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.

What you will do:

Reporting to the Associate Vice President of the University Budget Office, the Director of Academic Finance & Strategic Planning is the primary financial lead for the University's decentralized Colleges and Enterprise units, responsible for strengthening the analytical depth and consistency of unit-level budgeting practices.

A central focus of this role is defining and implementing the methodologies and internal controls that govern budgeting across the decentralized landscape. This includes assessing current unit-level practices and establishing consistent methodology across the Ithaca and Cornell Tech campuses, covering areas such as fund balance reporting and future-year hiring plans. The Director's authority to guide and enforce these standards is supported by the dotted-line reporting relationship between college budget leads and the Associate Vice President.

The Director holds end-to-end ownership of Sources & Uses reporting across both Operating and Capital portfolios. While individual units develop their own plans, the Director serves as the final reviewer and approver of those submissions, responsible for ensuring every financial narrative is accurate, operationally sound, and thoroughly vetted. This includes proactively challenging unit-level assumptions and pushing for the level of analytical depth that complex institutional decisions require.

The Director leads and develops a small team of analysts while driving the process standardization and data integrity that underpin both day-to-day financial clarity for University leadership and the University's upcoming Workday Adaptive Planning implementation.

As a people manager and university leader you will model and support a culture of inclusion, belonging, and wellbeing by fostering an environment where everyone has the ability to thrive and navigate work and life's challenges because they feel like they belong and have the tools and support they need.

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. Experience in higher education or a similarly complex, decentralized organization is preferred.
• Demonstrated experience assessing and standardizing financial processes across decentralized units, with a track record of implementing consistent methodologies and internal controls at scale.
• 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 working directly with academic units, College Business Officers, or comparable decentralized stakeholders, with the ability to translate central financial mandates into operational practice.
• 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!

University Job Title:
Mgr Finance III

Job Family:
Fin/Budget/Planning

Level:
H

Pay Rate Type:
Salary

Pay Range:
$143,454.00 - $175,332.00

Remote Option Availability:
Hybrid

Company:
Endowed

Contact Name:
Susie Jackson

Contact Email:


Job Titles and Pay Ranges:

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

To learn more about Cornell's non-union staff job titles and pay ranges, see Career Navigator.

Union Positions

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Employment Assistance:

For general questions about the position or the application process, please contact the Recruiter listed in the job posting or email [email protected].

If you require an accommodation for a disability in order to complete an employment application or to participate in the recruiting process, you are encouraged to contact Cornell Office of Civil Rights at voice (607) 255-2242, or email at [email protected].

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2026-08-13