Assistant Director Lab’s Strategic IT Programs

Assistant Director Lab’s Strategic IT Programs [Hybrid] 

No Visa Sponsorship is available for this position.

The work location is Ithaca, New York with the possibility of a hybrid work schedule that would be determined by the supervisor. Employees typically perform this role remotely 1 day per week and on-campus 4 days per week. The university reserves the right to modify, suspend, revoke or terminate the hybrid work arrangement at any time.

About the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is the world's leading resource for conservation, research, education, and participatory science focused on birds and biodiversity. The Lab is a vibrant unit within Cornell's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS), where twelve world-class, mission-driven programs are directed by full-time faculty and other renowned professionals. Lab staff teach undergraduate courses, advise graduate students, collect and disseminate world-famous digital resources on biodiversity, and engage with partner organizations and public citizens around the world to conduct scientific enterprises and conservation action. Our management and staff are committed to the highest standards of ethics and excellence in all areas of our work, and our Board leadership includes faculty from Cornell and other universities, successful entrepreneurs and managers from the business and non-profit sectors, and conservation-minded citizens from the United States and beyond.    

The Lab’s Innovation & Integrated Technology Office (LiiT) provides strategic technology leadership to advance the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s mission. Working across centers and in partnership with Cornell University and external collaborators, LiiT connects technology investments, platforms, data, and services to the Lab’s goals in biodiversity science, public engagement, training, conservation action, and workplace collaboration.

LiiT’s IT Innovation Roadmap is organized around five interconnected pillars: Enterprise Data, Cloud & AI; Digital Engagement & Next-Generation Experiences; Customer Service & Experience Excellence; Digital Convening & Partner Networks; and Operational Excellence & Resilience. Together, these pillars guide the development of shared capabilities that support the Lab’s programs, strengthen global partnerships, and translate scientific knowledge into conservation impact.

Guided by the themes of ONE Lab, SCALE, and RESILIENT, LiiT advances cross-center collaboration, coordinated program delivery, responsible adoption of AI, and reliable, secure technology operations. Its work brings strategic planning and implementation together through clear priorities, effective governance, resource coordination, and measurable outcomes.

What will you do:

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is seeking a strategic and execution-focused Assistant Director, Lab’s Strategic IT Programs, to lead the coordinated planning, delivery and governance of IT initiatives supporting Lab-wide, cross-center, and center-led strategic programs, ensuring alignment with the Lab’s goals and IT Innovation Roadmap. As a member of the technology leadership team, this individual will connect the Lab’s technology roadmap with program needs and ensure that initiatives are effectively governed, coordinated, and delivered across centers.

Working closely with the Senior Technology Officer, center leadership, program owners, and technical teams, the Assistant Director will translate program objectives into technology requirements and actionable delivery plans; coordinate resources and dependencies; establish clear responsibilities, milestones, and measures of success; and provide visibility into progress, risks, and outcomes. The role will establish and manage technology governance and portfolio prioritization processes, helping leadership make informed decisions about investments, capacity, and competing demands.

Success requires strategic judgment, strong program management, and the ability to secure commitments, build accountability, and resolve delivery challenges through collaboration and influence, both with and without direct authority over participating staff and resources.

Responsibilities include:

• Partner with Senior Technology Officer, center leadership, and program owners to identify and prioritize IT initiatives supporting the Lab’s strategic programs and technology roadmap.
• Translate program objectives into coordinated technology delivery plans, defining scope, responsibilities, milestones, budgets, dependencies, deliverables, and measurable outcomes.
• Establish and manage technology governance and portfolio review processes, providing leadership with the information and recommendations needed to prioritize investments, allocate capacity, and resolve competing demands.
• Lead and coordinate project managers and cross-functional teams across centers, securing resource commitments and maintaining accountability for delivery through collaboration and influence, with or without direct supervisory authority.
• Manage dependencies across initiatives and shared technology services, identifying opportunities to coordinate schedules, reuse capabilities, and reduce duplication.
• Develop and manage program budgets with the appropriate budget owners; monitor spending, forecasts, and resource utilization; and recommend adjustments when priorities or delivery needs change.
• Monitor progress against agreed plans, proactively address risks and issues, manage changes in scope, and escalate decisions or resource constraints that require leadership action.
• Provide clear, consistent reporting on portfolio and program performance, including milestones, financial status, resource needs, risks, dependencies, and outcomes.
• Establish practical program and project management standards, tools, and processes that strengthen transparency, delivery discipline, and continuous improvement across teams.
• Apply product development and management practices in partnership with product owners, and technical teams to define user needs, shape product roadmaps, prioritize features and enhancements, and guide delivery appropriately. Ensure product decisions reflect mission outcomes, user feedback, technical feasibility, and available resources.
• Coordinate with technical leads to ensure that delivery plans address architecture, integration, security, privacy, accessibility, operational readiness, and ongoing support requirements.
• Lead change management and adoption planning with program owners, including stakeholder engagement, communications, training, and transition to operational ownership.
• Track results following implementation to assess whether initiatives achieve their intended benefits and use lessons learned to improve future planning and delivery.
• Partner with procurement, program owners, and technical leads to define vendor and contractor requirements, scopes of work, deliverables, and acceptance criteria; monitor performance and resolve delivery issues.
• Provide day-to-day supervision, coaching, professional development, and performance management for direct reports, while supporting effective collaboration across the broader program teams.

