Assistant Business Manager

A qualified Assistant Business Manager:

1. Is capable of handling multiple tasks at once. CBHDS is a fast-paced environment, where the assistant business manager may work on multiple high-priority items in a day. While key tasks in the financial management of the center follow a prescribed calendar, it is not uncommon to work on special projects in addition to normal day-to-day responsibilities, often with short turnaround timelines. Managing competing tasks and shifting deadlines, while being able to judge their relative priority, is an essential skill.

2. Is able to manage, track, interpret, and summarize data. The center’s funding model is diverse, and includes significant NIH awards, foundation and private awards, TAP agreements with heath care partners, IPAs with the Salem VA, VT institute support, and internal support from other organizational entitles. An ability to work with financial management systems, databases and other large datasets, provide thoughtful mathematical/financial analysis, and explain it to people in an easy-to-understand way is key for success.

3. Is a clear communicator and assumes the role of the “face and voice” for the center. The assistant business manager is often the first person that collaborators interact with when making contact with the center. Therefore, he/she plays an important role in representing CBHDS. The business manager will maintain open lines of communication with collaborating departments, institutes, organizations, etc, through email, letters, technical documents, proposals, presentations, etc. The assistant business manager will work with the center’s director to prepare and present timelines and process overviews, and thus experience in oral presentations is highly preferred.

4. Demonstrates the ability to learn and adapt, while shifting between micro and macro projects daily. The dynamic nature of the environment requires a flexible and adaptable individual who thrives in a setting where solutions may not be readily apparent, and require creativity, networking, and seeking out resources. The successful assistant business manager thinks ahead and thinks critically, always keeping the “big” picture in mind (funding model, long-term sustainability, upcoming deadlines and changing in funding, work distribution across center members, etc)

5. Demonstrates and is capable of problem solving for solutions daily. The financial and operational structure of CBHDS requires the Assistant Business Manager to support the center’s director and members on providing effective and reasonable solutions to obstacles and drawbacks that often occur on a day-to-day basis. The successful assistant business manager will be able to adapt prior experiences and solutions to problem solve daily.