Business Manager Job Description

Salary Range

$86,460 - $157,420

Experience

2 to 5 years

Work Environment

University department office

What Does a Business Manager Do?

If a department is spending money, hiring staff or buying equipment, its business manager is usually involved too. In fact, so many decisions need a budget check that department heads often treat the business manager as a second-in-command. Some handle a whole college, a research institute or a study abroad program.

Also known as: Assistant Director, Institute of Government, Study Abroad Business Manager, Business Affairs Manager, Administrative and Financial Director, Senior Business Manager

Other Job Titles for This Work

Workers in this occupation report titles such as Administrative Coordinator, Administrative Director, Administrative Manager, Administrative Officer, Administrator, Business Administrator.

Business Manager Duties and Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities of a business manager include:

• Build the department's annual budget with its head, projecting salaries, operating costs and income.
• Approve purchases and travel, checking each against policy, funding source and remaining balance.
• Reconcile monthly ledgers and track spending on grants, gifts and state funds.
• Process hiring paperwork, appointments and payroll changes, working with central human resources.
• Prepare financial reports and forecasts for department heads, deans and auditors.
• Supervise office staff who handle purchasing, reimbursements, scheduling and front desk work.
• Manage contracts, leases and service agreements, keeping renewal dates on a calendar.
• Explain university policies on spending, hiring and travel to faculty and staff.
• Oversee space, equipment inventory and building issues for the department.
• Handle program fees and overseas payments for study abroad or institute programs where assigned.

Required Skills and Qualifications

To succeed as a business manager, you will need the following skills and qualifications:

• Fund accounting and budget tracking
• University financial systems such as Banner, Workday or PeopleSoft
• Advanced Microsoft Excel
• Payroll and HR processes
• Purchasing and travel policy knowledge
• Supervising a small office team
• Discretion with salary and personnel records
• Plain explanations of rules to faculty

Education and Training

Entry is open to graduates of several disciplines, as departments hire from a range of accounting, business and finance programs. Some start out as accounting assistants or department administrators and move up. An MBA may also help.

Salary and Job Outlook

Business managers fall under administrative services managers in BLS data, a group projected to grow about 5 percent from 2025 to 2035, with roughly 22,000 openings a year. In other words, demand is steady. Hiring often is tied to the state of university budgets, but business managers always will be needed as departments juggle grants, gifts and state money.

Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Administrative services managers.

Business Manager Pay Range

Highest-Paying States for Business Managers

The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Colorado ($157,000), New Jersey ($144,460), New York ($142,280), Delaware ($139,910), Minnesota ($137,290). Pay is lowest in Idaho ($92,880), West Virginia ($84,820), Arkansas ($84,480).

What the Work Is Like

O*NET surveys people who work as administrative services managers about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:

• 96% use email every day
• 96% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
• 82% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
• 80% are on the phone every day
• 74% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
• 64% spend more than half the workday sitting
• 54% have a lot of freedom to make decisions

Education Workers Say the Job Needs

Tools and Software Business Managers Use

Tools and equipment

• 10-key calculators
• Desktop computers
• Laptop computers
• Laser facsimile machines
• Mobile phones
• Multi-line telephone systems
• Notebook computers
• Personal computers
• Personal digital assistants PDA
• Photocopying equipment

Software

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Microsoft Word
• Adobe Acrobat
• Atlassian JIRA
• Autodesk AutoCAD
• Google Docs
• IBM SPSS Statistics
• Intuit QuickBooks
• Microsoft Access

Is This Job a Good Fit for You?

People who do well in this job tend to enjoy leading, persuading and making business decisions as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.

Skills O*NET rates most important: Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Time Management, Speaking, Writing, Critical Thinking.

Knowledge areas used most: Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management, English Language, Administrative, Personnel and Human Resources.

Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 3 of 5, which means medium preparation.

Related Careers

These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:

• Center Coordinator job description
• Office Manager job description
• Mail Services Manager job description
• Records Manager job description
• Administrative Services Manager job description
• Auxiliary Services Director job description
• Surplus Property Manager job description
• Payroll Supervisor job description

Applying for a Business Manager Job

• Business cover letter sample
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• How to describe your work experience
• Job interview tips
• Interview thank-you note

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