Departmental Business Manager Responsibilities

In general, Departmental Business Managers (DBMs) are administrators of departments within a school or administrative unit. They have a reporting line to the Senior Business Manager (SBM) of their unit. DBMs may have signature authority up to $2,500 as delegated by their supervisor.

In general, all Departmental Business Managers (DBMs) are required to:

  • Manage the annual budget development process.
  • Ensure that unit recruiting, hiring, training, termination and payment practices are carried out in accordance with promulgated University HR policies and procedures.
  • Track budget performance of all funds on a monthly basis.
  • Monitor transactions, review and approve contracts, requisitions and reimbursements and procurement card activity within delegated authority.
  • Review budgets of pre-award submissions (proposals) within the unit and manage compliance with post-award sponsor and GU requirements.
  • Notify the MCFO of significant financial transactions, deviations from budget and real or projected deficits of any magnitude as soon as they become known. Any expenditure of "reserves", "quasi-endowment" or other non-budgeted funds to cover structural budget shortfalls must be reported at once, along with a plan for future spending designed to assure that shortfalls will be eliminated before such reserves are exhausted.
  • Take necessary steps, in consultation with a supervisor, to mitigate or eliminate real or projected budget deficits. At a minimum, provide documented recommendations to mitigate or eliminate real or projected budget deficits.