Administration and Finance Manager, O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West

Application instructions are located at the bottom of the page.  Please apply directly through the University of Montana’s career portal UM Jobs at https://umjobs.silkroad.com/  for positions at the University of Montana – Missoula, University of Montana Western (Dillon), and Helena College. Do not apply through Indeed.com or use easy apply through Indeed.com*.

The O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West (OCRMW) invites applications for an Administration and Finance Manager (AFM) (Budget Analyst IV) to oversee providing professional-level accounting, budgeting and administrative services for proposed and awarded projects within OCRMW. The employee will work closely with the OCRMW director and associate director to maintain and monitor budgets, maximize organizational financial performance and supervise the administrative team. Responsibilities include, but aren’t limited to developing and managing budgets in conjunction with OCRMW project leads, including planning, assessing, forecasting, consulting and reporting for all fiscal accounts. Fiscal management includes grants, contracts, agreements, UM Foundation accounts and state-funded accounts. The position will oversee OCRMW’s part-time administrative associate, who assists the AFM with coordinating and verifying purchasing, payroll allocation, travel reimbursements, purchase orders and the seasonal hiring of 80+ field technicians each winter/spring. This position will work closely with Human Resource Services (HRS) and Business Services and will regularly coordinate with the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) for all levels of grants management. The AFM will advise the director on all financial matters related to OCRMW’s operations and will work to facilitate the director’s goals for the organization.

This position requires incumbent to develop a working knowledge of the ability to operate plans and oversee budgets using effective financial strategies, models and projections. The employee will develop a working knowledge of UM’s systems like Banner, UMDW, Infogriz, U-Approve, PAR and Cayuse. They will gain an ability to advise others on best practices for conforming to UM purchasing guidelines and will be able to conform to grant management guidelines of the OSP at the University of Montana. The employee will also develop knowledge of the ecology of the Intermountain West.

Required Skills:

• Knowledge of best practice accounting and budgeting and strong fiscal and organizational management skills.
• High degree of organization, self-motivation, and autonomy.
• Advanced programming skills in Microsoft Excel. Ability to create and manipulate formulas, numerical and text data within spreadsheets, and to create and manage complex and multi-page budget spreadsheets.
• Ability to manage all personnel and fiscal matters in a professional and confidential manner.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage multiple projects at once.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively.
• Proven community-building skills.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills as well as flexibility.
• Superior attention to detail skills with a high level of accuracy.

Minimum Required Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business management or a similar field and at least two (2) years’ experience overseeing budgets and supervising employees or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of UM’s pre- and post- grant budget processes.
• Experience with UM’s systems such as Banner, UMDW, Infogriz, U-approve system, PAR, and Cayuse.
• Experience following best practices and conforming to grant management guidelines.
• Leadership experience.
• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills, thoroughness, and attention to detail; initiative and ability to work both collaboratively and independently.
• Familiarity with Microsoft 360, including Teams and Sharepoint.

About the O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West and UM :

UM’s O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West serves as a nonpartisan and trusted clearinghouse to help decisionmakers, stakeholders and the public understand key issues in the Interior Rocky Mountain West of North America. Through an interdisciplinary approach, the OCRMW seeks to use scholarly and science-based approaches to convey the cultural, social, historical, economic, ecological and climate-driven forces that influence the region’s remarkable landscapes and human communities. Specifically, the project leads in the OCRMW regularly work with federal agencies (e.g., BLM, USFS, EPA), tribal nations and local community groups to collect and analyze data for land management decisions. The Center employs 20+ full time staff, 80+ temporary summer field technicians and multiple seasonal student interns.

The University of Montana is flagship, research institution with approximately 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students. It is located in Missoula, a culturally vibrant community of about 75,000, surrounded by mountains and three rivers converge. Abundant recreational opportunities in surrounding state and national forests and nearby Glacier National Park and Yellowstone National Park complement a thriving intellectual atmosphere.  The University of Montana offers eligible employees a generous benefits package that positively separates UM from other local employers and offers many programs and policies to support work-life balance for its employees.

The University of Montana is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and has a strong institutional commitment to the principle of diversity in all areas. In that spirit, we are particularly interested in receiving applications from a broad spectrum of qualified people who would assist the University in demonstrating its five priorities for action : Place student success at the center of all we do; drive excellence and innovation in teaching, learning, and research; embody the principle of “mission first, people always”; partner with place; and proudly tell the UM story.

To learn more about the University of Montana, Missoula, and the State of Montana, please visit the links below.

Position Details:

Position Title: Administration and Finance Manager (Budget Analyst IV)

Position Number: 033390

Department:O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West

Work Schedule: Full-time, 1.0 FTE (40 Hours a week), Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, 12 months/year.

Salary: $29.614/hr.

Union Affiliation: Non-Union

Probationary Period: Six months minimum

Benefits Include : Insurance package, mandatory retirement plan, partial tuition waiver and wellness program.

Criminal Background Investigation is required prior to the Offer of Employment In accordance with University regulations, finalists for this position will be subject to criminal background investigations. ADA/EOE/AA/Veteran’s Preference Reasonable accommodations are provided in the hiring process for persons with disabilities. For example, this material is available in alternative format upon request. As an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, we encourage applications from minorities, veterans, and women. Qualified candidates may request veterans’ or disabilities preference in accordance with state law. References: References not listed on the application materials may be contacted; notice may be provided to the applicant. Testing: Individual hiring departments at UM may elect to administer pre-employment tests, which are relevant to essential job functions. Employment Eligibility: All New Employees must be eligible and show employment eligibility verification by the first date of employment at UM, as legally required (e.g., Form I-9).

Must be eligible to work in the United State upon hire. Sponsorship is not available for this position.

How to Apply:

Priority Application Date: Monday, January 29, 2024 by 11:59 PM (Mountain Time)

Complete applications received by this date will be guaranteed consideration. To receive full consideration, candidates are required to submit all of the following materials. Applications will be accepted until position is filled.

Please submit the following application materials** via the UM Jobs portal and by clicking “New Resume/CV” button.  Please do not apply through Indeed.com*.

*Please note, only five (5) attachments allowed per application. Please combine documents accordingly.

A complete application Includes:

Letter of Interest – addressing your qualifications and experience related to the stated required skills for the position. A general letter salutation such as “Dear Search Committee” or “Dear Hiring Manager” is acceptable.

Detailed Resume – listing education and describing work experience.

Professional References – names and contact information for three (3) professional references.

Transcripts

*Applying through Indeed.com or easy apply through Indeed.com may result in submission of an incomplete application.  Applications may be removed from full consideration if they are not complete with materials listed above under the “How to Apply” section.  It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure complete application materials are submitted and received by the date listed above. 

**Please note: only five (5) attachments are allowed per application. Please combine documents accordingly.

Missoula, Montana, United States