Administrative Assistant to the Associate Dean and Director of Development

   

This position is located at Seneca Place in downtown Ithaca and is not based on the Ithaca Main Campus.

The Opportunity

This role provides high-level administrative support, including complex calendaring, budget monitoring, invoice processing, and office coordination. The position collaborates with the A&S AA&D team and regularly interacts with deans, faculty, trustees, alumni, donors, and university leadership to support fundraising and engagement initiatives. This role requires strong organization, communication skills, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

About The College of Arts and Sciences

Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences is the university’s largest and most diverse academic unit, bringing together thousands of students, faculty, and staff across 28 departments and numerous programs, institutes, and centers. The College provides a rigorous liberal arts and sciences education grounded in Ezra Cornell’s vision of accessible learning across all fields of study. Faculty contribute to teaching, research, scholarship, and creative work while encouraging critical thinking, collaboration, and innovative problem-solving.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide high-level administrative support to the Associate Dean and Director of Development, including managing calendars, preparing meeting materials, maintaining files, and coordinating correspondence.
• Arrange and coordinate travel logistics, including travel reimbursements and accommodations for leadership and university guests.
• Support communication and coordination across the Arts & Sciences Alumni Affairs and Development (AA&D) team and extended college community.
• Schedule and coordinate meetings, meals, and events with alumni, donors, college supporters, faculty, and university stakeholders.
• Compile, maintain, and distribute meeting notes, event reports, agendas, and related documentation.
• Serve as a primary administrative contact for alumni and provide support for dean and leadership engagement activities.
• Coordinate mailings, listservs, invitations, RSVP tracking, and communications for college events and initiatives.
• Provide administrative support for the College’s Advisory Council, including managing mailing lists, coordinating logistics, preparing meeting materials, and responding to inquiries.
• Develop and maintain tracking systems, reports, and databases to monitor campaign goals, engagement activities, and college initiatives.
• Compile annual reports, work plans, activity summaries, and other departmental reports.
• Generate and analyze data reports to support travel planning, donor engagement, and activity planning for college leadership.
• Monitor departmental budgets, process expenses, and prepare financial reports for leadership and departmental activities.
• Coordinate administrative support with other team members and assist with college, AA&D, and university events.

What We Need

For further consideration, please submit a resume and cover letter.

• Associate degree and 2–4 years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively and professionally, both verbally and in writing.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, databases, and the ability to manage and manipulate large data sets.
• Experience coordinating travel arrangements and high-visibility events.
• Strong attention to detail with the ability to remain organized, flexible, and adaptable in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and professionalism.
• Strong customer service orientation with a commitment to supporting internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to proactively manage priorities, meet deadlines, and balance competing demands while responding to urgent assignments.
• Ability to build and maintain inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members.
• Ability to navigate and effectively work within a complex, highly collaborative organization.

If you have all those things, great! We have a few more things that we would prefer you to have, but it’s ok if you don’t.

• Bachelor’s degree from a recognized college or university, or the equivalent in higher education, industry or government.
• Experience working as an office manager, including working with budgets would be preferred.
• Knowledge and experience with Alumni Affairs and Development informational systems preferred.

This is a full-time (39 hours per week) endowed position based in Ithaca, NY, at Seneca Place in downtown Ithaca. This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement. Core working hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with additional flexibility as needed. The final schedule will be determined in collaboration with the supervisor.

Rewards and Benefits

• This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement. Employees typically perform this role remotely 3 days per week and on-campus 2 days per week. The university reserves the right to modify, suspend, revoke or terminate the 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.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

   

University Job Title:

Administrative Asst IV

   

Job Family:

Administration

   

Level:

D

   

Pay Rate Type:

Hourly

   

Pay Range:

$26.41 - $30.69

   

Remote Option Availability:

Hybrid

   

Company:

Endowed

   

Contact Name:

Keionda Lewis

   

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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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.

2026-07-22