ERP Project Associate

Cornell University • City of Ithaca, NY

20h • $65,447 - $75,632 • Remote

About The Position

The ERP Project Associate plays a vital role in supporting the successful execution of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) implementation. Reporting to the Principal ERP Project Manager, this position ensures that project activities are well organized, communication is timely and clear, and alignment is maintained across functional, technical, and vendor workstreams—including Human Capital Management, Finance, Budget, and Technical areas. Serving as a central point of coordination, the ERP Project Associate helps maintain project momentum, supports day‑to-day operations, and contributes to the smooth delivery of milestones throughout the implementation lifecycle.
The ERP Project Associate maintains detailed project schedules, action and RAID logs, monitors deliverables and dependencies, and provides comprehensive meeting and logistical support. This role manages project documentation, prepares reports, dashboards, and executive‑level summaries, and supports communication and stakeholder engagement through project updates, workshops, training sessions, and user‑focused activities. Additionally, the ERP Project Associate assists with vendor coordination, tracks SOW deliverables, supports onboarding of project team members, and maintains project calendars, repositories, and access controls. The position also contributes to audit preparation and compliance documentation, ensuring organized, efficient, and effective project operations across all workstreams.
When required, the ERP Project Associate works independently on small to medium‑sized projects and collaborates with other IT Project Managers on medium to large initiatives. For any project where the ERP Project Associate serves as the sole Project Manager, they are responsible for leading, planning, and executing all project activities, including management of scope, timeline, resource allocation, budget, and risks.
This is a 3 year term appointment which may be ended or extended based on organizational needs, funding availability, and performance.
While position responsibilities vary, every member of our community is expected to foster a culture of belonging and a healthy work environment by communicating across differences; being cooperative, collaborative, open, and welcoming; showing respect, compassion, and empathy; engaging and supporting others regardless of background or perspective; speaking up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and supporting work/life integration of oneself and others.
About Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative (CEMI) The Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative (CEMI) is a multi-year program designed to improve the experience of students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, patients, and partners by unifying and enhancing administrative systems and processes across all Cornell University locations. Its name CEMI is said as “See Me” because the focus is on you: the people who use Cornell’s systems and data to accomplish your goals.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Approximately 2–4 years of related experience, preferably in a university, academic healthcare, or research setting.
• Experience supporting projects or project managers, and proficiency with project management tools (e.g., Smartsheet, Teams, SharePoint, JIRA).
• Strong organizational, administrative, and multitasking abilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for diverse audiences.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Teams, and SharePoint.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders and maintain a high level of professionalism.
• Strong service orientation, sound judgment, and the ability to prioritize tasks effectively.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills with the ability to interact with multiple constituencies.
• Demonstrated organizational skills and high attention to detail.
• Critical thinking and analytical skills.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines while producing high‑quality work.
• Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members.
• Demonstrated ability to function independently and exercise appropriate judgment.
• Flexible, forward‑thinking approach to work.
• Understands the connection between individual responsibilities, departmental goals, and the organizational mission.
• Demonstrates integrity, ethics, and professionalism in all interactions.
• Builds and maintains positive, collegial workplace relationships.
• Provides exceptional service to internal and external customers.
• Facilitates effective information flow through strong written and oral communication.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working on large‑scale enterprise system implementations (e.g., ERP, HCM, Finance, Budget, Student Information Systems).
• Familiarity with ERP platforms such as Workday, Oracle, SAP, or similar systems.
• Experience working in a project management office (PMO) or supporting structured project governance processes.
• Knowledge of project management methodologies (e.g., Waterfall, Agile, Hybrid) and best practices.
• Exposure to business processes in HR, finance, budgeting, procurement, or IT systems in a higher‑education environment.
• Experience preparing reports, dashboards, or executive‑level summaries for leadership.
• Prior experience coordinating vendor activities or working with external implementation partners.
• Experience supporting change management activities, training, or user engagement.
• Strong proficiency with collaboration and productivity tools (Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Smartsheet, Visio, Power BI, or similar).
• Certification or coursework in project management (e.g., CAPM, PMP, Agile, Prosci/ADKAR) a plus.

Responsibilities

• Maintains detailed project schedules, action and RAID logs, monitors deliverables and dependencies, and provides comprehensive meeting and logistical support.
• Manages project documentation, prepares reports, dashboards, and executive‑level summaries, and supports communication and stakeholder engagement through project updates, workshops, training sessions, and user‑focused activities.
• Assists with vendor coordination, tracks SOW deliverables, supports onboarding of project team members, and maintains project calendars, repositories, and access controls.
• Contributes to audit preparation and compliance documentation, ensuring organized, efficient, and effective project operations across all workstreams.
• Works independently on small to medium‑sized projects and collaborates with other IT Project Managers on medium to large initiatives.
• Responsible for leading, planning, and executing all project activities, including management of scope, timeline, resource allocation, budget, and risks.

Benefits

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees