Administrative Assistant for ILR Dean’s Office

The Opportunity

The School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) is seeking an Administrative Assistant for the ILR Dean’s Office. In this role, you will provide high-level administrative and operational support to the Senior Associate Dean for Research, Outreach, and External Relations, Associate Dean for Finance and Administration, and Assistant Dean for Student Experience and Wellbeing. You will also serve as the primary front office contact for the Dean's Office and act as backup support to the Dean's Executive Staff Assistant.

As a key member of the team, you will serve as a communication hub connecting leadership, faculty, staff, students, and external stakeholders. You will manage complex calendars, coordinate meetings, prepare materials and correspondence, maintain confidential records, and support strategic initiatives across multiple units.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide comprehensive administrative support to Dean's Office leadership.
• Manage complex scheduling, meeting coordination, and calendar management.
• Prepare agendas, reports, presentations, and correspondence.
• Serve as the primary front office contact, delivering professional and responsive customer service.
• Coordinate and support cross-functional projects, initiatives, and strategic activities.
• Maintain tracking systems, databases, and records; compile data for reports and presentations.
• Plan and coordinate meetings, events, and special programs.
• Manage space reservations and oversee event logistics, including catering, rentals, permits, and technology support.
• Serve as a liaison with campus service providers, vendors, and external partners.
• Support financial and administrative processes, including expense tracking, procurement, and project coordination.
• Assist with communications, office operations, and other administrative functions as needed.

This is a full-time (39 hours/week) Contract College position that is based in Ithaca, NY and fully on-site. Work hours are 8:00am-4:30pm Monday through Friday.   

About the ILR School

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.

What We Need

We are seeking a dedicated and collaborative team member who is eager to grow professionally and pursue opportunities for advancement within the organization. Additionally, you will have: 

• An Associate’s degree and two to four years of experience providing administrative support in an office setting, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated experience supporting senior leadership in a complex, fast-paced environment with competing priorities.
• Proven ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously while meeting deadlines in a high-volume, fast-paced setting.
• Ability to anticipate needs, take initiative, and exercise independent judgment in support of senior leadership.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to interact tactfully and effectively with diverse groups of individuals, including students, faculty, staff, community members, and administrators.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including proofreading, editing, and experience preparing meeting materials and meeting minutes.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.
• Outstanding organizational skills and strong attention to detail.
• Ability to maintain focus and productivity in a fast-paced and frequently changing work environment.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot issues, adapt to changing priorities, and recommend process improvements.
• Experience coordinating events, meetings, or programs, including logistics such as space reservations, catering, vendors, audiovisual support, and event setup.
• Ability to manage and coordinate multiple projects or initiatives simultaneously, including tracking timelines, deliverables, and follow-up actions.
• Experience working across teams or departments and coordinating with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience with financial or administrative processes such as procurement, expense tracking, or budget coordination.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and strong experience with Outlook email and complex calendaring.
• Experience scheduling and supporting virtual meetings (e.g., Zoom or similar platforms).
• Experience working with web content tools (e.g., HTML or similar platforms) preferred.
• Ability to work occasional flexible hours to support events or operational needs.
• Occasional travel required.
• Experience modeling values that support inclusion, belonging, and wellbeing.
• Ability to advocate for individuals from a broad range of backgrounds. 
• Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members. 

If you possess these experiences and skills this may be the role for you! There are a few other qualifications we would view as incredibly helpful in this role, to include: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management or related field.
• Executive-level support
• Minimum six years of experience in an office setting.
• General database operating knowledge.
• Prior office experience in a teaching and research-based setting.
• Knowledge of labor relations or workplace issues.
• Experience with Faculty Center, Canvas, Qualtrics, and Drupal.
• Knowledge of Cornell University travel and reimbursement and payment request systems (i.e. Concur).
• Knowledge of eShop purchasing system, the Kuali Financial System, the Workday HR system, Cornell Box/Dropbox, Watermark Insight and others.
• Experience with Salesforce or similar CRM systems.
• Some interest or aptitude in financial analysis, accounting, etc.

A cover letter and resume are required for consideration for this position.

Rewards and Benefits

• This position is based in Ithaca, NY and fully on-site.
• Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, sustainability, and diversity initiatives.
• Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands. We invite you to follow this link to get more information about our benefits: Understand Your Benefits | Working at Cornell.
• 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. Learn more about our generous leave provisions: Holiday and Accrued Time Off | Working at Cornell
• 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. Learn more about our extensive educational benefits: Education Benefits | Working at Cornell
• Follow this link to learn more about the Total Rewards of Working at Cornell: Total Rewards | Working at Cornell.

Visa Sponsorship is not available for this position.

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