Administrator, Department of Immunology

Job Description

The Department of Immunology has an outstanding opportunity for an Administrator to join their team.

About this Opportunity

The University of Washington (UW) is proud to be one of the nation’s premier educational and research institutions. Our people are the most important asset in our pursuit of achieving excellence in education, research, and community service. Our staff not only enjoys outstanding benefits and professional growth opportunities, but also an environment noted for diversity, community involvement, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty.

The Department of Immunology is an independent unit within the School of Medicine and has achieved international standing in its field.  The Department occupies approximately 38,000 square feet of research and administrative space within a modern research building in the UW South Lake Union campus and 2,000 square feet at the Health Sciences Building.

Their mission is to advance understanding of the function of the immune system to enhance their ability to fight infectious disease, cancer, and autoimmune disease.  Basic research of all aspects of immunology is critical to this mission, with an emphasis on translational research that links our findings to the development of new therapies. The training of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows is a strong tradition in the Department.  The Department offers a graduate program leading to a Ph.D. degree.

The Department of Immunology holds diversity and inclusiveness as core values and emphasizes their importance throughout their research, education, and practice. They strive to create a climate that fosters belonging, respect and value for all within the scientific community and the institution.

The Department has an interdisciplinary faculty comprised of 10 primary and joint faculty members, ~15 postdoctoral fellows, ~50 PhD graduate students and ~42 research staff, all of whom are actively engaged in the department.   The Department has six administrative staff members and annual operations of $43 million that include state, RCR, gift, self-sustaining and research funded accounts. In addition, the Department of Immunology has established strong affiliate relationships with other Seattle institutions focused on immunology research.  These include the Benaroya Research Institute, the Institute for Systems Biology, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center,the Allen Institute for Immunology and Seattle Children’s Research Institute.  A total of 40 faculty from these different institutions are Affiliate or Adjunct members of the Department of Immunology; these faculty mentor Immunology Department PhD students and participate in many important departmental activities.

This position reports to the Department Chair and School’s Vice Dean of Administration and Operations and serves as the business manager and senior administrative support representative for the Department.  As such, the Administrator has a comprehensive range of responsibilities, including financial planning/management, budget development, supervision of the Department's classified and exempt staff, personnel, payroll, purchasing, special project support, academic appointments and other administrative functions.

As a UW SOM Department Administrator, the incumbent carries out duties prescribed by the directing, overseeing, or partnering institutions and organizations.  The critical knowledge and skills are organized into the areas of: Financial Management and Development Activities, Human Resource Management, Operations Management, Information Management, Research Management, Compliance and Risk Management, Facilities Management and Educational Program(s) Management.  He/she acts in an advisory capacity to the Chair and various Department committees, providing financial guidance, background information, management advice and strategic insights.  In addition, the Administrator is the Department's primary working-level interface with the Dean's Office and other departments in the University regarding administrative issues.

Key Responsibilities

Financial Management (60%)

Manage the department’s financial resources, which include federal and foundation grants, state budget allocations, and private gifts. Manage financial resources strategically to ensure practices meet ethical standards and reporting requirements. Direct, supervise, and review the work of departmental fiscal staff. Key competencies and responsibilities in financial management and fundraising include:

• Developing comprehensive short- and long-term financial plans and budget models based on projected revenue and expenses and a thorough understanding of the department’s research and educational objectives and priorities. This includes advising the Chair, other faculty, and staff on the appropriate use of resources and, when necessary, prioritizing and reallocating resources.
• Understanding and appropriately utilizing funding from multiple sources, including state budget allocations, indirect cost recovery funds, federal grants, gifts, royalties and endowments, and sponsored project funds.
• Ensuring departmental practices comply with UW and SOM policies and mandates established by federal and other research sponsors; and developing, implementing, and/or refining internal controls to achieve these ends and meet auditing requirements. This includes analyzing budget variances to identify errors, waste, and misuse.
• Providing regular and comprehensive financial reporting to department leadership, faculty, and both SOM and external stakeholders as appropriate. This requires (1) using UW systems and other software applications to run calculations and analyze metrics against budget models and benchmarks and (2) the ability to interpret financial reports/projections to guide decision-making and safeguard the department's financial viability.
• Assessing and identifying the need for potential sources of additional funding to advance the department’s mission and vision.
• Implementing and ensuring compliance with UW policies and procedures for payroll, procurement, travel expenses, and reimbursements.
• Overseeing Affiliation agreements and financial interactions between institutions

