This position is responsible for the administrative and operational support of the Institute for Health, Research and Policy's grants and finance teams as well as research project staff in day-to-day functions.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Responsible for procurement purchasing, travel arrangements and possess university P-Card and T-Card on behalf of unit administration or research staff and process payments as necessary. Create and submit all requests for departmental purchase orders. Process service contracts and purchase orders for department and research units, ensure PO charges are reconciled and closed out in a timely manner.
• Streamline, analyze and improve departmental operational processes by identifying areas of procurement for enhancement and implementing strategies to increase productivity and efficiency. Implement and maintain established internal financial controls and assist grant managers with monthly review and close out of inactive accounts and purchase orders. 
• Serve as departmental resource and point of contact for departmental and research staff concerning OBFS policies and procedures for service contracts and purchase orders, new vendor setups, travel, exception requests and review and approve all incoming Chrome River transactions for compliance with OBFS policies, procedures and provide guidance and training for non-compliant transactions.
• Establish relationships with vendors, UIC Purchasing, and UIC Payables staff to ensure seamless processing of purchases, invoicing, and payments and attend monthly campus-wide System Business and Finance Meetings to obtain updated information on policies, procedures for the department.
• Generate front-end documents for Purchasing contracts using Contracts Plus. Work with grants management staff to ensure proper documentation and execution. Create and submit faculty and staff requests to revise employee payroll funding sources using departmental intake form.
• Process cost transfers, labor redistributions, vendor invoices, checking for accuracy and funds availability and seek additional programmatic approvals by Principal Investigator/research personnel as well as assist with audits, and other financial transactions.
• Assist administration with interpreting operating policies and processes for the unit and establishing policies relating to utilization of office resources. Participate in departmental objectives and long-range planning.
• Provide ad hoc management reports, analyses, data, and information for administrative purposes.
• Responsible for supervision and training of undergraduate student accounting aide(s).
• Oversee accounting aide monthly reconciliation, ensuring online record management, maintenance, and following set procedures for invoice tracking and payments.
• Serve as ad hoc research coordinator for faculty who do not have a dedicated coordinator to perform pre- and post-award tasks as well as a central research coordinator and liaison for faculty research coordinators.
• Regularly meet with research coordinators as department liaison to identify operational issues, field questions/concerns with procurement, policies, or sponsored project activities.
• As ad hoc research coordinator, work directly with faculty and grant managers to prepare and organize various administrative documents required as part of proposal application, set and adhere to internal deadlines, and serve as a liaison with other on-campus units.
• Review various proposal document compliance with sponsor guidelines and policies (e.g. other support, biosketch, facilities & resources, equipment). Collect, organize, and maintain final documents for proposals.
• Upload proposal documents for award submissions in various sponsor and UIC systems in consultation with Principal Investigators and Grants and Contracts Associates.
• Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned.