Business Operations Manager

Montana State University, United States

Updated: about 17 hours ago
Location: Bozeman, MONTANA
Deadline: ;

Position Details
Position Information


Announcement Number STAFF - VA - 26333
For questions regarding this position, please contact:
Katie Sutich
Assistant to the Dean
katie.sutich@montana.edu
Classification Title Admin Assoc IV
Working Title Business Operations Manager
Brief Position Overview
The Department of History & Philosophy is searching for a collegial and motivated individual to supervise and manage all administrative support activities of the department. The Business Operations Manager oversees the day-to-day operation of the department, while providing critical assistance to the Department Head and faculty in their mission to provide outstanding educational and research opportunities to the students at Montana State University.
Position Number 4M0049
Department History and Philosophy
Division College of Letters & Science
Appointment Type Classified
Contract Term Fiscal Year
Semester
If other, specify From date
If other, specify End date
FLSA Non-Exempt
Union Affiliation
FTE 1.0
Benefits Eligible Eligible
Salary $24.04 per hour, commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications.
Contract Type Classified Salary
If other, please specify
Recruitment Type Open

Position Details


General Statement
The Department of History & Philosophy offers undergraduate majors in history and philosophy as well as a variety of teaching and non-teaching minors. Graduate students can pursue innovative MA and PhD degrees in the history of science and technology, environmental history, and U.S. History. At all levels of the curriculum, the Department provides students with the tools to think rigorously, to research and thereby generate knowledge empirically, and to articulate their thoughts coherently. The Department serves approximately 200 undergraduate majors and 20-30 MA and PhD students. There are currently 15 tenure-track faculty and 4 non-tenure-track faculty.
The Business Operations Manager provides a high level of administrative and management support to the History & Philosophy Department. This includes serving as the assistant for the Department Head; providing fiscal oversight and budget management for all departmental funds, including monitoring expenditures, managing purchasing card activity, performing analyses, providing budget projections, and reallocation of resources when necessary; coordinating events; supervising staff in the office; and administering the day-to-day operations of the department.
Duties and Responsibilities
Assistant to the Department Head:
  • Works closely with the Department Head to facilitate overall operations.
  • Provides department and program data and implements decisions.
  • Researches and prepares data on budgetary and academic issues, such as course offerings, enrollments, and course loads, to provide supporting documentation to manage curricula.


Fiscal Manager:
  • Performs many accounting and all budgeting functions for the Department.
  • Serves as account manager for purchasing card transactions, including monthly report compilation.
  • Manages faculty travel and student scholarships.
  • Serves as the department liaison with the College of Letters and Science Fiscal Services for centralized accounting services.

Conference and Event Organizer:
  • Works directly with the Academic Services Coordinator to make arrangements for events, conferences, and lectures, including securing facilities, preparing schedules, promoting events, and, where appropriate, arranging for food, lodging, and transportation. This may include participating in events as on-site staff.

HR Liaison:
  • Serves as the primary departmental contact person for hiring and payroll processes.
  • Creates and processes various types of appointments, including faculty (tenure-track and non-tenure-track), staff, graduate, and undergraduate students.
  • Processes tax forms and all required new employee forms, conducts pre-payroll audits, reconciles payroll, and approves timesheets.

Operations Manager:
  • Oversees the daily functions, workloads, and services of the department.
  • Provides support for curriculum assessment activities and for Retention, Tenure, and Promotion processes.
  • Oversees department property management for departmental offices, common spaces, teaching labs, conference rooms, and research lab property issues.
  • Supervises department staff.
Required Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills
  • Bachelor’s degree and progressively responsible business management experience or an equivalent combination of relevant education and/or experience.
  • Demonstrated experience with budgeting, accounting, and/or human resources.
  • Demonstrated experience organizing and prioritizing multiple work assignments, meeting deadlines, and exercising adaptability with a high degree of accuracy.
  • Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel, Outlook, and computer databases.
    		•
    Preferred Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills
  • Knowledge of MSU procedures and policies, or previous experience working in an academic department in a higher education setting.
  • Progressively responsible supervisory or management experience.
    		•
    The Successful Candidate Will
    • Possess excellent written and verbal communication skills.
    • Possess strong decision-making and problem-solving skills.
    • Have the ability to interpret, implement, and communicate new policies and procedures.
    • Have the ability to work independently with minimal supervision and as part of a team.
    • Have the ability to establish and maintain productive and positive working relations with coworkers, faculty, students, supervisors, and the public.
    • Represent the Department of History & Philosophy, College of Letters and Science, and MSU to others in a professional and courteous manner.
    Position Special Requirements/Additional Information
    This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts Montana State University’s rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.
    Physical Demands
    To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
    This position has supervisory duties? Yes

    Posting Detail Information


    Number of Vacancies 1
    Desired Start Date Upon completion of a successful search.
    Position End Date (if temporary)
    Open Date
    Close Date
    Applications will be:
    Screening of applications will begin on April 3, 2026; however, applications will continue to be accepted until an adequate applicant pool has been established.
    Special Instructions
    This position is not eligible for sponsorship.
    EEO Statement
    Montana State University is an equal opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law.
    In compliance with the Montana Veteran’s Employment Preference Act, MSU provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran’s preference, please complete the veteran’s preference information located in the Demographics section of your profile.

    Similar Positions