Associate Dean for Finance and Administration - ILR School

This position is based in Ithaca, NY, on the campus of Cornell University.

About The School of Industrial and Labor Relations

The ILR School is the preeminent educational institution in the world focused on work, employment and labor. We are dedicated to generating and disseminating knowledge that improves the lives of workers and transforms the future of work. As a New York land-grant college, we positively impact individuals and society through Teaching, Research and Outreach.

ILR is one of Cornell University's four State University of New York (SUNY) contract colleges and is distinguished by its unique combination of academic, research, outreach, and public engagement activities. The school includes five academic departments, two of which are shared with other Cornell colleges, and a nationally recognized Outreach enterprise consisting of sixteen (16) centers, institutes, and programs dedicated to advancing workplace and labor issues. Our Outreach enterprise is home to more than half of ILR’s 270+ employees and is funded through multiple sources, including school operating funds, professional program revenues, SUNY operating funds, state and federal grants, and individual and foundation gifts.

The Opportunity

The Associate Dean for Finance and Administration serves as the senior administrative and financial leader for the School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR), providing strategic leadership, operational oversight, and fiscal stewardship in support of the school's academic, research, outreach, and public service mission. Responsible for the strategic development, direction, and implementation of the school's financial policies, administrative functions, and business operations, the position supports a highly complex organization with a diverse workforce located on Cornell's Ithaca campus and across regional locations in Buffalo and New York City.

The Associate Dean oversees a team of five direct reports and serves as the Dean's principal advisor on financial and administrative matters. The position provides strategic and operational leadership for an annual operating budget exceeding $110 million and is responsible for ensuring sound fiscal stewardship, effective resource allocation, and long-term financial sustainability.

The Associate Dean provides executive oversight for emergency management, facilities operations, information technology services, human resources, New York City conference center operations, and sponsored research administration. The role also leads the management of contracts and business agreements with internal and external partners, supporting efforts to expand and diversify revenue-generating opportunities.

In partnership with the Senior Associate Dean for Research, Outreach and External Relations, the Associate Dean helps shape institutional priorities, guide resource allocation, enhance organizational effectiveness, manage risk, and support long-term strategic planning initiatives for the ILR Outreach Division.

The position reports directly to the Dean of the ILR School and serves as a key member of the Dean's senior leadership team, playing a critical role in strategic planning, policy development, organizational effectiveness, and operational decision-making. The position also serves as ILR's senior administrative representative within the broader Cornell community, partnering with university leaders to shape policies, practices, and business operations that support institutional objectives and advance Cornell's mission. The role also maintains a collaborative reporting relationship to the Vice President for Budget and Planning.

Candidate Profile

We are seeking people who appreciate and will take ownership in the following, and not limited to:

• Strategic financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and resource allocation
• Leadership of core administrative functions including finance, human resources, facilities, information technology, and sponsored research administration
• Oversight of emergency management, business operations, and organizational effectiveness initiatives
• Financial and operational leadership for ILR's Outreach enterprise
• Partnership with academic and administrative leaders to support strategic planning and institutional priorities
• Representation of ILR within university-wide administrative and financial initiatives

We require these qualifications

• Master’s degree and 7 to 10 years of relevant experience or equivalent combination
• Seven or more years of management experience
• Track-record of improving financial/operational processes and ensuring financial integrity of an organization
• Ability to manage complex resource allocations and advocate for resources on behalf of an organization
• Experience managing contracting process for procurement of goods and services
• In-depth understanding of strategic deployment of financial resources, drawing upon multiple funding sources with different terms of use
• Proven ability in budget planning and forecasting, and facilities management.
• Demonstrated leadership qualities including ability to motivate people
• Prior supervisory experience with ability to delegate effectively and manage multiple, sometimes competing priorities
• Highly skilled in human relations and a proven ability to work effectively with a diverse population
• Ability to successfully collaborate with other leaders across the school and at the university senior leadership level
• Possess excellent data analysis, data visualization and presentation skills
• Expert-level oral and written communication skills
• Self-motivated and responsible
• Exercise sound judgment in handling confidential matters
• Proven experience connecting inclusion, belonging and wellbeing practices to business goals.

You will be a top candidate with our preferred qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent in business or public administration or a combination of education and experience
• Experience serving as a senior administrative, finance, business, or operations leader in a complex organization.
• Ten or more years of management experience
• Experience handling emergency management planning
• Experience in higher education, public sector, or nonprofit sector
• Experience managing employees with in-person, hybrid and remote work arrangements
• Knowledge of SUNY financial and budgeting systems
• Experience working with Unions
• Experience managing multiple funding sources in support of institutional operations
• Experience managing facilities in a multi-location operating environment
• Experience working and managing in a highly complex, multi-unit, multi-location organization with a diverse set of constituents

To Apply

For full consideration, applicants must include both a resume and cover letter outlining your interest and how your experience and goals align with the potential for mutual success in the role.

Application review will begin immediately and continue on a rolling basis until a candidate has been selected.

Important Notes About Applying

• This is a full-time position located in Ithaca, NY, within the ILR School on the campus of Cornell University.
• This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement.
• There is no visa sponsorship available for this position.

Rewards and Benefits

• Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, sustainability, and diversity initiatives.

• 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.

• 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 

University Job Title:

Administrator VII - ILR

Job Family:

Administration

Level:

I

Pay Rate Type:

Salary

Pay Range:

$212,780.00 - $260,064.00

Remote Option Availability:

Hybrid

Company:

Contract College

Contact Name:

Jessica Burnette

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

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2026-11-11