Business Operations Manager

About Flinders

Our bold vision, captured in our Strategic Plan: making a Difference: The 2025 Agenda, is to be internationally recognised as a world leader in research, an innovator in contemporary education, and the source of Australia’s most enterprising graduates.

To realise this ambition, we recently made a significant organisation change to a six College structure with a professional staff and services alignment.

We recognise the key to our success is exceptional people and we’re seeking an outstanding individual to join the team of our transformed university.

Employment Type:

Fixed Term (Fixed Term)

Position Summary

Availability:
Fixed-term to June 2023 | Full-Time
Compensation Grade:
Higher Education Officer Level 8
Salary Range:
$100,238 - $110,971 p.a.
Reporting To:
Director, National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction
The Business Operations Manager will make significant contributions to the success of the National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA). NCETA is an internationally recognised Research Centre that works as a catalyst for change in the alcohol and other drugs field. A collaborative venture between Flinders University and the Australian Government Department of Health, NCETA is located within the College of Medicine and Public Health and is part of the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI) at Flinders University in South Australia. NCETA is a key national research centre in the alcohol and other drug field. A key focus of the Centre is workforce development (WFD).
The Business Operations Manager will be required to provide day-to-day, strategic business and financial management of all Centre research programs, operations and provide executive assistance to the Director, NCETA. Generally unguided with some broad direction, the Business Operations Manager will have direct responsibility for contract management, financial management, reporting to funders and to the advisory board, devising program budgets, general Centre operations and policy development, and support for strategic development, in line with Flinders University policies and procedures.

Key Position Responsibilities

The Business Operations Manager will be accountable for:

• Preparation, management, and dissemination of all financial aspects of the NCETA accounts and programs including, but not limited to, budget forecasting, financial reconciliation, staff costing allocations, monthly financial reporting, preparation, and timely submission of progress reports to funding bodies and approval of NCETA purchases and expenses.

• Managing end to end contract process with collaborators and funding organisations. This includes managing contracts in accordance with University and legislative requirements, from negotiation to execution (including analysis of relevant issues pertaining to intellectual property) as well as undertaking the role of contract manager for the life cycle of the grant.

• Executive assistance to the Director, NCETA (in particular, diary management and maintenance of filing systems and grants programs). 

• Secretariat for NCETA Advisory Board and other NCETA project advisory groups established for grants and contracts.

• Meeting coordination, office management and administration for the broader NCETA team including maintaining outward facing communications including developing style guides, proofing and formatting reports, acting as the contact point for NCETA, updating NCETA’s webpage and social media in collaboration with Digital Content Producer. 

• Developing and maintaining effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders to NCETA and the University. This includes consultation with Commonwealth and State/Territory Governments and where appropriate, engaging with a range of internal and external committees and forums to inform and influence collaborative research partnerships.

• Providing a high level of professional judgement and advanced problem-solving skills, relating to complex operational, program and planning matters, to influence and inform high-level decisions and innovative opportunities for change.

• Providing a high level of strategic leadership for NCETA, including the identification of and planning for operational requirements, risk mitigation, staff resourcing, and the delivery of reports and outcomes to meet contracted deliverables.

• Actively managing NCETA administrative systems and processes including, but not limited to finance, reporting requirements, human resource management, travel management, procurement, record management and WHS, EndNote libraries of reports and publications, to ensure the efficient and responsive delivery of NCETA operations and program deliverables.

• Occasional work out-of-hours to meet operational requirements. 

• Any other responsibilities in line with the level of the position as assigned by the Supervisor and/or the University.

Key Position Capabilities

• Completion of a postgraduate qualification in business, or related field and a minimum 5 years’ of management and leadership in a similar Business Manager role, or an equivalent combination of experience and/or other relevant education/training.

• Demonstrated experience in financial management including developing financial reports, complex quotations budgets, forecasting and reports against expenditure. This includes experience with financial systems such as Fraedom.

• Extensive experience in providing independent executive support and advice to Director(s) in business management and/or related fields including research settings.

• Proven experience in the development and collation of advisory board papers and secretariat.

• Demonstrated high level written communication skills with attention to detail and the ability to write a variety of documents including articles, progress reports to funders, advisory board papers, procedures, program outlines, business plans, progress reports or other materials with application to NCETA and the University.

• Proven high level oral communication skills and confident interpersonal interactions, astute perception with strong engagement abilities in complex or/and unfamiliar situations. Highly developed ability to relate, influence and communicate with a diverse range of people. This includes exercising professional tact and confidentiality when dealing with sensitive and complex issues.

• Proven experience in contract management, developing and managing relationships with key stakeholders such as government agencies, industry and other collaborators to implement NCETA goals and meet contractual obligations.

• Proven ability to delegate responsibilities effectively, establishing clear roles and feedback mechanisms. Identify capabilities and resources internal and external to NCETA to manage conflicting priorities.

• Demonstrated ability to deliver functional and line management to effectively mentor, supervise, and manage a team of professional and/or academic staff to achieve their maximum potential in their respective roles.

• Experience in the use of the program EndNote (desirable)

• Experience in maintaining websites, social media and outward facing communications for research/teams (desirable)

• An understanding of alcohol and other drugs research (desirable)

For more information regarding the position, or to have a confidential discussion, please contact: Professor Jacqueline Bowden

Information for Applicants:

You are required to provide a suitability statement of no more than three pages, addressing the key capabilities of the position as outlined above. In addition, you are required to upload your CV.

A valid National Police Certificate which is satisfactory to the University will also be required before the successful applicant can commence in this position.

We are seeking to increase the diversity to improve equal opportunity outcomes for employees, and therefore we encourage female applicants, people with a disability and/or from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders descent to apply.

Please note, late applications and applications sent via agencies will not be accepted.

Applications Close 11:59pm:

08 Jun 2022