"ROB Unit Administrator"

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

The Robotics Unit Administrator manages the administrative operations of the new and growing Robotics Department. The Robotics Department, including a new undergraduate major, launched in 2022, and is housed in the beautiful Ford Robotics Building. Fiscal Year 2025 is the start of the fourth year of the department, and our student population includes 172 declared undergrad majors, 113 master's students, and 100 PhD students. There are currently 23 tenure / tenured track faculty, 5 joint faculty, 5 LEO Lecturers, and 18 staff (including this position). The UA supervises nine staff and is directly supervised by the Department Chair. The annual operating budget of the Robotics Department is approximately $10M, which does include some supplemental funds to help with the department ramp-up process. The research portfolio of the faculty in the Robotics Department is around $11M.

Partnerships and Collaborations:

• Operations management fostering a partnership with the College of Engineering and ROB leadership roles, including the Department Chair, Executive Committee, Associate Chairs, etc.
• Meet consistently with formal and informal mentors to pose questions, learn, and engage intentionally with the broader community network

Operational Oversight:

• Manage daily operations
• Oversee the creation, evaluation, refinement, and implementation of policies and procedures
• Manage internal controls and continuous improvements, reporting annually on behalf of the department
• Oversee communications, IT services, and facilities management, including space utilization planning, policies, and negotiations
• Oversee student services and community well-being

Financial:

• Oversee and manage all departmental funds, including sponsored, gift, and equipment accounts
• Approve expenditures, reimbursements, and cash advances
• Monitor reconciliations, review financial reports, and ensure compliance with internal controls
• Prepare budgets, financial projections, and journal entries in collaboration with department leadership
• Maintain accurate financial records and archive projects according to retention policies
• Manage cost-sharing, track commitments, and monitor University Designated Codes (UDCs)

Human Resource Management:

• Oversee Human Resources and staffing infrastructure:
• Ensure adequate and equitable staff resources for all department functional areas
• Evaluate staffing roles, responsibilities, and compensation levels, make informed decisions on hiring and promotion
• Ensure compliance with recruitment, employment, and conflict of interest/conflict of commitment policies and practice
• Together with department HR, advise supervisors on a wide range of complex HR issues, performance improvement plans, and other stages of the disciplinary process
• Partner with the Department Chair in all areas of faculty affairs, including offer packages, appointments and faculty satisfaction
• Provide management of direct reports, including annual performance evaluation
• Manage system access requests and onboard staff to administrative systems and tools (UGRAB, Trello, Dropbox, etc.)
• Ensure compliance with employee unions represented within the department, including USU, GEO and LEO

Research Administration:

• Lead and train the department's research administration team
• Approve Proposal Approval Forms (PAFs) and Unfunded Agreements (UFAs)
• Manage pre-award and post-award activities for faculty research projects
• Review and approve award modifications and adjust project files as needed
• Coordinate with Accounts Receivable, PIs, and sponsors to resolve overdue invoices
• Review management reports in line with SSC recommendations
• Provide backup support to research administrators as needed

Leadership Support to the Chair:

• Deliver strategic advice, detailed guidance, comprehensive reports, and in-depth analyses to the Chair concerning the organization's administrative and operational success and challenges
• Assist in planning department objectives and strategic plans
• Liaise with College development efforts
• Ensure compliance with safety programs
• Oversee development activities, including alumni relations, fundraising and reporting regarding use of donor funds annually
• Collaborate with the Chair and Marketing Specialist to develop and implement strategic communications, materials, and campaigns which highlight our research, demonstrate our sense of community and positively influence our prominence with peer chairs, thought leaders, donors and alumni

Culture and Compliance:

• Maintain a supportive working environment that fosters equal treatment, teamwork and professional development
• Cultivate a positive culture built on the ROB and College of Engineering values of Excellence, Creativity, Collaboration, Social Impact and Trustworthiness
• Foster a sense of community between faculty, staff and students; formulate and empower teams to promote communication; build trust within and between groups; and lead by example
• Serve on departmental and/or college committees and coordinate a wide variety of special projects and new initiatives both independently and at the request of the Chair
• Ensure compliance with the College of Engineering and University policies
• Develop and document department policies and procedures, creating transparency through accessibility

Representation and Advisory:

• Act as department representative to the College of Engineering and other university administrators, with financial, organizational, and operational authority

Other:

• Perform other job-related duties as assigned

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree and 5-7 years of related experience (3-5 at the Senior level) or an equivalent combination of education and experience, and a proven record in administration or finance in a research or related organization, preferably in higher education.
• Supervisory experience in a management/administrative role.
• Proven expertise working with spreadsheets and databases to financially manage, budget, and project all types of funding sources.
• Demonstrated excellent organizational, critical thinking, and analytical skills with a proven ability to productively handle ambiguity and uncertainty in a complex and fast-paced environment.
• Proven ability to communicate well, both orally and in writing, and to work collaboratively and diplomatically with others, with the ability to mentor, supervise, and interact with a diverse workforce.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise appropriate discretion and confidentiality.
• Proven ability to work under pressure, make independent decisions, and exercise strategic and critical thinking that impacts an entire organization.
• Strong background in research administration.
• Extensive experience in recruiting, mentoring, career development, leadership, and team building.
• Strong communication skills combined with excellent people skills and experience in building and leading teams and creating relationships.
• Excellent change management skills to guide administrative and personnel transitions.
• Demonstrated ability to present and gain acceptance of ideas and proposals.
• Knowledge of finance, accounting, and professional and technical billing.

Desired Qualifications:

• Thorough knowledge of U-M policies and procedures is highly desired to ensure awareness and compliance, including human resources, sponsored programs, financial management, procurement, travel, facilities, and student services

This position may be underfilled at a lower classification depending on the qualifications of the selected candidate.

A higher salary may be considered for an extraordinarily qualified candidate.

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.