IT Project Manager - Finance (CEMI)

Working Title: IT Project Manager - Finance (CEMI) [Remote] [2 Year Term]

No Visa Sponsorship is available for this position.

This is a 2 year term appointment which may be ended or extended based on organizational needs, funding availability, and performance.

About the Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative

The Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative (CEMI) is a multi-year program designed to improve the experience of students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, patients, and partners by unifying and enhancing administrative systems and processes across all Cornell University locations. Its name CEMI is said as "See Me" because the focus is on you: the people who use Cornell's systems and data to accomplish your goals.

What will you do:

The CEMI Finance Team Project Manager is responsible for leading the Finance functional team to delivering critical process design and ERP functionality that will support the financial administration of Cornell University and all of its colleges, business units, and departments. This role will support a diverse group of stakeholders across central administration and university leadership. It will be responsible to balance technology requirements with institutional functions, policies, governance structures, and campus-wide priorities.

The CEMI Finance Team Project Manager oversees the full project lifecycle, including planning, requirements gathering, resource coordination, scheduling, risk management, communication, and implementation. They ensure project tasks are completed on time, within scope, and within budget while maintaining a strong focus on service excellence and end-user experience. The Project Manager must be skilled in facilitating consensus, navigating complexity, and working with cross-functional teams in a decentralized IT structures, shared services, and collaborative governance.

Key strengths for this role include the ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and adapt to evolving institutional needs. The role requires a blend of technical understanding, project management expertise, stakeholder engagement, and the ability to support mission-driven initiatives that advance teaching, learning, research, and operational effectiveness.

Key Responsibilities

• Project Planning & Initiation : Define project scope, objectives, requirements, deliverables, and success criteria; develop detailed project plans and schedules.
• Execution & Delivery : Coordinate cross-functional technical and operational teams, monitor progress, and ensure timely delivery of project activities.
• Stakeholder Management : Serve as the primary point of contact for project stakeholders; facilitate communication, manage expectations, and support effective decision-making.
• Scope, Schedule & Budget Control : Manage project scope, track milestones, maintain schedules, and monitor budgets; evaluate and document change requests.
• Risk & Issue Management : Identify risks early, develop mitigation strategies, resolve project issues, and escalate concerns as needed.
• Communication & Reporting : Prepare and deliver project updates, status reports, dashboards, and documentation for diverse technical and non-technical audiences.
• Quality Assurance: Ensure project deliverables meet functional, technical, accessibility, security, and policy requirements.
• Vendor & Resource Coordination: Support vendor management, procurement activities, and internal resource allocation as appropriate.
• Project Closeout : Facilitate project wrap-up activities, including documentation, lessons learned, and transition to operational support teams.
• Continuous Improvement of Project Management Practices: provide feedback on processes, identify opportunities for enhancement, and collaborate with peers to strengthen standard methodologies across the organization.

This is a 2 year term appointment which may be ended or extended based on organizational needs, funding availability, and performance.

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.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in information technology, business, project management, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 3-5 years of project management experience, preferably within IT or technical environments.
• Demonstrated experience managing multiple concurrent projects of varying size, complexity, and scope.
• Strong understanding of project management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, Hybrid).
• Experience coordinating cross-functional technical teams.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills with sound judgment and attention to detail.
• Experience with requirements gathering, scope definition, scheduling, resource coordination, and risk management.
• Demonstrated skills in communication, negotiation, facilitation, and consensus-building.
• Proven ability to build relationships, facilitate collaboration, manage stakeholder expectations, and lead teams without formal authority.
• Ability to work effectively in decentralized, matrixed, or higher-education environments.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage priorities, and adapt to shifting organizational needs.
• Proficiency with project management and collaboration tools (e.g., Jira, Asana, MS Project, Smartsheet, Trello, Confluence, SharePoint, Teams).
• Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), PMI-ACP, or similar certification.
• Experience managing IT projects in a higher-education environment.
• Experience with custom software development, web projects, or systems integrations.
• Knowledge of change management methodologies (e.g., Prosci/ADKAR).
• Experience working with vendors, contracts, and RFP processes.
• Understanding of accessibility, data privacy, and security standards applicable to higher education.

Application Information:

• A resume is required for further consideration for this position. A cover letter expressing alignment with Cornell's mission and this role is strongly encouraged. When applying through our system, please remember to attach your application materials (Cover Letter and Resume) in PDF format.
• 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 based in Ithaca, New York, however, the successful applicant may perform this role remotely anywhere within the United States . Employees who work remotely may receive multiple W-2 Forms depending on their work location. 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 .

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