Director of Academic Finance & Strategic Planning

Cornell University • Ithaca, MI

1d • $143,454 - $175,332 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Division of Budget and Planning supports Cornell University’s academic mission and long‑term sustainability through institutional budgeting, financial and strategic planning, resource allocation, and analysis. The Division is responsible for developing planning assumptions; preparing and consolidating operating and capital budgets across the Ithaca campus, Cornell Tech, and Weill Cornell Medicine; supporting space and capital planning; and overseeing institutional research, accreditation, and external reporting. The University Budget Office works closely with colleges and administrative units to develop, implement, and report on the Ithaca campus operating plan. The office serves as a steward of institutional resources by forecasting revenue and expenses; providing analytical context for planning assumptions and budget policies; coordinating allocation and policy issues with senior leadership; monitoring resource use; modeling the impact of program and policy changes; and providing specialized budget services to meet New York State (NYS) and SUNY requirements. The Budget Office also maintains budget schedules, systems, and tools, and provides training to support the annual budget development process.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree with a minimum of 7–10 years of progressive experience in financial management, budgeting, and resource planning.
• Demonstrated experience assessing and standardizing financial processes across decentralized units, with a track record of implementing consistent methodologies and internal controls at scale.
• Proven track record of preparing and presenting complex financial information, including Sources & Uses reporting, to senior leadership such as VPs, Deans, and Provosts.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to scrutinize financial assumptions and trace how figures are derived.
• Experience working directly with academic units, College Business Officers, or comparable decentralized stakeholders, with the ability to translate central financial mandates into operational practice.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate organizational complexity and resolve data discrepancies across stakeholder groups, bringing diverse perspectives to a shared understanding of financial reality while preserving working relationships.
• Demonstrated experience leading and managing staff, including setting priorities, overseeing analytical work, supporting professional development, and fostering collaboration.
• Demonstrated skill in understanding cultural differences.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in higher education or a similarly complex, decentralized organization is preferred.
• Experience identifying and resolving cross-subsidization and aligning revenue and expenses to reflect the true cost of operations is highly desired.
• Master's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field, or CPA licensure.
• Familiarity with Workday Adaptive Planning or a comparable ERP budgeting and forecasting platform.
• Prior experience in a shared services or matrixed organizational environment with responsibility for both central standards and unit-level service delivery.
• Working knowledge of capital budget planning and management in addition to operating fund oversight.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary financial lead for the University's decentralized Colleges and Enterprise units, responsible for strengthening the analytical depth and consistency of unit-level budgeting practices.
• Define and implement the methodologies and internal controls that govern budgeting across the decentralized landscape, assessing current unit-level practices and establishing consistent methodology across the Ithaca and Cornell Tech campuses.
• Hold end-to-end ownership of Sources & Uses reporting across both Operating and Capital portfolios, serving as the final reviewer and approver of unit submissions to ensure accuracy and operational soundness.
• Proactively challenge unit-level assumptions and push for the level of analytical depth required for complex institutional decisions.
• Lead and develop a small team of analysts while driving process standardization and data integrity for day-to-day financial clarity and the upcoming Workday Adaptive Planning implementation.
• Model and support a culture of inclusion, belonging, and wellbeing by fostering an environment where everyone can thrive.
• Communicate across differences; be cooperative, collaborative, open, and welcoming; show respect, compassion, and empathy; engage and support others regardless of background or perspective; speak up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and support work/life integration of oneself and others.

Benefits

• educational benefits
• access to a plethora of wellness programs
• employee discounts with local and national retail brands
• health care
• generous paid leave provisions
• 3 weeks of vacation
• 14 university paid holidays (including end of year winter break through New Year’s Day)
• superior employer retirement contributions

What This Job Offers

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