Business Affairs Officer *Current Employee

Position Details

Position Information

Announcement Number STAFF - VA - 26312 For questions regarding this position, please contact:

Susie Couch

scouch@montana.edu

406-581-7915

Classification Title Managing Director Working Title Business Affairs Officer *Current Employee* Brief Position Overview

Working closely with the Project Director, the Business Affairs Officer provides leadership in programmatic decision-making, strategic planning, and operational management for the SMART FIRES RII Track-1 award. Under limited direction and as part of a multi-institution, statewide team, the Business Affairs Officer directs and coordinates project management, communications, annual reporting, evaluation and assessment, and budget and fiscal oversight to ensure alignment with NSF requirements and state priorities. In addition to supporting the current project, the position contributes to long-range strategic planning, the development of future EPSCoR initiatives, and preparation for subsequent funding cycles, including coordination of planning activities and proposal development for competitive NSF opportunities. This position supports the overall success and sustainability of Montana NSF EPSCoR by working closely with faculty, staff, students, leadership, and external partners across the state.

Position Number 4C6444 Department NSF EPSCOR Division Office of Research and Economic Development Appointment Type Professional Contract Term Fiscal Year Semester If other, specify From date If other, specify End date FLSA Exempt Union Affiliation Exempt from Collective Bargaining FTE 1.0 Benefits Eligible Eligible Salary $95,000 - $100,000 annually, commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications Contract Type LOA If other, please specify Recruitment Type Campus

Position Details

General Statement

Montana NSF EPSCoR is a statewide research and STEM education capacity-building program that develops, manages, and sustains NSF EPSCoR aligned with the Montana Science & Technology Plan. The current SMART FIRES RII Track-1 project focuses on prescribed fire and smoke, integrating expertise in fire and smoke science, smart optical sensors, artificial intelligence and machine learning, and social psychology, economics, and ethics. A full suite of broader impacts activities is a core part of the project, aligning STEM education, outreach, and communications with project activities. The SMART FIRES project began on August 1, 2023, and runs through July 2028. Funding allotments are allocated on a yearly basis pending an approved annual report.

Duties and Responsibilities

Contributes to the leadership of Montana NSF EPSCoR (50%)

• Serves as an active participant in the Montana NSF EPSCoR team, ensuring programmatic alignment with the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE) and Montana Science & Technology Plan.
• Participates as a member of the SMART FIRES leadership team.
• In partnership with the Project Administrator, contributes to annual reporting by supporting outputs tracking, strategic plan metrics, evaluation coordination, and alignment with NSF reporting requirements.
• Provides strategic guidance and operational support for the project’s broader impacts and communications activities.
• In partnership with the Project Administrator, serves as liaison to external evaluators, coordinating deliverables, reporting timelines, and integration of evaluation findings into annual reporting and project planning.
• Supports efforts to provide professional and academic development for a cohort of undergraduate and graduate students who are engaged in the SMART FIRES project.
• Implements processes to ensure adherence to NSF and MUS policies and guidance.
• Co-leads planning and organizing annual in-person all-hands meetings.
  
  

Coordinates MT NSF ESPCoR communications (15%)

• In partnership with the Communications and Outreach Strategist, develops and coordinates external communication strategies that elevate the visibility of the SMART FIRES project and team.
• Collaborates with the Project Administrator to ensure internal communications that create a team culture of collaboration.
• Oversees content management and strategic messaging for the Montana NSF EPSCoR website and related communication platforms.
• Identifies project highlights and supports development and dissemination of content with the Communications and Outreach Strategist across media platforms (website, newsletters, social media, and partner communications).
• Works with external partners to coordinate activities and strengthen community engagement.
  
  

Supports project fiscal and budget management (15%)

• Provides fiscal and budget management support and oversight, working with the project’s Fiscal Manager.
• Assists with the development and management of subawards and external contracts in collaboration with the Fiscal Manager and offices across partner institutions.
  
  

Supervision and team collaboration (10%)

• Communicates regularly with project leadership across multiple modalities, including formal reporting, virtual and in-person meetings, and written briefings.
• Supervises and/or coordinates the work of other staff members.
• Develops and prepares materials and data for the Principal Investigator/Project Director
• Maintains an active physical presence at Montana State University to support coordination and leadership activities.
  
  

Other (10%)

• Represents Montana NSF EPSCoR in national EPSCoR forums, PI/PA meetings, and national conferences.
• Prepares and submits data, impact summaries, and requested materials in response to NSF EPSCoR and partner inquiries.
• Travels to partner institutions within Montana to support project coordination and stakeholder engagement.
  
  

Required Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

• Must be a current MSU-Bozeman employee, initially hired through a competitive search.
• Bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline
• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience in leadership, research administration, or management of federally funded, multi-institutional initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience serving in a primary coordination or leadership role on a multi-million-dollar federally funded award, including responsibility for annual reporting, compliance oversight, deliverable tracking, and subaward or external contract coordination.
• Direct responsibility for coordinating and submitting federal reports for research awards, including hands-on experience with federal research administration systems (e.g., Research.gov, E-DOCS, or comparable platforms).
• Demonstrated supervisory or team leadership experience in a research, nonprofit, or public-sector setting.
• Experience overseeing digital communications infrastructure, including hands-on management of WordPress-based websites and coordination of newsletters or stakeholder communication platforms.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

• Master’s degree in environmental management, public policy, science and technology policy, higher education administration, or a closely related interdisciplinary field.
• Experience supporting or coordinating an NSF EPSCoR RII Track-1 award or comparable statewide, multi-institution federal research initiative.
• Budget coordination and fiscal oversight experience for multi-million-dollar awards within a university or nonprofit setting.
• Demonstrated experience in leadership or program coordination roles within environmental research or STEM organizations, including responsibility for strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and preparation for competitive federal funding cycles.
• Experience working in a Microsoft environment, including Teams, SharePoint, and data management systems.
• Experience launching, scaling, or significantly restructuring a federally funded program, including development of operational systems, governance structures, or performance tracking frameworks.
  
  

The Successful Candidate Will

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including preparation of reports for executive leadership or federal agencies.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Montana NSF EPSCoR, including familiarity with program structure, reporting requirements, and alignment with the Montana Science & Technology Plan.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex, multi-institutional partnerships involving universities, state agencies, nonprofit organizations, Tribal Nations, and/or federal partners.
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement project management systems or administrative dashboards to monitor milestones and deliverables.
• Experience engaging Tribal Nations, rural communities, or historically underserved populations within the context of federally funded research or education initiatives.
  
  

Position Special Requirements/Additional Information

This position is contingent upon continued grant funding.

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 March 23, 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.

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter
  
  

Optional Documents

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).