Operations Manager, Research

University of New Orleans; United States; On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

LSU New Orleans seeks an experienced administrative professional to coordinate the Office of Research operations, manage purchasing, and oversee communications and file management. The role includes onboarding, staff support, and cross-department collaboration to ensure efficient research administration.

Responsibilities include assisting with grants, deposits, and Workday data entry, while supporting newsletters, website updates, and social media.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher required.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills.
• Ability to organize time and multiple projects to meet deadlines.
• Proficiency with MS Office and current web browsers.
• Experience with social media platforms and audience engagement.
• Creative mindset with ability to work autonomously and follow directions.
• Ability to lift up to 20 lbs as needed.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate departmental operations for the Office of Research.
• Handle purchasing, setup/inventory of office equipment, and infrastructure.
• Schedule meetings, greet visitors, and manage student workers and staff calendars.
• Assist with onboarding, orientation, and training of new staff.
• Maintain files and oversee annual archival/destruction per policy.
• Assist with grants and contracts deposits and Workday data entry.
• Provide cross-training and act as backup for research office business processes.
• Provide basic IT support and other administrative tasks as needed.
• Support communications: newsletters, website updates, and social media.

Skills

Oral communications

Written communications

Organizational skills

Microsoft Word

PowerPoint

Excel

Adobe Acrobat

Social media

Audience understanding

Creativity

Autonomy

Lift 20 lbs

Education

Bachelor's degree

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in communications, IT, business administration, or related field

Graphic design, web design, or public relations experience

Tools

Microsoft Office

Adobe Acrobat

Job description

Thank you for your interest in LSU New Orleans.

Job Summary

Coordinate departmental operations, purchasing, and communications for the Office of Research while providing general assistance and customer service with the business of research administration.

Job Description

• Occupy the Office of Research reception desk and ensure daily visitors are assisted when they arrive at the office
• Coordinate all purchasing for the Office of Research Purchase, set up, maintain, and inventory all office equipment, technology, and infrastructure
• Organize office operations via scheduling meetings, greeting visitors, transferring calls, and coordinating student workers and staff schedules
• Assist with the onboarding, orientation, and training of any new Office of Research employees
• Maintain files and records with effective filing systems and oversee annual file destruction per Louisiana state policy
• Assist Office of Research accounting with grants and contracts deposits
• Fulfill requests for data entry of new sponsors and assistance listing numbers in Workday and follow naming conventions Document invoicing and reporting requirements for grants and contracts as Tasks in Workday based on approved departmental reviews of grants and contracts
• Serve as a cross-trained backup for conducting the business of the office, such as entering data for proposals, awards, and modifications into Workday and obtaining quarterly certifications of expenditures from principal investigators
• Ensure operational efficiency and reduce administrative burden Provide basic IT and computing support to the Office of Research Support Office of Research with various administrative tasks
• Other duties as assigned by the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research or Vice Chancellor for Research
• Oversee Office of Research internal and external communications such as compiling weekly newsletter, updating website, and managing social media while working with other units on campus to ensure researchers’ successes are celebrated and promoted
• Design promotional materials such as brochures, flyers, and other publications telling the story of research at LSU New Orleans
• Plan, coordinate, and organize Office of Research events, including the annual research symposium and any awards ceremonies for undergraduate researchers, graduate researchers, faculty, and staff
• Coordinate catering, acquire venues, track RSVPs, and design/distribute event materials
• Other duties as assigned by the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research or Vice Chancellor for Research

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• Excellent oral and written communications skills
• Ability to organize time and multiple projects efficiently and effectively to meet the demands of competing priorities and deadlines
• Expertise in standard Office software: Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, Adobe Acrobat, and current web browsers (Explorer, Chrome, or Firefox)
• Competency with all major social media platforms
• An understanding of the interests and behaviors of target audiences
• Creativity and curiosity
• Ability to work productively with great autonomy and minimal supervision, and equally able to take direction, elicit input from others, and respond to feedback
• Ability to lift up to 20 lbs. as necessary

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in communications, IT, business administration, or other related field
• Graphic design, web design, and/or public relations experience

Salary

Commensurate with experience

This position may require a criminal background check to be conducted on the candidate(s) selected for hire.

LSU New Orleans seeks to recruit a highly productive workforce and will provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and prospective employees. Employment decisions shall be based strictly on merit and without regard to religious or political beliefs, sex, race, or any other non-merit factor.

About LSU New Orleans

LSU New Orleans is the only R2 public research university in New Orleans, Louisiana, and one of just four public colleges in Louisiana to hold that designation. R2 status opens the doors to competitive federal research grants that flow preferentially to classified research universities. It anchors the university’s power to recruit research-active faculty, to sustain doctor programs of national standing, and to signal to businesses and investors that New Orleans possesses the intellectual infrastructure a knowledge economy demands. Located along Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans, LSU New Orleans’ research excellence and urban relevance provide an opportunity for the institution to become a leading public research partner in one of America’s most exciting and vibrant metropolitan areas. New Orleans has always faced challenges that call for research driven solutions including coastal land loss, educational achievement gaps, affordability, public safety, and workforce shortages. LSU New Orleans can strengthen its research activity as a tool for public problem solving as well as economic impact by leveraging the scale, reputation, infrastructure, and global reach of the LSU enterprise while remaining deeply connected to the city it serves. With more than 5,500 students and the support of approximately 248 faculty serving the College of Liberal Arts & Human Development, The college of Sciences, The Robert A. Savoie College of Engineering, the Henry Berstein College of Business Administration, and six distinct schools, the campus remains committed to honoring its founding vision and continuing to play a critical role in the region. Opened in 1958 on the site of a former U.S. Naval Air Station as the region’s first fully integrated public university, LSU New Orleans was created after years of coordinated efforts from civic leaders and residents who believed that an accessible public institution of higher education was vital to the city’s future. Located only 15 minutes away from downtown and the French Quarter, the university occupies a 195-acre campus in one of the nicest residential areas of the city.Since its first commencement exercises in 1962, the university has conferred more than 80,000 degrees creating an extensive network of Privateer Alumni that includes prominent local leaders in fields such as business, tourism, athletics, government, and academia. The university is also an important catalyst of socio-economic mobility for the region. Its student body includes a significant share of first-generation students, working students, adult learners, and veterans. The institution has grown from a commuter-oriented campus into a comprehensive urban research university with undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs in distinctive academic categories tied to the city and region. Its evolution has been inseparable from the story of New Orleans; an internationally recognized city of creativity, resilience, industry, cultural influence, and global connectivity. As one of the most strategically important cities in America, New Orleans’s economy is rooted in legacy sectors such as energy, maritime commerce, tourism, healthcare, and international trade. Recently, the city has expanded its economic portfolio to include areas such as coastal restoration, film and media production, technology, and advanced manufacturing. The city’s strengths are the university’s opportunities. New Orleans needs talent, civic leadership, resilient infrastructure, healthcare innovation, artists, and entrepreneurs. This combination of culture, commerce and connectivity gives LSU New Orleans a set of dynamic factors that allows it to serve as both an access institution and a problem-solving university as it reinvents itself beginning this summer. LSU New Orleans Welcomes Job Applicants from Varied Backgrounds LSU New Orleans seeks to recruit a highly productive workforce and will provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and prospective employees. Employment decisions shall be based strictly on merit and without regard to religious or political beliefs, sex, race, or any other non-merit factor.

Posting Close Date

This position will remain open until filled.