the Medical School
• Serve on Institutional committees established to improve school operations and system implementations
• Perform other duties as required.

Academic Administrator IV:

• Collaborate with the representatives of the School to define and prioritize departmental strategy and direction
• Identify trends, appraise cause and effect, and evaluate and highlight opportunities to improve department performance
• Foster on-going improvements in operating efficiency/process
• Direct analytical studies of existing or proposed services and activities to provide the economic basis for management decisions to improve operational/financial performance and to realize productivity improvements
• Assist the chair in determining space needs for faculty and revenue operations in the Department
• Oversee facility needs for the department including renovations and day to day operations as it relates to the research and teaching mission of the department
• Advise the Chair on Human Resource issues such as development and execution of organizational/staffing plans for faculty and non-faculty, recruitment activities, faculty comp plans and merit
• Advise the Chair, faculty and department personnel on employee relations issues
• Supervise all personal action activity related to hiring, termination, increases, contracting and funding
• Serve as advisor to faculty and division administrators for the pre and post award activity relating to grant management
• Assist with the negotiations of research and trust fund contracts with outside organizations
• Develop and manage the department's annual school budget reporting significant variances and trends, recommending corrective action, and providing forecasts
• Review department needs and recommends priorities based on availability of funds
• Devise funding strategies where the sources represent multiple venues, internally and externally
• Manage department funding sources by monitoring revenue and expenditure activity
• Adhere to University, State, and funding agency regulations
• Responsible for the Department's indirect cost time and effort reporting
• Advise faculty in charge of revenue generation research trust funds assuring viable operations, revenue billing, and compliance to University and Federal guidelines
• Perform other duties as required.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Academic Administrator II:

• Bachelors degree in Administration or related field or equivalent experience
• 5 years of related experience
• Prior supervisory experience required

Academic Administrator III:

• Masters degree in Business, Finance, Management, Public Administration, or equivalent experience.
• 5 years experience as an academic administrator, business office manager, or equivalent administrative position in higher education or a research institution, including 3 years of supervisory and fiscal management experience.
• 3 years of fiscal and NIH grant management (pre- and post-award) experience required. Preferably in research setting
• Analytical ability as evidenced by independent development of solutions and recommendations in the areas of grant/contract management, healthcare and higher education accounting techniques, cost/benefit comparisons, analysis of budget variance and staff resources forecasts.
• Excellent Communication skills both oral and written are essential
• Working knowledge of personal computers, including spreadsheet and word processing software
• Ability to lead diverse teams of people towards positive and shared outcomes
• Ability to travel to off-site locations

Academic Administrator IV:

• Masters degree in Business, Finance, Management, Public Administration, or equivalent experience.
• 7 years experience as an academic administrator, business office manager, or equivalent administrative position in higher education or a research institution, including 3 years of supervisory and fiscal management experience.
• 4 years of fiscal and NIH grant management (pre- and post-award) experience required. Preferably in research setting.
• Analytical ability as evidenced by independent development of solutions and recommendations in the areas of grant/contract management, healthcare and higher education accounting techniques, cost/benefit comparisons, analysis of budget variance and staff resources forecasts.
• Excellent Communication skills both oral and written are essential
• Working knowledge of personal computers, including spreadsheet and word processing software
• Ability to lead diverse teams of people towards positive and shared outcomes
• Ability to travel to off-site locations

PREFFERED QAULIFICATIONS:

• Masters or PhD
• Knowledge of the functioning of research labs

Posting Disclaimer:

This job posting outlines the primary responsibilities and qualifications for the role but is not intended to be an exhaustive list.Duties and expectations may evolve in response to the needs of the department and the broader institution.

In alignment with our commitment to pay transparency, the base salary range for this position is listed above (exclusive of benefits and retirement).At UMass Chan Medical School, final base salary offers are determined based on a combination of factors, including your skills, education, and relevant experience.We also consider internal equity to ensure fair and consistent compensation across our teams.

Please note that the range provided reflects the full base salary range for this position. Offers are typically made within the midrange to allow for future growth and development within the role.

In addition to base pay, UMass Chan offers a comprehensive Total Rewards package, which includes paid time off, medical, dental, and vision coverage, and participation in a 401(a)-retirement plan, with the option to contribute to a voluntary 403(b) plan.

UMass Chan welcomes all qualified applicants and complies with all state and federal anti-discrimination laws.