Operations Administrator

at  British Columbia Institute of Technology BCIT

BCIT’s Applied Research department is seeking a temporary, full-time (1.0 FTE) Operations Administrator. This position provides support in the project financial, administrative, and human resources operations of the Department. This position deals with sensitive and confidential information related to budgets, operational plans, human resources and special projects.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Definition: The qualifications section for this position was developed using the approved job evaluation plan, agreed to between the BCGEU and BCIT. The qualifications represent the minimum qualifications required in the future (i.e. to be reflected in job postings) and do not reflect the incumbent’s existing qualifications.

Education:

• Completion of a two-year Diploma in Business Administration or related area of study.

Experience:

• Two years of general experience, plus four years business experience in a position of similar responsibility in a complex, post-secondary educational environment.

Software/Computer Application(s) and Expertise:

• Excellent computer literacy with advanced expertise in spreadsheet, database, and reporting tools, in Microsoft Office.
• Experience working with financial information enterprise systems.
• Familiarity with web content publishing environments.

Communication/Interpersonal Skills:

• Effective written and oral communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with a strong ability to deal with situations with tact and discretion, handle sensitive information, and maintain a high degree of confidentiality.
• Demonstrated ability to be flexible, and work both independently and within a team environment.

Other Skills/Abilities:

• Excellent critical thinking skills with proven ability to use initiative to improve work processes, anticipate needs, and apply exceptional organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to establish priorities, coordinate multiple projects and details concurrently, work to deadlines, and make responsible decisions while maintaining a high level of customer service.
• Must be detail-oriented, self-motivated and self-directed.
• Demonstrated business acumen and professional manner.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Financial

• Provides support in organizing and coordinating financial information, such as year-end result reports, as required by Operations Manager.
• Reviews monthly financial transaction reports, and investigates and recommends solutions to remediate anomalies.
• Maintains and records financial data and presents a summary report to Operations Manager as requested.
• Prepares cross-charges, budget transfers, and occasional requests to invoice, and purchase requisitions.
• Assists Operations Manager with preparing project claims and other project deliverables
• Monitors and maintains currency of project revenue, including tracking invoices issued and payments received every month.
• Monitors and maintains currency of financial encumbrances, including tracking standing/open purchase orders every month.
• Coordinates fiscal year-end activities including tracking purchase orders for receipt of goods or services, identifying and monitoring outstanding invoices, issuing invoices to clients, preparing accruals for projects, part-time studies revenue and development contracts, identifying outstanding travel allowances, timesheets, cross charges, and any amounts that need to be carried forward from the current budget year to the next fiscal year.
• Assists with the year-end processes by collecting data and producing reports to calculate full-time equivalent (FTE) and budget dollars required.
• Distributes monthly revenue and expense transaction reports to the management and prepares a summary of results for the Operations Manager’s review and analysis.

Research Grants Management

• Supports the research activities within the department, coordinating and tracking project expenses. Provides administrative support to faculty to operationalize grant and research funding.
• Works with finance on year-end Restricted fund organization management by tracking project end dates and utilization of funds.
• Arranges for purchases of equipment for programs and research activities, liaising with internal and external stakeholders/vendors.
• Acts as a resource and advises Research faculty on spending restrictions for different granting agencies and ensuring adherence to Institute and granting agency policies.
• Monitors project financial requirements, transactions, monthly reconciliation and reporting requirements and reviews the terms of all contracts, agreements, and grants to ensure that all conditions, reporting, and spending deadlines are met.
• Reviews quotes and purchases to ensure eligibility, type of infrastructure, and value of in-kind funding. Keeps track of all in-kind commitments.
• Obtains pricing for equipment lists provided by faculty through Request for Proposal (RPFs) and follows other purchasing procedures and processes.
• Provides recommendations on system and administrative process enhancement for the financial administration of grants and projects as well as on procedural and policy issues related to the financial process as required.

Human Resources

• Assists in the staffing and recruitment process for the department ensuring completion of all selection committee documentation as well as adherence to process and best practices regarding recruitment.
• Works with a variety of confidential internal and external information in a tactful and professional manner.
• Tracks monthly attendance for staff reporting to the Operations Manager and enters information into the Banner system, ensuring Institute process and best practices are maintained. Informs Human Resources of any attendance issues that require follow-up actions.
• Ensures current and new administrative staff receive orientation and training on administrative and operating matters such as attendance, cross-charges, e-hires and PTS contract systems, etc.
• Reviews and maintains the Department’s staff complement; ensures adjustments and changes are captured, as directed by Operations Manager. Maintains list of temporary position control numbers (PCNs) for the department, prepares requests of new PCNs for Operations Manager to approve as required.

Part-Time Studies (PTS)

• Maintains approver and organization code access for PTS contracts, e-hire system, Part-Time Studies (PTS) online grades, purchasing/finance modules in enterprise management system and purchase requisition tool.
• Provides administrative assistance to various microcredit courses within the department. This includes responding to student enquiries; running enrolment reports for the faculty and Operations Manager, working with BCIT registration to register the students, entering grades and opening and closing courses.
• Provides statistical data and analysis information to the faculty and Operations Manager for course offering and enrolment planning purposes.

General Administrative

• Creates and maintains online administrative resource material such as statistical information, operational guides, databases and directories, including file management of the Department’ shared drive.
• Maintains job manuals for all support staff positions for the department.
• Prepares and issues PTS electronic contracts, electronic hiring documents, and non-employee services contacts as directed.
• Maintains employee signing authorities for the department.
• Undertakes the duties and responsibilities of Records Custodian in compliance with FOIPOP and Institute policies and procedures, including: maintaining index and retrieval system of office files through the Directory of Records Database (DRDB), or appropriate alternative’ procuring file folder labels through the DRDB, or appropriate, indicating the classification to which files belong; filing incoming documents into the records management system to support the business process; and, as appropriate, assisting other office staff with proper security levels to identify and retrieve active records.
• Participates in Records Custodian training and remains current with record keeping practices, policies and procedures (both BCIT and FOIPOP).
• Undertakes related duties as assigned, consistent with the job grade for this position.