The Business Manager position manages the financial activities of the Department of Chemistry, ensures these activities are in compliance with applicable university, state, and federal policies, regulations, and laws, and oversees accounts payable and receivable in the department. This position supervises the staff of the business office, which handles all ordering, shipping, and receiving of equipment and supplies for the department, completes time entry and effort certifications for employees of the department, and performs financial accounting for departmental accounts, including all grants and contracts in the department. The Business Manager is the liaison with College and University Offices with regards to matters of finance and accounting for the Department of Chemistry. The Business Manager reports directly to the Department Head.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in accounting finance, business management or equivalent

• Experience: Five years in business management and three years supervisory experience

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

  • Excellent oral and written communication skills

  • Expertise in MS office suite including: Word, Excel, Outlook, and Access.

  • Ability to solve problems and improve processes through critical thinking.

  • Ability to learn new software and processes.

  • Ability to effectively communicate with diverse group of faculty, staff, and students from many different cultures and work with them in a mutually respectful, cooperative manner.

  • Ability be organized, multi-task, and pay attention to detail.

  • Ability to be dependable, punctual, and a team player.

  • Ability to assess strengths and weaknesses of business office staff and utilize these for effective operation of the office.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: Master’s degree in accounting finance, business management or equivalent

• Other Licenses/Certifications: CPA or equivalent

• Experience: Experience in higher education with business and research-intensive background

• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

  • Knowledge of uniform guidance and UT policies.

  • Working knowledge of DASH (Oracle) or equivalent software.

Work Location

• Location: Knoxville, TN

• Onsite

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: MR13

• Anticipated hiring range: $90,000 - $105,000 DOE&Q

• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here

• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments:

• Resume

• Cover Letter

For full consideration, interested individuals should provide a cover letter addressing professional experience relevant to each required minimum qualification and a current resume. Screening of applicants will begin May 18, 2026, and will continue until the position has been filled.

About The Department

The Department of Chemistry is the oldest PhD granting department at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, offering the University’s first PhD degree in 1947. Our 27 faculty members (and growing) have research interests that span the traditional areas of chemistry and encompass new interdisciplinary fields such as materials chemistry, chemistry of the life sciences, and environmental chemistry. Our graduate PhD and MS programs are also growing and include people from diverse cultures, providing an international business environment.

Business Office Management

• Provides supervision, training, and direction to the department's business office staff.

• Oversees ordering, shipping, and receiving of equipment and supplies for the department.

• Ensures payment for goods and services are completed in a timely manner and that goods received match those ordered.

• Ensures payments to the department are properly receipted, deposited, and posted to accounting records.

• Maintains departmental chem store, chemical, and equipment inventories.

• Works effectively with the main office supervisor in budget for new employees, budget for promotions, approval of pay changes, and approval of termination of employees in the department.

• Approves time entry to payroll for employees of the department.

• Oversees chem store operations, including the sale or supplies, LN2, and dry ice to various internal department accounts and external UT accounts.

• Supervises business office staff with their assistance to faculty in pre-award responsibilities, including the submission of proposals for research, education, and outreach activities.

• Supervises and assists business office staff with post-award responsibilities, including the accounting, monthly ledger reconciliation, and agency reporting for approximately ninety research accounts.

Departmental Budget and Accounts Management

• Prepares annual departmental budgets totaling $5 million to $6 million.

• Reconciles and approves departmental ledgers monthly as well as monthly ledgers for approximately seventy department endowment and gift accounts.

• Oversees the submission of department semester and monthly non-service fellowship spreadsheets to the college.

• Reconciles and ensures reimbursement for 100+ GTA fee waivers.

• Acts as liaison with College and University Offices with regards to matters of finance, accounting, and research funds.

• Works with lab staff for two recharge centers to ensure the timely receipt of service billings and ensures the proper accounting for these billings.

• Reconciles ledgers for recharge center accounts monthly and provides a monthly financial position to recharge center directors including year-to-date A account balances, revenue, receivables, and expenditures.