Remaining 40% covers the following:

Human Resources and Operations Management (5%)

Works with the Manager of Program Operations to help manage the department’s human resources (HR) and administrative functions. Key competencies and responsibilities in HR / Operations management include:

Implementing change management processes that meet the requirements of funding entities and take the department’s priorities and culture into account.

• Supervising 4.0 FTE staff positions, to include annual reviews, corrective action, time management, and employee mentorship.
• Interpreting federal, state, UW, SOM, and other laws, policies, and contractual obligations and synthesizing requirements into the department’s policies and procedures to ensure compliance and risk mitigation.
• Building and maintaining relationships, partnerships, or coalitions to advance the department’s mission and vision.
• Collecting data or overseeing data collection to evaluate current or proposed programs and activities.
• Communicating opportunities and constraints to leadership and faculty about emerging trends and proposed activities.
• Building consensus to support effective decision-making about departmental concerns.
• Setting the standard for and articulating appropriate workplace behavior, identifying concerns as they arise, and utilizing appropriate resources to resolve problems proactively whenever possible. This includes monitoring interpersonal dynamics and employee behavior to eliminate risks to personal safety and department property.

Information Technology and Facilities Management (5%)

Manage facilities to ensure effective, efficient, and safe operations and protection of resources. Manage and oversee the department’s information technology (IT) operations, ensuring timely and reliable access to software, telecommunications, networks, and other platforms required to execute business, educational, and research activities. Utilize and/or expand upon existing IT architecture as needed. Key competencies and responsibilities in IT and records management include:

• Ensuring reliable and secure IT architecture is in place to meet department needs; educating faculty/staff about IT concerns; and enforcing appropriate use of departmental software and devices.

• Evaluating the department’s short- and long-term IT requirements, consulting with faculty, lab managers, and other staff to understand unit-specific needs. This includes: (1) researching/evaluating IT solutions and making recommendations about the procurement of new platforms; (2) deploying IT solutions without significant disruption of research, educational, and business activities; and (3) ensuring compliance with licensing agreements.

• Developing written material for long-range space planning including planning for and overseeing renovation projects; collaborating with the Chair to develop proposals for requests for additional space, working with the Dean’s Office when appropriate.

• Interpreting the requirements of federal, state, UW, and other laws and policies relating to safeguarding facilities and capital resources and incorporating best practices into department operations.

• Building and maintaining relationships with UW Medical Centers’ facilities staff to ensure timely maintenance and repairs and to ensure compliance with remodeling and facility modification guidelines

• Directing facilities-related activities such as building/equipment inspections and upgrades.

• Ensuring compliance with fire and safety codes, including compliance related to hazardous materials and other controlled laboratory chemicals and materials. This requires building relationships with EH&S staff and working closely with EH&S to resolve critical safety matters.
   

Research Management (10%)

Oversee the management of departmental research resources and processes. This includes acquisition of capital equipment, compliance with IRB and human subjects standards, enforcing lab safety requirements, and coordinating grant/contract processes. Key competencies and responsibilities in research management include:

• Developing procedures for grant and contract administration.
• Understanding and maintaining UW cost accounting standards.
• Interpreting and enforcing compliance with federal, state, SOM, UW, and other policies, procedures, and regulations regarding research activities.
• Supporting pre-award activities. This includes assisting faculty in identifying research sponsors; reviewing and approving all department grant/contract applications; assisting with the grant/contract proposal submission process as needed; and representing the department in negotiations with funding entities as appropriate.
• Coordinating interactions with the Office of Sponsored Programs, Grant and Contract Accounting, and other units as appropriate.
• Managing funded projects. This includes working with the grants management team in requesting new budgets or extensions to existing budgets; following proper accounting procedures for sponsored funds; procuring research equipment and supplies; assisting in the preparation of periodic reports; responding to inquiries from sponsors; and coordinating site visits and the submission of competitive renewals.
• Managing the quarterly Faculty Effort Certification (FEC) process as required by the federal government or other funding entities.
• Maintaining up-to-date information on the department’s overall research program and producing, when necessary, reports on departmental research activities, innovations and publications, and funding totals.

Risk Management and Compliance (10%)

Manage and mitigate risk and promote compliance in accordance with the requirements of UW, SOM, regulatory bodies, and funding entities. Ensure operations and resource allocations align with the department’s mission, funding entity requirements, and other mandates. Key competencies and responsibilities in risk management and compliance include:

• Implementing policies relating to IT equipment, communications (email, phone, or otherwise), and the proper handling, disposal, or destruction of documents and information. This includes ensuring all faculty and staff have completed required training.
• Monitoring and provisioning access to information and physical space in accordance with accepted standards and research needs. This includes ensuring that appropriate security measures are in place to safeguard information, physical resources, and faculty, staff, students, and research subjects in all offices, labs, and other department-controlled spaces.
• Building and maintaining relationships with SOM legal and compliance officials and UW Risk Services staff to ensure the most appropriate response to sensitive administrative matters.
• Building and maintaining relationships with UWPD and Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) when determining a course of action related to security, prevention or response to workplace violence, handling of suspicious packages, etc.
• Investigating or referring all claims of inappropriate behavior or actions
• Conducting periodic risk assessments to identify operational, financial, reputational, and other potential risks to the department’s mission, faculty, staff, and students.
• Developing and implementing a department-specific internal audit plan for activities that put employees at risk or require adherence to special compliance measures.
• Ensuring that all new employees receive information on health and personal safety in the workplace; emergency evacuation procedures and routes; and resources for reporting or obtaining additional information about health, safety, and related matters.
• Understanding the UW Medicine compliance infrastructure and serving as a department liaison to UW Medicine Compliance and related offices.
• Incorporating best practices regarding compliance into departmental operations.

Educational Program(s) Management (10%)

Support program administrator(s) and faculty in managing educational program(s). Key competencies and responsibilities in educational program management include:

• Adjusting departmental policies to adhere to the guidelines of professional medical, educational, or research organizations.
• Supporting periodic program reviews for accreditation, certification, or training grant renewals and managing changes to program requirements as directed by the Graduate School and/or SOM.

Requirements

This position requires a Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, healthcare administration, or related field plus at least five years of relevant experience.  Other required qualifications are listed below.

• Management-level administrative experience, preferably in a research institution environment or academic medical center.
• Demonstrated competence in financial operations, business planning, financial analysis, and strategic planning.
• Supervisory and office management experience.
• Demonstrated experience working with large, highly structured personnel systems.
• Proven leadership, communication, team-building and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to address complex and sensitive administrative issues with diplomacy and effectiveness.
• Functional understanding of research grant administration.
• Proficiency in Excel with experience working with interactive Excel workbooks and proficient with formulas and data manipulation.

The following additional qualifications are preferred:

• Master’s degree in business administration, public administration, healthcare administration, or related field.
• Experience in a medical school, research institute or university setting.
• Experience with Continuous Process Improvement.
• Experience in using software to perform sophisticated financial analyses.
• Knowledge and/or experience of state and research cost recovery (RCR) accounts.

Compensation, Benefits and Position Details

Pay Range Minimum:

Pay Range Maximum:

Other Compensation:

Benefits:

Shift:

Temporary or Regular?

FTE (Full-Time Equivalent):

Union/Bargaining Unit:

About the UW 

Working at the University of Washington provides a unique opportunity to change lives – on our campuses, in our state and around the world.  

UW employees bring their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills and dedication to building stronger minds and a healthier world. In return, they enjoy outstanding benefits, opportunities for professional growth and the chance to work in an environment known for its diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty. 

Our Commitment 

The University of Washington is committed to fostering an inclusive, respectful and welcoming community for all. As an equal opportunity employer, the University considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, disability, or veteran status consistent with UW Executive Order No. 81.

To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu. 

Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law.