Director of Academic 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.

Additional information about the Division of Budget and Planning and the University Budget Office is available at Division of Budget and Planning website.

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!

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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

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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Employment Assistance:

For general questions about the position or the application process, please contact the Recruiter listed in the job posting or email View email address on us.fitly.work.

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 View phone number on us.fitly.work, or email at View email address on us.fitly.work.

Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor. You may also request an appointment to use a dedicated workstation in the Office of Talent Attraction and Recruitment, at the Ithaca campus, by emailing View email address on us.fitly.work.

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EEO Statement:

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.