Business Manager

Company: Virginia Tech
Location: Blacksburg
Posted on: January 1, 2026

Job Description:

The business manager oversees and directs the administrative and financial affairs of the Department of Geosciences under the direction of the department head. Responsibilities include: •Planning and managing department and sponsored research budgets, including allocating resources for administration and instruction, providing pre-award assistance on grant proposals (e.g., cost-sharing agreements), and monitoring, managing, and balancing the department’s accounts and expenditures (salary, operating, research contracts and grants, indirect, teaching, startup, course fees, foundation, fixed assets, accounts payable and receivable). •Reviewal and approval of orders and purchases, travel reimbursements, wage payroll, scholarships, and student assistantships. •Preparing managerial and financial reports, including monthly reconciliations. •Ensuring departmental compliance with university, state, and federal guidelines and fiscal policies. •Supervising the administrative and support staff and all office administrative operations. •Advising faculty, staff, and students on departmental and university policies, procedures, resources, and systems (including access and training). •Making recommendations to the department head on fiscal, staffing, and operational management and serving as designated representative for signature authorization for the department head. •Researching and solving problems, working with other business units within the university (including the College of Science), and ensuring a high level of public-facing service. The Core Skills for a Successful Business Manager: • Financial & Budget Management: Expertise in accounting principles, fiscal analysis, and business operations planning. • Collaboration & Interpersonal Skills: Team-oriented approach, excellent communication, and ability to work respectfully in a student-focused environment. • Higher Education Administration: Familiarity with grants policies, procedures, and compliance in an academic setting. • Technical Proficiency: Advanced skills in spreadsheets, data management tools, web reporting, and word processing software. • Leadership & Office Management: Experience supervising personnel and managing administrative operations. • Analytical & Strategic Thinking: Strong problem-solving, critical thinking, and planning abilities with attention to detail. • Policy Interpretation & Communication: Ability to accurately apply and explain management and personnel policies. • Organizational Skills: Capacity to handle a high volume of varied fiscal tasks efficiently and adapt to changing priorities. Required Qualifications •Bachelors degree in business, accounting or related field or equivalent level of training and/or experience. •Knowledge of principles of financial, budget, and business operations planning and management and general accounting, with the ability to analyze, summarize and present information as needed. •Experience in finance and administration in higher education, including grants policies and procedures. •Advanced software skills in using spreadsheets and data management software, web reporting, and word processing. •Experience in a personnel supervisory role and office management. •Excellent analytical, critical thinking, strategic planning, and problem-solving skills, with an attention to detail and adaptability and significant experience handling a large volume of varied fiscal management tasks. •Ability to interpret, apply, and communicate management and personnel policies accurately and effectively. •A collaborative, team-based approach to problem solving, strong communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills, the ability to interact respectfully and comfortably with all individuals, and a desire to work in a student-oriented academic environment. Preferred Qualifications •Advanced knowledge of Virginia Tech Financial and Human Resources policies and procedures. •Experience working with university tools and applications such as Banner, MicroStrategy, HRIS, Labor Redistribution System, Banner Time Entry, Departmental Leave Reporting, HokieMart, and Chrome River. •Experience and knowledge of OSP policies and procedures; including pre-award, post-award, SUMMIT System, OSP Award Management Tool. Pay Band 4 Overtime Status Exempt: Not eligible for overtime Appointment Type Regular Salary Information $70,000-$80,000 - commensurate with experience Hours per week 40 hours/week - exempt position Review Date January 14th, 2026 Additional Information Please submit a current resume, a one page cover letter and a list of three professional references with their preferred contact information to complete your application. The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check. About Virginia Tech Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually. Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance. These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development. Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.

Keywords: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg , Business Manager, Accounting, Auditing , Blacksburg, Virginia