Department Administrator

Morehouse School of Medicine; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 95,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta seeks a Department Administrator to oversee administrative, financial, HR, operations, and academic support for a busy department. This leader works closely with the department chair and school leadership to align resources with education, research, and clinical missions.

Reporting to the Department Chair and AVP of Academic Financial Services, the role requires strategic thinking, strong financial skills, and the ability to supervise staff while ensuring

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university is required.
• Minimum of 5–7 years of progressively responsible administrative experience in academic medicine, higher education, healthcare, or research.
• Minimum five (5+) years in a supervisory role.
• Demonstrated financial acumen for modeling, controls, and budget management.
• Strong interpersonal and communicative skills.
• Highly detail-oriented and precise in execution.
• Ability to convey complex information simply and clearly.
• Proficiency in multi-tasking, time management, and prioritization.
• Experience in clinical practice operations, research administration, and educational program support.
• Proven track record in budget development and financial management of department funds ($10M–$50M).

Responsibilities

• Develop, manage, and monitor the department’s annual operating and capital budgets with MSM finance offices.
• Oversee department funds, including clinical revenue, grants, contracts, endowments, and other sources.
• Directs and supervises administrative staff in requisitions and purchasing.
• Run and manage department P&L, proformas, and reconciliations.
• Provide financial reports, forecasts, and analyses to department chair and leadership.
• Ensure compliance with institutional and sponsor policies and regulations.
• Manage faculty and staff HR activities, including recruitment, onboarding, compensation, performance management, and development.
• Coordinate faculty appointment, promotion, and tenure with OFAD.
• Collaborate with MSM HR and OFAD on contracts and employee relations issues.
• Facilitate faculty compensation plan data analytics and related surveys.
• Ensure adherence to university policies, labor laws, and internal controls.
• Support clinical operations, residency, and medical student training; align educational and clinical responsibilities.
• Oversee research portfolio, pre/post-award processes, space, resources, and administrative support for PIs.
• Ensure accreditation/standards compliance (ACGME, LCME) for educational programs.
• Coordinate space planning, facilities interactions, and IT resources for the department.
• Develop, implement, and maintain administrative policies; manage workflows and communications.
• Represent the chair in administrative meetings; translate vision to staff and faculty.

Skills

Leadership

Budgeting

Strategic planning

Communication

Financial analysis

HR management

Project management

Excel

Policy compliance

Collaboration

Banner ERP

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree in business or healthcare administration

Tools

Banner ERP

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Position Summary

The Department Administrator oversees a department’s administrative, financial, human resources, operational, and academic support functions within the Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM). Working closely with the department chair and school leadership, the administrator ensures effective management of departmental resources and supports faculty, staff, and students in advancing the department’s education, research, and clinical missions. This role has a matrixed reporting relationship to the Department Chair and the AVP of Academic Financial Services. Primary Responsibilities: Financial and Budget Management:

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop, manage, and monitor the department’s annual operating and capital budgets in coordination with the MSM finance offices.
• Oversee department funds, including clinical revenue, grants, contracts, endowments, and other sources.
• Directs and supervises the activities of the administrative staff in areas including requisitions and purchasing.
• Run and manage department P&L, proformas, and reconciliations.
• Provide financial reports, forecasts, and analyses to the department chair and leadership for informed decision-making.
• Responsibly steward and optimize the use of funds and monitor financial health to accomplish the mission of the department or unit.
• Ensure compliance with institutional and sponsor financial policies and regulations. Human Resources and Faculty Affairs:
• Manage faculty and staff human resources activities, including recruitment, onboarding, compensation, performance management, and professional development.
• Coordinate faculty appointment, promotion, and tenure processes with the Office of Faculty Affairs and Development (OFAD).
• Collaborate with MSM HR and OFAD on contracts, compensation, and employee relations issues.
• Facilitate the faculty compensation plan data analytics and other academic survey-related data.
• Ensure adherence to university policies, labor laws, and best practices in employee relations.
• Responsible for providing guidance and training to staff and faculty to ensure compliance with internal controls, policies and procedures, and processes of the institution and external entities. Clinical Operations Support:
• Collaborate with MHC and health system partners to support clinical operations, faculty practice plans, and patient care initiatives.
• Provide strategic oversight for educational programs, including residency, fellowship, and medical student training.
• Ensure educational program accreditation and compliance with ACGME and LCME standards.
• Support clinical faculty in aligning academic and clinical responsibilities. Research and Grant Administration:
• Oversee research portfolio, including pre-award grant submission processes and post-award management.
• Coordinate research space, resources, and administrative support for principal investigators (PIs).
• Ensure compliance with grant and contract guidelines and support principal investigators (PIs) in meeting research goals.
• Collaborate with research administration offices for timely submissions, reporting, and financial oversight. Educational Program Administration:
• Support administration of educational programs, including medical student education and continuing medical education (CME).
• Oversee coordination of course schedules, teaching assignments, and evaluations.
• Ensure compliance with accreditation standards and institutional policies. Facilities, Space, and Resource Management
• Oversee departmental facilities, including office, laboratory, and clinical space utilization.
• Coordinate space planning, renovations, and maintenance with facilities teams.
• Manage equipment, IT resources, and supply procurement. Policy Compliance and Risk Management:
• Ensure departmental compliance with MSM, hospitals, and regulatory agency policies.
• Implement internal controls and risk management strategies.
• Coordinate with compliance and legal teams as needed. Administrative and Operations Leadership:
• Provide comprehensive administrative management and leadership for all department operations, including clinical, academic, and research programs.
• Serve as a strategic partner to the Department Chair, advising on organizational structure, resource allocation, and department priorities.
• Manage internal communications to ensure alignment of department goals across faculty, staff, and trainees.
• Develop, implement, and maintain administrative and operational policies and procedures.
• Manage departmental workflow, communications, and organizational processes to ensure efficiency and compliance.
• Supervise the finance and business operations manager and other finance or administrative staff to ensure their needs, work, and institutional requirements are met. This is done in collaboration with the unit leadership (Chairs, Center Directors, VPs, etc.), who have oversight responsibility with the Directors for work within their unit(s).
• Represents the chair in administrative meetings and conferences. He/she must be a strategic thinker who can easily translate the vision to staff and faculty.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong leadership and organizational skills, with the ability to manage diverse teams and complex operations.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across multiple levels of leadership and external partners.
• Proficiency in financial analysis, forecasting, and reporting.
• Deep understanding of clinical operations, research administration, and academic affairs.
• Knowledge of compliance, risk management, and healthcare regulations (e.g., HIPAA, IRB, ACGME).
• Skilled finance and administrative professional with 10+ years of experience and a track record of success.
• Ability to establish and cultivate effective relationships and teams with various levels of professionals.
• Advanced knowledge of Excel and other Microsoft Office programs
• Familiarity with Banner or other ERP systems.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university is required.
• Minimum of 5–7 years of progressively responsible administrative experience, preferably in academic medicine, higher education, healthcare, or research settings, with a minimum of five (5+) years in a supervisory role
• Demonstrated financial acumen and financial skills for modeling, controls, and budget management.
• Strong interpersonal and communicative skills and
• Highly detail-oriented and executes with precision and accuracy.
• Ability to convey and explain complex information in a simplified way to others and
• Proficiency in multi-tasking, time management, and in establishing and organizing priorities; and
• Experience in clinical practice operations, research administration, and educational program support.
• Proven track record in budget development and financial management of department unit funding sources ranging from $10M to 50M

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in business or healthcare administration from a regionally accredited college or university