Position Summary

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.

Reporting jointly to the Cornell Tech Chief Administrative Officer and the Cornell University Assistant Dean and Senior Director of Academic Human Resources, the Director serves as the strategic operational HR leader for Cornell Tech, including the Jacobs Institute. The position is responsible for translating HR strategy into effective operational practices and ensuring the delivery of high-quality, customer-focused HR services that support Cornell Tech's academic, research, economic development, and administrative missions.

Cornell Tech is a rapidly evolving academic, research, and technology environment characterized by growth, innovation, and organizational change. The Director partners closely with campus leadership and central university HR offices to support workforce planning, organizational effectiveness, employee engagement, talent management, and operational excellence.

The Director leads the HR function for Cornell Tech and serves as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on workforce planning, organizational effectiveness, talent strategy, culture, employee engagement, and organizational change. The position helps shape business outcomes by connecting workforce strategies and people initiatives to operational performance, strategic priorities, and long-term organizational success

The Director will also serve as a liaison to central HR and other university offices, ensuring compliance with institutional policies and regulatory requirements, and contributing to the advancement of university-wide HR initiatives. This role is instrumental in shaping a positive workplace culture and supporting the success of faculty, staff, and leadership across the unit.

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position. The primary location is at the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island in New York City.

Visa sponsorship is not available.

Starting salary range: $185,692 to $205,238

Essential Functions Include

Strategic HR Leadership & Management - 30%

• Partnership with Leadership:
• Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leadership, ensuring workforce considerations are incorporated into organizational planning and decision-making.
• Partner with campus leadership to understand organizational priorities and workforce needs and support implementation of HR strategies aligned with campus and university objective.
• Participate regularly on task forces and planning groups as appropriate for Cornell Tech and of the VP for HR.
• Partner with Executive Director of Finance and Business Operations to manage the annual budget process, specifically around workforce planning.
• Assess the financial impact of human resource decisions, policies, and programs.
• Work with campus leadership and staff to assess impact of proposed policies, processes, and activities efforts, workforce planning, and succession planning.
• Partner with leadership in proactively identifying and assessing organizational needs and provide counsel and expertise in the planning, implementation, and communication of change efforts intended to meet the strategic goals of the organization.
• Act as advocate for Cornell Tech, communicating business needs and facilitating effective and efficient delivery of tools, policies, and procedures that facilitate campus goals.

• Management of HR Operations:
• Lead and manage the day-to-day operations for Cornell Tech, ensuring timely, accurate, and consistent delivery of HR services.
• Supervise a team of three to oversee HR service delivery as it relates to HR support for Cornell Tech in coordination with central university HR.
• Monitor operational effectiveness and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, service quality, and the employee experience.
• Lead and provide guidance and expertise on HR-related inquiries from staff, faculty, and supervisors.
• Interpret and apply university HR policies and procedures to ensure compliance and consistency.
• Provide data-driven insights and recommendations to support decision-making
• Leverage workforce analytics, HR metrics, and organizational data to inform decision-making and guide strategic planning

Talent Management & Workforce Planning - 15%

• Set direction and priorities for recruitment, retention, and succession planning strategies
• For key hiring activity, may serve as a member of search committees, attend committee meetings and interview candidates. Serve as campus representative responsible for commitments related to the HireNYC agreements with the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) including hiring commitments and results, communication, and reporting. Serve as Affirmative Action Unit Representative (AAUR) for the Cornell Tech campus.
• Partner with hiring managers to develop and implement recruitment and staffing strategies that align with workforce needs.
• Oversee the recruitment lifecycle, including job design, posting, candidate selection, and onboarding.
• Provide leadership and oversight on classification, compensation, and job design initiatives and objectives.

Academic HR Leadership -10%

• Collaborate with dean, senior associate deans, and program and center directors on all matters related to academic personnel. Provide decision support through regular review and analysis of data, working closely with leadership team, faculty and staff handling faculty matters to facilitate recruitment efforts and develop search strategies.
• Provide strategic direction for academic HR programs and practices, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and compliance with university policies and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure consistent execution of academic HR processes, identify risks, resolve issues, and escalate highly sensitive or high impact matters as appropriate.
• Work collaboratively with university resources to establish appropriate processes for academic personnel as it relates to hiring, leaves (including sabbaticals), and separation processes.

