Planetary Scientist Jobs in Texas (NOW HIRING)

Job Posting Title:
Assistant Director of Operations - Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
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Hiring Department:
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
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Position Open To:
All Applicants
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Weekly Scheduled Hours:
40
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FLSA Status:
Exempt from FLSA
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Earliest Start Date:
Immediately
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Position Duration:
Expected to Continue
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Location:
UT MAIN CAMPUS
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Job Details:
Purpose
The Assistant Director of Operations provides strategic and operational leadership for the administrative and business functions of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the Jackson School of Geosciences. As the department's senior administrative leader, this position oversees financial management, contracts and grants administration, information technology, travel, and business operations; promotes collaboration, cross-training, and operational continuity across administrative functions; and serves as a strategic advisor and primary administrative liaison to the Department Chair. The Assistant Director works closely with departmental and university stakeholders to ensure effective operations, regulatory compliance, and alignment with departmental, school, and university priorities.
Responsibilities
Department Operations and Strategic Administration

• Serve as a strategic advisor to the Department Chair by translating departmental priorities into operational plans, coordinating implementation across administrative functions, leading cross-functional initiatives, and ensuring alignment with Jackson School and university objectives.
• Provide day-to-day leadership and coordination for administrative managers and support staff, serving as the primary administrative point of escalation and ensuring consistent communication, alignment, and execution across operational areas.
• Manage and develop administrative staff, fostering a culture of customer service, accountability, collaboration, cross-training, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate departmental policies, procedures, and workflows to improve operational effectiveness.
• Provide administrative support and strategic guidance to the Chair on faculty-related processes and initiatives while partnering closely with the Faculty Affairs Coordinator to ensure efficient execution of faculty affairs activities.
• Manage and coordinate administrative processes on behalf of the Department Chair, including reviewing and approving routine operational, financial, and personnel actions under delegated authority.

Financial Management and Business Operations

• Direct departmental financial operations including budget planning, forecasting, resource allocation, financial reporting, and long-range financial modeling.
• Oversee staff responsible for monitoring departmental budgets, research funds, gifts, endowments, commitments, and funding allocations to ensure responsible stewardship of resources and financial sustainability.
• Work closely with the Department Chair to develop, manage, and communicate annual operating budgets and multi-year financial strategies that support departmental priorities.
• Develop financial analyses, budget projections, and strategic recommendations that support departmental decision-making and long-term planning.
• Prepare and oversee financial and regulatory reports for department leadership and university stakeholders.

Research Administration, Contracts, Grants, and Compliance

• Provide oversight for departmental contracts, grants, and sponsored project administration in coordination with faculty, research staff, and central offices.
• Oversee administrative support for proposal development, budget preparation, proposal submission processes, and post-award management activities.
• Oversee contract administration, subaward agreements, award management, and closeout activities.
• Monitor administrative processes related to sponsored projects to ensure compliance with university, state, federal, and sponsor requirements.
• Develop and implement effective administrative processes that support faculty research activities and proposal submissions.
• Assess operational risks and implement appropriate controls and compliance measures.

Stakeholder Relations, Technology, and Special Projects

• Serve as the primary liaison between the department and school, university, and external stakeholders, collaborating closely with departmental and school leadership to address operational needs and advance strategic priorities.
• Provide oversight of departmental information technology operations and leverage enterprise technologies and emerging tools to improve business processes, collaboration, communication, and operational effectiveness.
• Lead special projects, organizational improvement initiatives, and change management efforts that enhance departmental effectiveness.
• Represent the department on school and university committees, workgroups, and special initiatives as appropriate.

Other related duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and seven years of progressively responsible experience in administration, business operations, finance, management, or higher education administration.
• Demonstrated experience developing and managing complex budgets and analyzing financial data to support operational planning and decision-making.
• Experience overseeing multiple administrative functions, such as accounting, business operations, contracts and grants administration, travel, information technology, or related areas.
• Experience interpreting and applying organizational policies, procedures, regulations, and compliance requirements.
• Demonstrated leadership and supervisory experience, such as managing and developing staff.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships across all levels of an organization.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a complex, fast-paced environment.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.
Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Higher Education Administration, Finance, or a related field.
• Experience in higher education, particularly within a large public research university.
• Experience at the University of Texas.
• Experience managing departmental finances, budgets, and administrative operations within an academic or research environment.
• Experience developing multi-year budget projections and long-range financial plans.
• Knowledge of faculty affairs processes, such as faculty reviews, academic personnel administration, and instructional budgeting.
• Experience with sponsored projects administration, research accounting, and grant management.
• Experience supervising professional and administrative staff.
• Knowledge of University of Texas administrative, financial, human resources, research administration, and procurement systems and processes.
• Experience leveraging enterprise technologies, collaboration platforms, and emerging technologies to improve operational efficiency, service delivery, and organizational effectiveness.
• Experience partnering with academic leadership, faculty, and central administrative offices.
• Experience leading strategic planning, organizational change, and process improvement initiatives.

Driving Required
This job requires a class "C" operator's driver's license. The applicant selected must provide a current three year driving record from the current state of residence. If not currently a Texas resident, a Texas driver's license must be obtained within 30 days of becoming a Texas resident. Employees who are required to have a CDL are subject to drug and alcohol testing (pre-employment, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, random, return-to-duty, and follow-up drug and alcohol testing).
Salary Range
$110,000 + depending on qualifications
Working Conditions

• May work around standard office conditions.
• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation.
• Use of manual dexterity.
• Weekend and evening work may be required.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.
Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.
Employment Eligibility:
Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.
Retirement Plan Eligibility:
The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.
Background Checks:
A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.
Equal Opportunity Employer:
The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.
Pay Transparency:
The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information.
Employment Eligibility Verification:
If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.
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E-Verify:
The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university's company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:
Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.
The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.