Business Manager, Center for Farm Financial Management

About the Job

The Business Manager will lead and oversee the operations of the Center for Farm Financial Management (CFFM), ensuring smooth day-to-day activities and efficient financial management. In close collaboration with the CFANS finance team, this position will have primary responsibility for managing CFFM’s budgets and grants, providing comprehensive oversight of financial operations. This includes the development and monitoring of complex budgets, financial reports, and performance metrics, covering 16 grants and a variety of revenue sources.

This role will also manage and implement a range of operational functions, including grants, contracts, procurements, and compliance, ensuring adherence to university policies and regulations. The Business Manager will serve as the main point of contact for both University and CFANS Finance and Human Resources departments, ensuring smooth coordination across teams.

As a key member of the leadership team, the Business Manager will provide strategic planning and analysis, developing processes and tools to streamline monitoring and reporting efforts. The role will also triage administrative issues, determining which require the attention of the CFFM Director while minimizing unnecessary involvement from the Director in daily operational matters.

Additionally, the Business Manager will serve as an advisor to the CFFM Director on wide-reaching initiatives and strategic planning efforts, contributing to the overall vision and growth of CFFM.

This is a hybrid position. The University of Minnesota is currently offering flexible working options. Specifics will be discussed during the interview stage. Starting date is negotiable upon offer.

Job Duties

CFFM Business and Operations Management (55%)

• Lead, monitor, and advance CFFM’s operational functions and provide operations guidance to the CFFM director and senior management.
• Monitor and ensure compliance with U of MN policies and procedures and further develop operational standards, policies, and procedures for CFFM as needed.
• Develop relationships with and represent CFFM with university administrative units (including human resources and finance).
• Serve as the resident administrative resource and knowledge base for all other CFFM employees.
• Lead CFFM collaborations with university accounting, procurement, and compliance departments.
• Initiate frequent reviews of workloads related to grants and develop proposals for the CFFM director and CFANS finance team to manage CFFM budget and payroll distributions across grants and programs.
• Oversee the management of software license records and fees for more than 3,000 farmers,
• lenders, and educators across the country. Track licenses for software renewals.
• Compile PCard activity, including receipts, agendas, attendee lists, and substantiating materials, and provide an audit-worthy justification for PCard purchases.
• Partner with CFANS human resources to coordinate the onboarding and offboarding processes for CFFM employees.
• Partner with CFANS human resources to help develop new position descriptions for CFFM.
• Oversee the documentation of CFFM’s annual SOC2 security review (similar to HIPAA but for data security). Implement an efficient process to track data requirements throughout the year per our SOC2 document and help assemble data and documents required for this review. Be involved in all meetings with the outside auditor. This includes monitoring and reporting administrative activities monthly and quarterly.

Oversight of CFFM Grants (45%)

• Serve as a key member of the grant proposal team that prepares CFFM grant applications with a focus on helping determine the portion of each staff member that will be involved in the project and developing required documents and forms.
• Lead communications with the CFANS finance team regarding the development of grant budgets.
• Conduct the monitoring and tracking of grant related research, development, and training to ensure grant commitments are fulfilled. Monitor progress on grant commitments and schedule regular meetings with the CFFM economist’s team to review accomplishments and work remaining on grants.
• Update the CFFM grant monitoring spreadsheet as new grants are obtained and as work is completed.
• Lead communications and liaison with sub-award institutions; monitoring the timeliness of their expenditures and submission of reports. Monitor reporting by the sub-awardees and ensure timely financial and accomplishment reporting.
• Coordinate communication between Sponsored Projects team, sponsors, subawards, and grant partners to ensure timely processing of grant updates and approvals.
• Manage CFFM-sponsored contracts for professional services.
• Facilitate the preparation of progress and final reports for granting agencies and assist principal investigators with the development of the reports.
• Coordinate efforts to ensure that all federal grant reporting is submitted on time including routing these reports through reporting channel, track grant reports due dates, assign appropriate staff to complete the reports

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, preferably finance or accounting, plus six years of experience or combined related education and work experience equal to ten years.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing the operational functions of a higher education entity.
• Experience working as the administrative director for a center director or department chair.
• Experience working with HR, finance, compliance, purchasing and other administrative units and representing an entity with these units.
• Experience managing the systems that support external revenue generation.
• Familiarity with University of Minnesota Enterprise Financial System (EFS), policies, and procedures.
• Experience managing a significant number of grant programs in a higher education sponsored projects environment including pre- and post-award project administration.
• Familiarity with University of Minnesota Grants Electronic Management System (MN GEMS), policies, and procedures.
• Experience managing professional contacts and provider and vendor services.
• Proven history of developing effective relationships across disparate groups to organize and facilitate decisions and ensure implementation.
• Demonstrated judgment and diplomacy working with diverse groups to address complex issues.
• Demonstrated success in working as part of a productive, high-energy, output oriented team.

About the Department

The Center for Farm Financial Management (CFFM) develops educational programs and software tools that are used by farmers, educators, lenders, and other professionals throughout the United States. Products and training focus on financial and business planning, credit analysis, risk management, and commodity marketing. Growing areas of focus include working with historically underserved farmers and on the economics of conservation practices on farms. CFFM collaborates and works with hundreds of universities and nonprofit organizations throughout the U.S. CFFM is an entrepreneurial unit primarily funded by grants and outside revenue sources with a $4.5 million budget.

CFFM works closely with USDA to help deliver national programs. Examples include serving as the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program Resource Clearinghouse, as a coordinating organization for USDA-NIFA’s historically underserved producers’ program, one of the five national Extension Risk Management Education Centers, and as the developer and host of the National Farm Financial Database.

CFFM is located in Ruttan Hall on the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota. It is a unit in the Department of Applied Economics. It is also a part of the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) and University of Minnesota Extension. For more information about CFFM and the scope of its programs, visit http://cffm.umn.edu.

Pay and Benefits

Pay Range: $97,000 to $105,000; depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 100% Appointment

Position Type: P&A Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

How To Apply

Apply online at: http://employment.umn.edu and search for Requisition #370762 . Please submit all materials online.

A COMPLETE application must include:

1. Cover letter outlining how your career goals, training, and experience support your application.
2. Resume or curriculum vitae.
3. Contact information for a minimum of three references who can comment on your abilities and experience.

This job opening will remain open until filled.

Email inquiries about the position are welcome, but formal application process is required.

Kevin Klair, Director

Center for Farm Financial Management

University of Minnesota

1994 Buford Ave

130 Ruttan Hall

St. Paul, MN 55108

kklair@umn.edu

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

Diversity

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Employment Requirements

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

About the U of M

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation’s most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America’s Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).

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