Executive Assistant and Office Manager

The Opportunity

The Executive Assistant and Office Manager provides confidential, senior-level executive/administrative support to the Vice President and General Counsel, oversees the daily operation of the Office of General Counsel (OGC), and supervises the non-attorney staff in the Ithaca office.

Under the direction of the Vice President and General Counsel, the Executive Assistant and Office Manager will provide administrative and operational oversight for the office in a manner that demonstrates professionalism, collegiality, high ethical standards, confidence, respect, and advancement of the university’s core mission and objectives. This position will help ensure coordination and integration of the Weill Cornell Medicine and Ithaca OGC locations as one cohesive unit. This position works with a high degree of autonomy and judgment and requires the incumbent to act independently and with confidence in their decision-making ability.

The Executive Assistant and Office Manager will:

• Provide high-level support in furtherance of the Vice President and General Counsel’s internal and external professional responsibilities. 
• Proactively manage the daily calendar, travel, and communications for the vice president and general counsel. Develop and prepare presentations, conduct topical research, gather appropriate background materials, draft internal and external reports and prepare the vice president for the day.
• Manage projects to include drafting information, tracking status and pending deadlines and, acting as liaison with others related to project deliverables. Apprise vice president and general counsel of project status and updates, and communicate any potential challenges.
• Ensure that the office is running smoothly and in compliance with university business practices and policies. including, but not limited to, directly or through supervision of other administrative staff.  
• Supervise Ithaca campus non-attorney staff by providing direction, training, problem-solving, and performance management.
• Facilitate support for the attorneys in furtherance of the work of the office.
• Oversee office financial activities, including but not limited to, developing and monitoring the office budget, managing office financial accounts, approving financial transactions, and facilitating review and payment of outside counsel legal expenses.
• Serve as the primary liaison with the human resources division regarding human resource matters
• Develop and maintain the office’s standard operating procedures and calendar.
• Oversee the redesign of, and ongoing updates to the office website.
• Research and identify technology solutions to support the functions of the office and support existing systems.
• Effectively partner with the Office of the Secretary of the Corporation and Office of the Secretary of the Medical College.
• Represent the office on university-wide projects and successfully liaise with the university’s executive leaders, academic deans, and their staffs across the university’s multiple campuses.

About the Office of General Counsel

The Office of General Counsel (OGC) at Cornell University is a general practice law office that proactively advances the university’s mission by providing timely and trusted legal services and by diligently protecting the university’s resources.  The office acts as the university’s legal advocate in various matters, including litigation, regulatory compliance, and business transactions. 

Hours and Location

The core hours of the Office of General Counsel, and this role, are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.  This role is performed onsite at the Office of General Counsel in Ithaca. The OGC site offers free parking for employees.

Success Factors

You’ll be considered competitive for this opportunity if you demonstrate:

• Executive Partnership & Anticipation: You anticipate needs, manage complex priorities and competing demands, and ensure senior leaders have the information, context, and preparation they need to be effective.
• Judgment & Discretion: You exercise exceptional judgment with confidential and sensitive matters, know when to act independently or escalate, and represent leadership priorities with professionalism and discretion.
• Operational Leadership: You bring organization to complexity, effectively manage office operations, people, budgets, projects, and workflows, and continuously adapt processes to meet changing needs.
• Relationship & People Leadership: You build trusted relationships across levels and locations, lead and develop staff, and create strong networks that support communication, collaboration, and the effective flow of information.

What We Need

• A cover letter and resume outlining your interest and how your experience and goals align with the potential for mutual success in the role are required for consideration.
• A minimum of five to seven years of relevant professional experience in positions requiring the qualifications and competencies listed below, including, but not limited to, experience as a confidential assistant to an executive-level leader (higher education preferred), office manager, or law office manager.
• Supervisory experience.
• Eligibility for or current notary certification.
• Advanced knowledge of Office Suite and other business software programs, and experience using business software to develop presentations and other work products in various formats to meet client needs and expectations. 
• Demonstrated ability to manage projects with exceptional attention to detail and in a highly organized and timely manner.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with minimal oversight in a fast-paced, high-volume, diverse, and intellectually inspiring environment while providing sound, creative, and practical solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to organize information with an analytical mindset to create clear and professionally designed written deliverables.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain exceptional ethical standards and consistently exercise sound professional judgment.
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with tact and discretion, maintain professional confidences, and protect privileged communications.
• Demonstrated ability to thrive professionally in a diverse and vibrant setting comparable to a higher education law practice in support of an academic and artistic community of scholars and students. Demonstrated skill in understanding cultural differences.
• Demonstrated ability to take direction, work as part of a team, and lead when appropriate by identifying opportunities for self-directed contributions that constructively advance organizational objectives.
• Demonstrated capacity to approach new and complex challenges with a growth mindset, flexibility, creativity, and a measured temperament.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, establish and accomplish priorities, coordinate projects, and handle multiple tasks simultaneously.   
• Demonstrated ability to train, motivate, and supervise others.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and manage budgets and spending.

If you have all those things, great! We have a few more things that we would prefer you to have, but it’s okay if you don’t.

• Experience with the Mac operating system.
• Bachelor’s degree.

Rewards and 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. 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.

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

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Cornell welcomes students, faculty, and staff with diverse backgrounds from across the globe to pursue world-class education and career opportunities, to further the founding principle of “... any person ... any study.” No person shall be denied employment on the basis of any legally protected status or subjected to prohibited discrimination involving, but not limited to, such factors as race, ethnic or national origin, citizenship and immigration status, color, sex, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, age, creed, religion, actual or perceived disability (including persons associated with such a person), arrest and/or conviction record, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender expression and/or identity, an individual’s genetic information, domestic violence victim status, familial status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

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