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…