Director of Administrative Finance & Strategic Planning

This position is located on the Cornell University Campus in Ithaca, New York. You will be expected to work in Ithaca, although you may be permitted to perform a portion of your work remotely.

Note: No Visa sponsorship is available for this position.

Who we are:

Located in Ithaca, N.Y., Cornell University is a bold, innovative, inclusive, and dynamic teaching and research university where staff, faculty, and students alike are challenged to make an enduring contribution to the betterment of humanity. Cornell University is one of the largest and most diverse institutions in the Ivy League. We are a community of 22,000 students and more than 10,000 faculty and staff members representing more than 80 countries and hundreds of disciplines--global cultures, backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and ideas.

The Division of Budget and Planning supports Cornell University's academic mission and long-term sustainability through institutional budgeting, financial and strategic planning, resource allocation, and analysis. The Division is responsible for developing planning assumptions; preparing and consolidating operating and capital budgets across the Ithaca campus, Cornell Tech, and Weill Cornell Medicine; supporting space and capital planning; and overseeing institutional research, accreditation, and external reporting.

Within the Division, the University Budget Office works closely with colleges and administrative units to develop, implement, and report on the Ithaca campus operating plan. The office serves as a steward of institutional resources by forecasting revenue and expenses; providing analytical context for planning assumptions and budget policies; coordinating allocation and policy issues with senior leadership; monitoring resource use; modeling the impact of program and policy changes; and providing specialized budget services to meet New York State (NYS) and SUNY requirements. The Budget Office also maintains budget schedules, systems, and tools, and provides training to support the annual budget development process.

What you will do:
Reporting to the Associate Vice President of the University Budget Office, the Director of Administrative Finance & Strategic Planning is the primary financial lead for the University's Allocated Units portfolio, responsible for bringing consistency and clarity to a complex administrative financial environment and providing leadership to a team of financial professionals supporting these functions.

A key priority for this role is consolidating budget staff currently spread across decentralized units into a single, cohesive team. The Director will lead, supervise, and develop this centralized team, managing centralized reporting structures while ensuring that functional area leaders across HR, the Provost's Office, Financial Services, and others continue to receive responsive, high-quality financial support. Navigating these cross-functional relationships effectively is central to the role.

The Director holds end-to-end ownership of Sources & Uses reporting, including budget development and forecasting across both Operating and Capital portfolios. This includes standardizing financial processes and reporting frameworks to ensure revenue and expenses are clearly aligned and that cross-subsidization is transparent and well-documented. A core objective is establishing the data integrity and reporting infrastructure that gives University leadership an accurate, reliable picture of current financial conditions--reducing the need for ad hoc reconciliation and creating a stable foundation for strategic planning through effective coordination and oversight of team contributions.

The Director must be equally capable of building rigorous financial systems and communicating complex financial information clearly to senior leadership. This work is also critical to the University's upcoming implementation of Workday Adaptive Planning, making process standardization, clean data, and strong team leadership and accountability a near-term priority.

While position responsibilities vary, every member of our community is expected to foster a culture of belonging and a healthy work environment by communicating across differences; being cooperative, collaborative, open, and welcoming; showing respect, compassion, and empathy; engaging and supporting others regardless of background or perspective; speaking up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and supporting work/life integration of oneself and others.

What is required:

• Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 7-10 years of progressive experience in financial management, budgeting, and resource planning or equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience in higher education or a similarly complex, decentralized organization is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading organizational change or restructuring, particularly transitions from decentralized to centralized or shared-service models.
• Proven track record of preparing and presenting complex financial information, including Sources & Uses reporting, to senior leadership such as VPs, Deans, and Provosts.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to scrutinize financial assumptions and trace how figures are derived. Experience identifying and resolving cross-subsidization and aligning revenue and expenses to reflect the true cost of operations is highly desired.
• Experience leading teams within a dual-accountability structure, balancing responsive service to functional units with consistent enforcement of central financial standards and controls.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate organizational complexity and resolve data discrepancies across stakeholder groups, bringing diverse perspectives to a shared understanding of financial reality while preserving working relationships.
• Demonstrated experience leading and managing staff, including setting priorities, overseeing analytical work, supporting professional development, and fostering collaboration.
• Demonstrated skill in understanding cultural differences.

Preferred qualifications for the position include:

• Master's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field, or CPA licensure.
• Familiarity with Workday Adaptive Planning or a comparable ERP budgeting and forecasting platform.
• Prior experience in a shared services or matrixed organizational environment with responsibility for both central standards and unit-level service delivery.
• Working knowledge of capital budget planning and management in addition to operating fund oversight.

What we offer:

Great benefits that include educational benefits, access to a plethora of wellness programs, employee discounts with local and national retail brands, health care, generous paid leave provisions, 3 weeks of vacation, 14 university paid holidays (including end of year winter break through New Year's Day) and superior employer retirement contributions.

Cornell is situated in picturesque Ithaca, New York, the heart of the Finger Lakes. Ithaca is home to two academic institutions, state parks, waterfalls, gorges, and a wide range of art galleries, theaters, eateries, wineries, and breweries. Ithaca is an active and diverse community to work and thrive in and has something to suit all ages and interests!

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Non-Union Positions

Noted pay ranges reflect the potential pay opportunity for each job profile. The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

• Prior relevant work or industry experience

• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position

• Unique applicable skills

• Academic Discipline

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Cornell welcomes students, faculty, and staff with diverse backgrounds from across the globe to pursue world-class education and career opportunities, to further the founding principle of "... any person ... any study." No person shall be denied employment on the basis of any legally protected status or subjected to prohibited discrimination involving, but not limited to, such factors as race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual's genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Cornell University embraces diversity in its workforce and seeks job candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We hire based on merit, and encourage people from historically underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply. Consistent with federal law, Cornell engages in affirmative action in employment for qualified protected veterans as defined in the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and qualified individuals with disabilities under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law.