Employee Relations & Performance Management - 10%

• Provide advice and guidance to campus leadership, employees and supervisors to support effective productivity and performance, resolve performance issues, handle concerns within the context of compliance and policies, and improve employee-supervisor relationships.
• Facilitate the employee relations process by acting as liaison between university HR, the Faculty Staff Assistance Program, General Counsel's Office, and other offices, and employees of the campus
• Provide expert guidance on complex employee relations matters, including conflict resolution, disciplinary actions, and grievance processes.
• Oversee performance management processes, supporting goal setting, feedback, and performance improvement efforts. Foster a positive, respectful, and inclusive work environment through proactive engagement and problem-solving.

Compensation & Classification - 10%

• Oversee management and senior leadership compensation decisions, including hiring ranges, promotions, and equity adjustments for faculty, staff, non-faculty academics (RTEs), and hourly student employees.
• Within the university framework, continue development of innovative and flexible compensation, benefits and perquisites strategies, including partnerships between Weill Cornell Medical, Cornell Tech, and the Ithaca campus.
• Ensure job descriptions are accurate and aligned with university classification standards.
• Partner with central HR on job evaluations, salary analysis, and compensation recommendations.
• Support implementation of compensation programs and monitor internal equity within the campus.

Organizational Development & Training - 10%

• Lead and implement organizational design, restructure efforts and change management initiatives, ensuring effective communication and adoption in alignment with strategic objectives.
• Identify training and development needs and facilitate access to professional development resources.
• Identify and execute activities that support the continued development of a culture of inclusion and belonging, mutual respect and trust in which employee's efforts are aligned with the mission of the campus. Ensure campus culture builds upon connections to Cornell's Ithaca and Weill Cornell Medicine campuses as well as Technion's Haifa campus.

Compliance & Policy Implementation - 10%

• Advocate for Cornell Tech, communicating business needs and facilitating effective and efficient delivery of tools, policies, and procedures that facilitate campus goals.
• Ensure compliance with university policies, employment laws, and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee HR policies interpretation; providing guidance to managers and staff.
• Partner with central HR to implement university-wide programs and ensure alignment at the campus level.
• Maintain accurate HR records and support audits, reporting, and internal controls.
• Establish and hold HR leadership accountable for service standards.

Other position-related responsibilities - 5%

• Participate in projects or other duties as assigned with occasional work responsibility falling above or below current classification.
• Completion of any university required compliance trainings.

Required Qualifications

• Equivalent combination of a bachelor's degree in business, psychology, sociology, human resources or a related field and at least 7 years of progressively increasing responsibility in human resources management, organizational development, or related areas required.
• Proven effective human resource management skills, including experience in development and delivery of training, dispute resolution, facilitation, organizational development, and program management.
• Demonstrated ability to positively affect organizational change.
• Understanding of, and ability to articulate, diversity and climate issues.
• Proven ability to productively network with constituencies and to work effectively with a broad workforce.
• Ability to provide immediate response to urgent issues, to develop immediate and effective communications, and attend facilitative and problem-solving meetings.
• Proven clear and effective written and verbal communication skills are required.
• Demonstrated effective leadership skills and teamwork philosophy.
• Effective supervisory skills.
• Effective financial management skills.
• Proven analytical skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduate degree in HR-related field preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Relevant professional human resource certification is a plus.
• Training or background working with STEM fields and in higher education would be beneficial.

Rewards and Benefits

Competitive compensation, generous time-off, and great benefits ...More on Cornell Benefits

University Job Title:
Director Human Resources II - TECH

Job Family:
Human Resources

Level:
H

Pay Rate Type:
Salary

Pay Range:
$175,919.00 - $244,331.00

Remote Option Availability:
Hybrid

Company:
Endowed

Contact Name:
Menasha Joseph Seeraj

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 educat