Assistant to the Department Head/Chairman

LSUAM Science - Department of Chemistry

0232 A.R. Choppin Hall - Chemistry

Professional

The Assistant to the Chair is an advanced leadership/supervisory position overseeing the financial/budgetary, business, and HR operations of the Department of Chemistry. The financial portfolio of Chemistry is ~$45 million consisting of an $8.5M state operating/unrestricted budget, $700K restricted funds, private funds including a $2M spendable balance and endowments with a $7.3M market value, and grant funds including 130 active grants valued at $26M. is Chemistry is a major academic unit on campus and consists of ~50 academic & research faculty, ~20 research staff, ~17 classified/professional staff, ~136 graduate assistants, and ~40 student workers. The position directly supervises 6 full-time staff and indirectly supervises an additional 2 staff. The functions under the purview of this position include accounting, budget, financial reporting, HR/academic policy, purchasing, expense management, travel, accounts receivable, grants and contracts, instruction, research support, scholarships, the department's recharge facilities (Mass Spectroscopy (MS), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Shared Laboratory for Macro - and Bio- Macromolecular Research (SLMBR), X-ray Crystallography Laboratory, and the Stockroom), and numerous other areas. The position represents/acts on behalf of the Chair of the Department of Chemistry and collaborates closely with the College of Science Dean's Office to problem-solve, enhance policies & procedures, and build best practices.

Job Duties:

50% FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT:

• Provides overall management of all financial transactions in accordance with university regulations, policies and procedures, as well as state and federal laws, and regulations.
• Serves as signature authority for the Chair on financial matters.
• Responsible for managing the department's $8.5 million dollar annual state appropriated budget.  
• Provides financial reports (projections, expenditures to date, etc.) to the Chair.  
• Oversees funds allocated to the faculty for start-up, retention, and faculty indirect cost rebates.
• Monitors salary savings generated by buy-outs, vacant positions, sabbatical leave, leave without pay, etc.
• Acts as the Cost Center Manager, approving all expenditures, tracks spending, makes adjustments and closes out the state budget at fiscal year-end.
• Approves all personnel actions, including graduate assistant appointments, to ensure adequate funding and prompt payment.
• Oversees $7.3 million in Foundation funds and works in close liaison with the Scholarship Coordinator, Chair, the College of Science, and the LSU Foundation.
• Advises faculty, staff and students on procedures governing all Foundation account policies and actions.
• Disseminates account balance information to the faculty and manages the shared real-time database.
• Reconciles accounts, generates reports, and completes new account requests.
• Maintains a detailed database of Professorship/Chairs including past and present recipients, and endowment earnings balances.
• Responsible for all Professorship/Chair and scholarship/award accounts in the department, and monitors spending.
• Oversees a database of $1.5 million in scholarships/student awards including criteria, past/present recipients and available funding.
• Liaises with Recharge Facility managers and Budget Planning to establish rates and submit financial reporting for the Chemistry Mass Spectrometry Facility, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Facility, and the Stockroom.
• Oversees the internal/external billing processes to ensure accuracy and timely processing of manual journal entries and external collections.

20% RESEARCH ADMINISTRATION:  

• Provides higher level support and guidance to both pre- and -post award Business Managers.  
• Works in close liaison with the College of Science (CoS), Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), and Sponsored Program Accounting (SPA) to ensure compliance with proposal instructions, Uniform Guidance, state laws and university guidelines, as well as timely routing and submission.
• Upon the award of a grant, works with the Principal Investigator and other institutions to submit the proper forms for account establishment and subcontract management.  
• Performs monthly review of reconciliations and key personnel effort.  
• Works closely with SPA to provide accurate financial reports and effort reporting as needed. 

15% LEADERSHIP, SUPERVISION & TRAINING:  

• Continuously reviews business operations for audit/compliance and to improve efficiency and quality of services to all stakeholders.
• Represents the department in related university and/or college meetings.
• Directly supervises six staff members and indirectly supervises three other staff who report to those supervised.  
• Trains staff, monitors workload, analyzes task assignments and reassigns duties as required to balance workloads during seasonal overloads and staff absences.  
• Approves leave and makes recommendations for staff promotions and other personnel actions.
• Updates job descriptions and recommends salary adjustments and reallocations.

10% ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT:

• Provides high level advice to the Chair for all financial/budgetary/business/HR-related matters.
• Interprets University/CoS policies and procedures and provides advice to Chair for strategic decision making.
• Handles the preparation and execution of administrative reports related to the budget and implementation plans for major changes impacting financial/HR processes.  
• Serves as liaison to the CoS Dean's Office pertaining to financial, business and administrative operations.
• Point of contact for faculty and staff when financial or administrative issues arise.
• Attends faculty meetings and serves as ex officio on the Department Executive Committee.

5% OTHER

• Performs other duties and/or special projects and requested by the Chair.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree
• Minimum 3 years of professional work experience; working knowledge of pre- and post-award research administration
• Minimum 2 years of supervisory experience

Preferred Qualifications:

• 5 years of professional work experience
• Experience in Accounting, Business, Management, or Grants and Contracts

Special or Physical Requirements:

• Physical ability and eye-hand coordination necessary to use a computer/laptop/iPad.
• Ability to sit and/or stand in the same position for extended periods (3.5 to 4 hours) at a time.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively using phone, email, Zoom/Teams or direct contact with individuals (including conducting presentations or trainings and interacting with students/families).
• Cash Handling -This position has access to/directly handles cash. Financial history/credit check required per FASOP HR-04.

Application must be sent using the following link...

https://lsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/LSU/job/0232-AR-Choppin-Hall---Chemistry/Assistant-To-The-Department-Head-Chairman_R00101052/apply

Please provide a cover letter, resume, and three (3) professional references including name, title, phone number, and e-mail address.

Please attach ALL required documents under the "Resume/CV" section of your application.

A copy of your transcript(s) may be attached to your application; however, original transcripts are required before hiring.

Due to the nature of the position and/or position responsibilities this position shall be subject to pre-employment screenings and credit check.

Background Check - An offer of employment is contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check.

Benefits - LSU offers outstanding benefits to eligible employees and their dependents including health, life, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; retirement options; various leave options; paid holidays; wellness benefits; tuition exemption for qualified positions; training and development opportunities; employee discounts; and more!

Positions approved to work outside the State of Louisiana shall be employed through Louisiana State University’s partner, nextSource Workforce Solutions, for Employer of Record Services including but not limited to employment, benefits, payroll, and tax compliance. Positions employed through Employer of Record Services will be offered benefits and retirement as applicable through their provider and will not be eligible for State of Louisiana benefits and retirement.

LSU is designated as a State As a Model Employer (SAME) agency and provides assistance to persons needing accommodations or with the accessibility of materials. For those seeking such accommodations or assistance related to this search, we encourage you to contact the Office of Human Resource Management (hr@lsu.edu).

For questions or concerns related to updating your application with attachments (e.g., resumes, RS:17 documents), date of birth, or reactivating applications, please contact the LSU Human Resources Management Office at 225-578-8200 or email HR@lsu.edu.  For questions or concerns regarding the status of your application or salary ranges, please contact the department using the information provided in the Special Instructions section of this job posting.