Associate Dean for Administration - College of Arts & Sciences (Administrator VII)

Cornell University • City of Ithaca, NY

8d • $245,300 - $299,812 • Onsite

About The Position

The College of Arts and Sciences is a faculty led organization committed to the goal of inclusive excellence. Administrators, faculty, and staff are expected to contribute actively to fostering an academic workplace climate that is welcoming, supportive and creates a sense of belonging for all. The College of Arts and Sciences remains the center of Cornell’s academic universe. It is the oldest and largest of the University’s colleges; its research and teaching span the humanities and performing arts, biological and physical sciences and mathematics, and the social sciences. It offers extraordinary breadth and depth in its programs of study, a world-renowned faculty that includes international leaders in their respective disciplines, and cutting-edge research and technical facilities. It provides a high-quality liberal arts education to its own students, and introductory instruction in basic disciplines to almost all undergraduates in the other colleges at Cornell.

The College has over 520 tenure-stream faculty, over 400 other academics and 300 non-academic staff in approximately 40 academic departments and programs, a student population of 4,500 undergraduates and 1,300 graduate students spread across 27 academic buildings (850,000 nsf). The overall College budget exceeds $400M, and total research expenditures by A&S investigators exceed $100M.
The Associate Dean for Administration, as leader of this management effort, is the chief administrative officer for the College of Arts and Sciences and is a member of the senior staff of the college. Provides senior level administrative counsel and direction to the Deans, Department Chairs, Directors and academic department managers on a routine basis. As a member of the college’s senior staff, participates in long-term planning and priorities setting and resource allocation. Provides administrative leadership and oversight for the Non-Academic administration of the college and its departments including budget and finance; human resources and departmental staffing; facilities planning and management; and information technology and reporting. In collaboration with department chairs and directors, establishes expectations and provides oversight and direction for the work of the academic department managers. In coordination with the Dean’s activities, represents the college in university venues, participates in Cornell’s College Officer’s Group, university committees and other institutional activities, and champions college issues across the university community. Must also demonstrate an earnest commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives by actively contributing to efforts to foster an academic workplace climate that is welcoming, supportive and creates a sense of belonging for all.

Requirements

• General qualifications should include a bachelor’s degree (advanced degree desired) and a minimum of 10 years of management experience, preferably at a senior level in an environment related to higher education, strong leadership skills, excellent judgment and negotiating ability, and superior communication skills.
• Evidence of a capacity to work successfully in a variety of the relevant areas is welcomed.
• They should evidence an effective, flexible, and well-disciplined approach to leading and managing the complex, decentralized administration of an Ivy League arts and sciences college embedded in a major research and land-grant university.
• Organizational capacity building – ability to assess an organization and develop approaches for addressing weaknesses and implementing and maintaining operational effectiveness and efficiency.
• Tolerance for complexity and ambiguity – ability to thrive in complex environments and to be energized by solving large, multi-dimensional problems.
• Strong analytical skills, capacity to understand human as well as financial and bureaucratic dynamics, and proven ability to make progress in the absence of complete information.
• Intellectual leadership – ability to function in a relationship-driven culture where intellectual acuity is highly valued and to provide leadership by exhibiting a combination of insight, transparency, fairness, utility and commitment to the institution.

Nice To Haves

• Keen interest in, and enthusiasm for, the overall workings and philosophy of higher education is desirable.
• A strong academic sensibility and a sense of humor are major assets.

Responsibilities

• short- and long-term budget planning and implementation in support of the academic goals and fiscal health of the college
• oversight of the financial and human resource planning and operations of the college
• allocation of staff across departments
• development and implementation of facilities and space plans
• direction of the college’s capital plan
• development and maintenance of an administrative organization and culture that complements and supports the academic enterprise

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive