Associate Administrative Officer

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Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education.

Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity, affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Please note, all candidates selected for an offer of employment are subject to pre-employment background checks, which may include but are not limited to, based on the role for which they have been selected: criminal history, education verification, social media review, motor vehicle records, credit history, and professional license verification.

The Associate Administrative Officer (AAO) is part of the finance and administration team for the Vice Provost for Arts, Libraries and Global Engagement (VPALGE) at Vanderbilt University (the university); the AAO provides finance and administrative-related support, serving as a Financial Unit Manager (FUM) and Human Capital Manager (HCM) in the Oracle Cloud administrative system. This position provides general finance and human resource guidance to staff, often performing in a liaison capacity. Reporting directly to the Senior Administrative Officer (SAO) for VPALGE, the AAO interacts regularly with staff from various VPALGE departments, and with other administrators across campus. Working closely with the SAO and Chief Business Officer (CBO), the AAO monitors systems and procedures to ensure compliance with accounting principles; university, State, and Federal regulations; and audit requirements, and serves as a key departmental contact on university policy and process questions. This position will interface with a wide constituency of partners across the university.

About the Work Unit:

The Office of Arts and Libraries in the Office of the Provost is led by the Vice Provost for Arts, Libraries and Global Engagement, and oversees and promotes arts and archival-related activities, including those related to academic programs and programming and community and global engagement.

Key Functions and Expected Performance:

Financial Management

• Reviews and approves financial transactions for assigned financial unit(s) in the Oracle Cloud system, including procurement requisitions and expense reports
• Maintains an extensive understanding of the university’s chart of accounts and departmental use of Project Portfolio Management POET structure, including all relevant travel, expense and procurement policies
• Maintains extensive understanding of institutional and departmental policies
• Uses excellent professional judgment and integrity to evaluate the appropriateness of expenditures and possesses the maturity and confidence to address questionable transactions either directly or by escalating them, if needed
• Ensures every component of a requisition or expense report is accurate prior to approval
• Adopts best practices in the review and management of financial resources, addressing any needed changes or adjustments in a timely manner
• Maintains big picture perspective, ensuring that all expenditures are evaluated to assess impact on departmental operational needs and financial goals
• Analyzes quarterly financial reporting to support departmental fiscal management

Human Capital Management (HCM)

• Maintains and updates HR information for staff and student employees and processes hires, transfers, reclassifications, and end of employment actions to ensure timely and accurate processing of employment changes
• Works with unit leaders to provide guidance on performance management processes, ensuring alignment with university policies and departmental goals
• Maintains an extensive understanding of Oracle HR functions and related connections with Oracle financial functions to ensure accurate reflection of HR transactions, such as payroll, in the university’s financial statements.
• Responsible for compliance for bi-weekly timesheet population, including communication and oversight to ensure timesheets are submitted and approved by University deadlines to ensure prompt and accurate payment on pay day. Additionally responsible for submitting off-cycle payroll requests, resolving timecard errors, and submitting and approving timecards for employees and supervisors as needed
• Serves as the area resource on absence and leave management and reporting, including FMLA. Understands and processes paid and unpaid leave for employees and assists employee with accurate absence reporting to ensure timekeeping is accurate and employees are paid correctly while on paid or unpaid leave

Administrative Leadership and Collaboration

• Collaborate with administrative support staff and provide mentorship to enhance their professional growth
• Assist in developing and implementing administrative processes to improve operational efficiency
• Partner with key stakeholders across the university to align operations with institutional priorities
• Manage miscellaneous tasks assigned from area leadership as needed

Supervisory Relationships

This position has no supervisory responsibilities and reports administratively to the SAO of the Libraries.

Required Education, Experience and Certifications

• A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education is necessary.
• At least 3 years of directly comparable experience is necessary.

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Demonstrated ability to work in an environment requiring strong attention to detail is necessary.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and in a highly collaborative setting is necessary.
• Aptitude to solve problems in a timely manner and prioritize responsibilities appropriately is necessary.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are necessary.
• Professionalism, maturity, and experience with the prudent handling of confidential and highly sensitive information is necessary.
• Expert Excel, Word and PowerPoint skills are necessary.
• Experience in a library or multi-location operation is preferred.
• Experience with Oracle or similar ERP systems, and familiarity with Vanderbilt policies and procedures, is preferred.