Business Process Administrator

This position is a part of the Non-Academic Staff Association (NASA).

This position has an end date of 6 months from the date of hire.

Working for the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is teeming with change makers, community builders, and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to more than 40,000 students in 200+ undergraduate and 500+ graduate programs, over 13,000 faculty and staff, 260,000 alumni worldwide and have been recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for over a decade.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross section of people—from our students and stakeholders, to our renowned researchers and innovators who are quite literally curing diseases, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger, and more just.

Position

Reporting to the Assistant Director, Agreements, the Business Process Administrator is responsible for performing a variety of functions within the Agreementsteam that provides end-to-end research administration support. The Business Process Administrator is responsible for incoming mail and document distribution, records management and a wide variety of administrative functions within the Research Services Office (RSO).

The Business Process Administrator will independently review and distribute incoming documents to ensure that critical information and project statuses within the RSO's grants management system are updated while ensuring the completeness of the documentation whenever possible. A critical component to this job is to ensure that all documents are distributed to the appropriate team/individual within the RSO on a timely basis to facilitate the efficient, effective and prompt processing of research awards.

The Business Process Administrator will work collaboratively with other RSO staff to maintain and improve the electronic and paper-based records management systems within the RSO.

Working in a service-oriented, time-sensitive, high-volume environment, the Business Process Administrator must develop an understanding of the end-to-end research administration system to act independently in providing a broad spectrum of administrative support to RSO and the University community.

The Business Process Administrator will liaise with the university community and external sponsors to provide general information and respond to inquiries on grants, contracts/agreements, and policies and procedures.

The Business Process Administrator will provide reception coverage for short periods of time (vacations less than two days, casual absences and medical appointments, etc).

Duties

Mail (electronic and paper) and Document Distribution

• Serves as the first point-of-contact for RSO incoming mail; assigns and distributes to appropriate staff for further action
• Reviews, prioritizes and distributes incoming paper mail; updates document files
• Escalates 'time-sensitive' files to appropriate team
• Checks and ensures that document packages are complete upon their arrival at RSO's central office, trains and educates University community and RSO staff as necessary
• Assists in troubleshooting and resolving issues on "problem" documents/requests in consultation with appropriate staff
• Jointly manages the "rsoadmin" email inbox (competition results, documents for tasking, donations and inquiries from internal and external clients)
• Creates new and/or updates existing proposals in the RSO grants management system for awards and agreements, ensuring that matching existing files are identified
• Reviews competition results and updates the RSO grants management system records
• Reviews transfer of funding requests from Advancement Services to ensure that documentation packages are complete and provides written approval for transfers to proceed
• Receives and records all in-coming cheques from sponsors and forwards to Financial Services
• Provides cover off for other administrative positions within the team
• Performs other duties as required

Ethics Certification

• Jointly manages the "rsoadmin" email inbox (biohazard, animal and human ethics notifications, and Release of Funds Agreements)
• Develops and maintains a solid working knowledge of the Research & Ethics Management

Online (REMO) system used by the Research Ethics Office (REO) to administer ethics approvals

• Files approved ethics notifications in the electronic folder in "rsoadmin"
• Coordinates the processes for addressing projects with expired, suspended and external ethics approvals; updates the associated spreadsheet; provide information to the Assistant Director for follow-up
• Prioritizes competition results and sends initial certification requests to researchers; responds to researchers' inquiries about requirements and timelines
• Assists in ensuring that ethics approvals are in place for Notices of Awards (determines applicable approvals, follows up with the researcher, checks that RSO requirements have been met, enters information into the RSO grants management system) prior to assigning files
• Liaises with the REO and Biosafety/Environment, Health and Safety staff to share relevant information and answer incoming inquiries

Clinical Trials

• Reviews incoming clinical trials (daily on a priority basis) to confirm basic information and ensures signatures are complete prior to obtaining the Assistant Director's signature
• Acts as first point of contact for incoming clinical trials requiring electronic signatures
• Maintains and manages the clinical trials records on a tracking spreadsheet in Google Drive
• Liaises with the Northern Alberta Clinical Trials Research Centre (NACTRC) regarding new University accounts for clinical trials; assigns files to Agreements Administrators as they come through for signatures

Records Management

• Maintains the central RSO filing system including the retention and disposal (i.e. archiving) of original and official copies of all research applications, awards and agreements on behalf of the University
• Applies standard naming conventions
• Develops and utilizes appropriate systems to check out, monitor and locate files
• Scans documents for inclusion in the RSO grants management system and in hard copy project files
• Coordinates the flow of information between the central and faculty offices
• Maintains administrative files and non-action correspondence
• Provides guidance to RSO staff on records management policies and practices
• Assists in closing outstanding files
• Establishes and maintains internal procedures for functions and duties relating to the RSO's record management practices

Administrative Functions

• Responds to telephone queries and emails, interpreting needs and answering or redirecting queries
• Provides coverage for receptionist
• Prepares drafts of letters and memos
• Records minutes at team and unit meetings
• Performs other general administrative duties

Qualifications

• Post-secondary diploma in the area of business administration or equivalent; equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered
• Minimum of 2 years' experience working in the area of business administration, preferably within a postsecondary institution
• Familiarity with University of Alberta policies and procedures
• Records management training would be an asset
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment
• Excellent time management skills. Must be able to prioritize and manage workload to meet the multiple demands of the position
• Strong communication (written and verbal) and organizational skills; attention to detail
• Demonstrate excellent judgment and discretion
• Demonstrated competencies in the areas of: professionalism, results orientation, organizational understanding, teamwork, flexibility/adaptability
• Strong proficiency in Windows using Microsoft Office (Word and Excel), Google Apps, Internet, PeopleSoft applications, and databases

Note: Online applications are accepted until midnight Mountain Standard Time of the closing date.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.