Business Administrator A

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Business Administrator A

Job Profile Title

Business Administrator A

Job Description Summary

Provide financial, human resources, and administrative support to ensure efficient and timely daily operations for the Department of Cancer Biology (CBIO) and the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute (AFCRI). Financial responsibilities - coordinate, monitor and process transactions related to the department's and the Institute's various financial activities which include report preparation, compliance review with sponsored programs, University and other appropriate guidelines. Human Resources responsibility - assist with human resource functions for staff, students, temporary workers, and visiting scholar appointments and terminations. Set up postdoctoral appointments including visa application processing, hiring processes and maintain account and transaction files. Administrative support – reserve conference rooms for meetings, submit purchasing requests for business office staff, and assist other administrative support staff when needed.

Job Description

The Department of Cancer Biology and the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute (AFCRI) and related entities (PCGI, PCRC, etc.), are seeking a Business Administrator A who will provide support in all aspects of HR activity and will support the financial services of the department business office.  Reporting to the HR and Business Manager and the Manager of Post Awards Grant Operations, the position will play a vital role in supporting faculty and departmental operations by managing post-award financial activities, coordinating hiring processes, and ensuring compliance with institutional and sponsor policies. This position is responsible for producing and assembling specialized financial reports for faculty, including monthly grant reports, portfolio updates, and assisting with closeout procedures, while also conducting initial reviews for financial and regulatory compliance. The administrator supports post-award functions such as preparing and submitting salary grids for effort planning, setting up awards and budgets, addressing corrective actions, and collaborating regularly with grant managers. In addition, the role involves working closely with senior administrators and faculty to prepare job requisitions in Workday for various personnel types, including staff, postdocs, student workers, and visiting scholars. The coordinator assists faculty with all aspects of postdoctoral hiring, including offer letter preparation and document tracking, and manages onboarding logistics such as system access, email setup, and ID issuance. This role also maintains accurate pre- and post-award data in departmental databases to support faculty effort and research allocations, and reviews purchasing requisitions to ensure alignment with funding sources and policy requirements.

Position contingent upon continued funding.

Job Responsibilities

• Produce and assemble specialized financial account reports for specific groups of faculty in conjunction with departmental grant managers.
• Post award related duties including: assist with the preparation and submission of salary grids that inform effort planning and reporting, award set up and budgeting, completion of identified corrective actions, meeting regularly with grant managers, progress report preparation, processing ad hoc reports and transactions.
• Work closely with senior department administrators and faculty to prepare job requisitions in Workday for staff, postdocs, student workers, visiting scholars/students, and temporary workers.
• Assist faculty with all aspects of postdoctoral hiring.  This includes preparing offer letters using Penn’s BPP appointment system and monitoring other postdoc documents as required by BPP.
• Enter hiring transactions in Workday and assist with onboarding process - introductory meetings, request computer domain access, email accounts, IDs and building access, vaccine guidance, etc.
• Responsible for updating pre- and post-award information to departmental databases to maintain reliable faculty effort and research support allocations.
• Review/approve purchasing requisitions in accordance with funding source and policy considerations.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications

• Associate's Degree and 2 to 3 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Perelman School of Medicine

Pay Range

$49,500.00 - $60,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement 

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements 
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay