Professional Services Specialist 1A

Position Overview

Under the direction of the Associate Director of Administration, the Business Operations Specialist serves as a senior member of the Division of Operations Business Office leadership team, and is responsible for the Department’s business operations. Duties include, but are not limited to, facilitates the procurement of goods and services and ensures that all purchases are in compliance, manages contract process on behalf of the Division of Operations including entering into new contracts and renewing existing contracts, provides business and fiscal oversight of all departments within Division of Operations along with fiscal year operating and project budgets; reviews technology needs for the Department and prepares technical solutions to administrative operations.

Responsibilities

Manages all aspects of contract administration within the Division of Operations Business Operations, including but not limited to:

• Works directly with department supervisors and leadership to ensure service agreements/contracts are appropriately structured to maximize service, while minimizing expenses; Ensures that service agreements have proper authorizations and annual purchase orders are in place.
• Maintains the iContracts database; enters contracts and supporting documentation, follows on approvals, tracks and updates renewals on a timely basis.
• Negotiates pricing and terms on behalf of the Division.
• Ensure vendor paperwork is complete and accurate.
• Reviews contracts for potential legal/compliance issues and works with vendor to resolve.
• Monitors/tracks contract costs, end dates, etc. and provides clear reporting for year-end budgeting and operation workload.
• Ensures purchase orders are generated timely and accurately for all new and existing contracts. Ensures vendors receive approved purchase orders in a timely manner.
• Assists with procurement transactions including but not limited to processing purchase orders, check requests, invoice payments, journal entries, COA corrections, reallocations, etc.
• Ensures payments are made in a timely and accurate manner for all new and existing contracts. Monitors spend against contracts and evaluates spending patterns.
• Responsible for all year-end budget and operation issues, including preparing budget needs for current and anticipated contracts.
• Establish and manage accurate records and reports, ensuring that all fiscal activities adhere to the policies of the college.
• Recommend and implement, upon approval by leadership, business practices to support the operational needs of the department.
• Ensure clear, concise and excellent communication between Department and Finance & Business Services.

Manages all administrative operational aspects within the Division of Ops, including but not limited to:

• May supervise the operations of the procurement team, including three staff members.
• Ensure successful completion of the overall program of the business operations of the Department.
• Serves as a subject matter expert on procurement requirements.
• Establishes work assignments for staff members and determines priorities based on daily tasks.
• Provides instructions to ensure the standards of care and customer service are maintained at all times.
• Prepares and maintains all personnel records for staff members, including online time sheets, discipline documentation and performance evaluations in a safe and confidential manner.
• Create & manage online documented records, reports and files to ensure documents are factual, legible, complete and accurate and are properly designated in online storage.
• Manages online work order system, TeamDynamix to ensure daily requests are being monitored and directed to the appropriate areas in a timely and efficient manner; Monitor workflow of work orders from initiation to closure to determine approximate time work orders remain open and look at ways to be more efficient; process reports to review and determine status of outstanding work orders; Create and maintain internal processes and procedures to better approach best practices for the Department.
• Assist with procurement transactions including but not limited to processing purchase orders, check requests, invoice payments, journal entries, COA corrections, reallocations, etc.
• Performs internal audits of business operations practices and compliance with established procedures.
• Manage waiver of advertisements for the Division of Operations; drafts and ensures waivers are submitted to Board of Trustees as necessary, tracks spend against waivers, and updates staff on waiver status/approvals.
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor or designee.

Qualifications

Required:

• Graduation from an accredited college with a Bachelor's degree.
• Eight (8) years of professional experience in different aspects of administration and business practices; including design and implementation of policy and procedures, vendor service contracts and improving and updating management operations.
• Or, Possession of a master's degree; and three (3) years of the above-mentioned professional experience.
• Or, Possession of a Doctor of Philosophy degree or a Doctor of Education degree; and two (2) years of the above-mentioned professional experience.
• Strong demonstrated knowledge of NJ State Contract and Purchasing laws.
• Strong demonstrated knowledge of the Microsoft Office software suite, especially Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, along with knowledge of the college’s financial system, with the ability to develop financial reports and run queries.
• Strong business and financial acumen supplemented with the ability to apply critical, creative and reflective thinking skills to identify problems, analyze and evaluate various solutions, implement solutions, and monitor their effectiveness.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high volume work environment with superior attention to detail, and the ability to maintain absolute confidentiality of work.
• Ability to provide effective and superior customer service through the use of excellent communications and interpersonal skills. Ability to work collaboratively with all members of a diverse department and campus community.
• Ability to effectively manage a team of individuals to successfully support the College’s strategic goals and initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications: Experience working in higher education. Experience performing internal financial audit and writing specifications with an exceptional eye for detail. Experience using PeopleSoft Financial Systems.