Operations Administrator
The University of Chicago

Department

BSD IPP - Finance

About the Department

The Institute for Population and Precision Health (IPPH), located in the Biological Sciences Division, will integrate a wide spectrum of factors such as human health behaviors, environmental factors, social and economic factors, policies and genetic determinants of health, into studies focused on the treatment and prevention of disease, as well as the maintenance of wellness. Leveraging and integrating the University of Chicago's considerable institutional strength in population science with research spanning diverse fields such as genetic medicine, cancer epidemiology, microbiome, and epigenomics, the Institute will have the common goal of improving human health outcomes. Another major goal of the Institute will be to develop a new multidisciplinary training program to equip researchers with emerging tools and methods to conduct precision health research within a population health framework. Our faculty lead research projects in biostatistics, epidemiology and health services research and participate in interdisciplinary teams with faculty in other departments to address complex problems in health and healthcare, in our communities and around the globe.

This at-will position is wholly or partially funded by contractual grant funding which is renewed under provisions set by the grantor of the contract. Employment will be contingent upon the continued receipt of these grant funds and satisfactory job performance.

Job Summary

The Operations Administrator oversees the daily operations of various sections within the Institute for Population and Precision Health (IPPH). This role involves a variety of administrative/operational tasks supporting the research, clinical, and educational goals of the institute, along with its associated programs and projects. Leveraging strong teamwork skills, the administrator ensures efficient office and location support by following and refining established processes and procedures.

This role has four (4) main areas of responsibility: executive assistant to the Director, operations, academic affairs, and HR liaison. Success in this position requires an administrative professional with a high level of detail orientation, prompt responsiveness, and excellent diplomacy.

Responsibilities

Executive Assistant to the Director

• Acts as a liaison between the IPPH Director and faculty, graduate students, visitors, and other college and university offices.
  
• Provides administrative support for the IPPH Director. Stays informed of activities relating to programs and initiatives, apprising the leader of issues when deemed necessary. Coordinates information flow from Director's office.
  
• Proactively manages the IPPH Director's calendars and schedules, including setting ongoing and special meetings and responding to scheduling inquiries. Familiarity with managing a complex calendar and making changes to the meeting schedule as needed. Tracks deadlines and provides proactive support to ensure that they are met. Plans and organizes internal and external meetings. This will include identifying and booking meeting space, order refreshments, preparing agendas, minutes, and other related materials.
  
• Proactively manages the IPPH Director's communications, ensuring mail, email, and other communications are responded to in an appropriate and timely fashion.
  
• Makes domestic and international travel arrangements per the University's travel policies and develops itineraries for the Director and visitors.
  

Institute Operations

• Performs high-level operational and administrative duties in support of IPPH Business Office functions, including procurement and related reconciliation.
  
• Manages office operations through IPPH space management, ensuring office supplies are fully stocked, regularly monitoring kitchens inventory, and providing facilities (space) support to all department staff.
  
• Provides event planning organization by ordering and setting up catering, travel organization for guests, room reservation management for meeting halls and classrooms, creating travel dossiers and on-campus itineraries, coordinating on day of event, and reimbursement and bill payment.
  
• Respond promptly to departmental staffs' purchase requests, for both institutional and research needs, and ensure timely fulfillment.
  
• Handle and resolve operational tickets in a timely basis, coordinating with relevant departments.
  
• Provides comprehensive supervision and guidance to the research operations assistant in all areas of responsibilities.
  

Academic Affairs Coordination

• Serve as the main liaison between IPPH MsPH students and the Graduate Office, handling all tasks related to the MsPH program.
  
• Provide administrative support to the Graduate Office for MsPH program-related payments.
  
• Assist the Institute and Graduate Office with the development and implementation of marketing strategies for the IPPH MsPH program, including brochures, newsletters, and digital content, to attract prospective students.
  

HR Liaison

• Serve as the primary point of contact between the academic departments' HR and new hires for onboarding PhD students, postdocs, and new faculty.
  
• Coordinate with academic departments' HR associates and facilitate the onboarding process, ensuring all required HR forms and documentation are completed accurately and in a timely manner for HR associates to process.
  
• Maintain clear and organized records of all onboarding activities for compliance and reporting purposes.
  
• Work with the Faculty Search Committee and the Office of Faculty Affairs, etc. for the identification and hiring of new faculty.
  

Other Duties

• Performs some routine and complex assignments for the unit usually in the areas of finance, event planning or support services. Initiate the hiring process of students and staff for a unit, which includes the processing of payroll.
  
• Responsible for training office staff on office procedures and compliance protocols. Coordinates special projects.
  
• Assists in the monitoring of the various financial and budgetary activities, including vendors contracts. Preparing and monitoring the budget for a unit.
  
• Researches and analyzes data to create reports, and may create other reports for grants and contracts.
  
• Performs other related work as needed.
  

Minimum Qualifications

Education:
Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
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Work Experience:
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
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Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Master's degree.
  

Experience:

• Experience working in a college/university environment.
  

Preferred Competencies

• A high level of attention to detail and excellent organizational skills.
  
• Outstanding interpersonal and communications skills, characterized by the ability to listen and speak, with a strong commitment to customer service.
  
• Exceptional time management skills including the ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize workflow, paired with flexibility and adaptability to new tasks in an emerging and changing environment.
  
• Working collaboratively with individuals from varied sectors, both on and off campus.
  
• Self-starter with the ability to work both independently and as a team member.
  
• Use appropriate resources to resolve an issue.
  
• Follow an issue through to resolution.
  

Working Conditions

• Office setting.
  

Application Documents

• Resume (required)
  
• Cover Letter (preferred)
  

When applying, the document(s) MUSTbe uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Administration & Management

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Frequency

Monthly

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Benefits Eligible

Yes

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at:http://securityreport.uchicago.edu.Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.

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