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 We Need

• A cover letter and resume outlining your interest and how your experience and goals align with the potential for mutual success in the role are required for consideration. When applying through our system, please remember to attach your application materials (Cover Letter and Resume) in PDF format.  

Required Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, business management, or a related field, with 5 or more years of relevant experience across information technology, program/project management, technology consulting, or related disciplines.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex IT programs and managing multiple concurrent initiatives from planning through implementation, including scope, schedules, budgets, resources, dependencies, risks, and measurable outcomes.
• Demonstrated experience leading digital product development or product management, including translating user and business needs into product roadmaps, prioritizing requirements, collaborating with design and engineering teams, and measuring adoption and outcomes.
• Broad understanding of technology environments, including enterprise systems, application development, data integration, and infrastructure, with the ability to translate organizational objectives into technology requirements and delivery plans.
• Experience establishing or managing technology governance, portfolio reviews, and prioritization processes to support decisions about investments, capacity, and competing demands.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and coordinate delivery across organizational boundaries, securing commitments and maintaining accountability both with and without direct authority over staff and resources.
• Demonstrated supervisory experience, including work planning, coaching, mentoring, performance management, and staff development in a technology environment.
• Experience improving operational processes and leading organizational change, including stakeholder engagement, adoption planning, and the transition of new products, systems, or services into ongoing operations.
• Strong relationship-building, communication, and facilitation skills, with the ability to explain complex issues clearly, present recommendations to leadership, and resolve competing stakeholder priorities constructively.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical-thinking skills, with the ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and adapt plans as requirements and circumstances change.
• Proficiency with program/project management and collaboration tools and Microsoft Office applications, including the ability to develop delivery plans, analyze budgets and resource needs, and communicate portfolio performance.
• Experience in, or demonstrated commitment to, supporting diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and wellbeing, including incorporating these principles into team leadership and organizational practices.
• Demonstrated ability to apply Cornell’s Skills for Success in professional conduct and practice.
• Must complete Cornell University Supervisory Development Training within one year of hire and comply with all university and job-related training requirements.

Preferred Qualifications:

• MBA or another advanced degree in technology, information systems, management, or a related field.
• Seven or more years of progressively responsible experience leading technology programs, portfolios, or digital products.
• Experience delivering data products, consumer-facing mobile applications, or research technology in complex, multidisciplinary environments.
• Experience coordinating shared technology capabilities across decentralized teams, balancing program-specific needs with organization-wide priorities.
• Experience applying AI tools and practices to improve product development, program delivery, or operational effectiveness.
• Experience managing technology vendors and external delivery partners, including evaluating internal and external delivery options.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or a comparable program/project management credential.

Application Information:

• No Visa Sponsorship of any kind is available for this position. 

• No Relocation assistance will be provided for this position. 

Rewards and Benefits

• This position is primarily based in Ithaca, New York. The New York Convenience of employer guidelines require New York State individual tax reporting and withholding for this position. Additional individual state income tax filings may also be required if working temporarily outside of New York State. The university reserves the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the remote or hybrid work arrangement at any time. 
• Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, and sustainability. Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands. We invite you to follow this link to get more information about our benefits: Understand Your Benefits | Working at Cornell
• Our leave provisions include health and personal leave, three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1. To offer greater flexibility for observing faiths and traditions we also offer two additional floating holidays. Learn more about our generous leave provisions: Holiday and Accrued Time Off | Working at Cornell
• Cornell's impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program, tuition aid for external education, and Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program. Learn more about our extensive educational benefits: Education Benefits | Working at Cornell
• Follow this link to learn more about the Total Rewards of Working at Cornell: Total Rewards | Working at Cornell

University Job Title:

Info Tech Asst Dir I

Job Family:

Information Technology

Level:

G

Pay Rate Type:

Salary

Pay Range:

$124,316.00 - $151,942.00

Remote Option Availability:

Hybrid

Company:

Contract College

Contact Name:

Maria Avila

Contact Email:

[email protected]

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

The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined in accordance with the rates in the respective collective bargaining agreement. To learn more about Cornell’s union wages, see Union Pay Rates.

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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.

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2026-10-07