Description

Position Overview
Cornell Research and Innovation announces a search for a Director of Finance and Budget. Well-qualified candidates will be strategic thinkers with strong experience in complex budget development, long-range financial planning and forecasting, and translation of financial data into clear and cohesive reports within a higher education environment.  

As Director of Finance and Budget, you will provide financial leadership for multi-million dollar operating and capital budgets that support transformative research initiatives. You will lead a team of high-performing finance professionals and will partner closely with divisional and university leadership to ensure prudent stewardship of resources, strong decision support, and clear communication of financial performance and strategy. 

Key responsibilities include:

• Overseeing and managing Research and Innovation’s annual capital and operating budgeting process, managing all aspects and components of the budget, ensuring accuracy and compliance with University Budget Office (UBO) guidelines, and providing guidance to administrative directors in the development of complex research center budgets
• Partnering with administrative units and research centers to develop, manage, and monitor operating budgets across a range of financial activities and funding sources
• Implementing and managing UBO initiatives, serving as Research and Innovation’s principal liaison to the University Budget Officers Group (UBOG), and representing the division in all budget planning and policy discussions
• Managing and producing divisional financial reporting, monthly budgettoactual analyses, and forecasting
• Collaborating annually to prepare and publish the institution-wide Cornell Annual Research Expenditure (ARE) financial reporting
• Leading and developing finance staff, clearly communicating expectations, providing performance feedback, and fostering continuous growth and satisfaction
• Driving positive change by identifying, designing, and implementing process improvements to enhance and innovate financial support services

About Us
Cornell Research and Innovation enables and advances Cornell University’s research priorities as well as research activities of Cornell colleges, schools, and research centers, institutes, and laboratories. The Office of the Vice Provost for Research houses the Finance and Budget Team, which includes a Post Award Finance Group and a Service Facility Finance Group. Research and Innovation Finance provides leadership in budgeting, financial reporting, and postaward financial management. 

The team delivers comprehensive financial support to researchenabling administrative units—including the Office of Sponsored Programs, the Office of Research Integrity and Assurance, PreAward Research Operations, Research Development, Innovation, and Research operating units—as well as to faculty and researchers, with a particular focus on complex or multidisciplinary research centers. Research and Innovation Finance, in collaboration with central partners, oversees research expenditure reporting and advances institutionwide financial initiatives across the division.

Rewards and Benefits
This position is located in Ithaca, New York on the gorgeous campus of Cornell University. Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, and sustainability.

The position is eligible for a hybrid working arrangement with work on campus required at least three days each week.

Cornell is an equal opportunity employer. For more information, visit hr.cornell.edu/eeo.

Requirements

To Apply
Send us a cover letter and resume outlining your interest in this position and explaining how your experience and qualifications match the position requirements. Your letter is an important component of your application.
Please note: visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Requirements
When evaluating your candidacy, we will look for evidence of the following:

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
• 7-10 years of experience in financial management, reporting, analysis, forecasting, and complex budget development and monitoring, especially within higher education
• Experience supervising and developing staff, including serving as a mentor and guiding staff through change
• Excellent customer service skills and demonstrated ability to communicate with a broad range of people at different organizational levels
• Demonstrated attention to detail, organizational skills, and prioritization skills
• Experience connecting inclusion, belonging, and wellbeing practices to business goals
• Proven ability to interpret and apply policy and procedures consistently and thoughtfully
• Ability to work quickly and effectively under pressure and to use good judgment in accomplishing matters that are urgent, sensitive, or confidential
• Proven leadership skills, including the ability to negotiate, advocate with tact and diplomacy, and work effectively as part of a team
• Comfortable working in an environment where change in process and procedures is the norm
• Ability to synthesize and translate financial data and institutional requirements clearly and concisely for different audiences

Preferred But Not Required

• Master’s degree (e.g., MBA) and/or CPA or additional education or training in finance or accounting
• Significant prior work experience in higher education, including knowledge and understanding of sponsored research environments, administration of restricted gifts and endowment income, and management of institutional commitments
• Experience using systems utilized by Cornell, including Longview Budget System, Kuali Financial System, Oracle Analytics Server, and Workday
• Experience implementing new systems and financial reporting dashboards