Post Award Associate II

This position is located on the Cornell University Campus in Ithaca, New York. You will be expected to work in Ithaca, although you may be permitted to perform a portion of your work remotely.

Note: No Visa sponsorship is available for this position.

The Opportunity:

The Division of Budget and Planning supports Cornell's academic mission through budgeting, financial planning, resource allocation, and institutional analysis. Within the division, the Research & Innovation (RI) team partners with research facilities, laboratories, institutes, and centers to provide financial leadership, budget oversight, reporting, and compliance support. The team supports both complex sponsored research awards and specialized research facilities, helping ensure the financial stewardship and operational success of Cornell's research enterprise.

Reporting to the Associate Director of Post Award Finance, the Post Award Associate II will primarily support the Weill Institute for Cell and Molecular Biology (WICMB) and, other facilities, laboratories, institutes, and research centers as needed. In this highly collaborative role, you will partner with faculty, institute leadership, and finance colleagues to provide expert post-award financial management and analytical support for a diverse portfolio of sponsored and non-sponsored activities.

As a trusted financial partner, you will help drive sound fiscal stewardship through budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, account monitoring, and compliance oversight. This position plays a key role in ensuring the effective management of research resources while supporting informed decision-making, operational excellence, and long-term sustainability. The ideal candidate brings strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and a proactive, customer-focused approach to supporting a dynamic research environment.

In this role you will:

• Advise Institute leadership on financial matters, including policy interpretation, data-driven decision-making, and tools that support effective financial management.
• Prepare monthly and ad hoc financial reports and forecasts for a complex portfolio of sponsored research and administrative funds.
• In collaboration with the Director of Administration, play a key role in the annual budget process by preparing expense forecasts, interpreting institutional guidelines, completing budget submissions, and entering data into the university's budget system.
• Monitor, maintain, and close sponsored and non-sponsored accounts in partnership with faculty, Sponsored Financial Services (SFS), and the Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP), ensuring compliance with sponsor and Cornell policies.
• Perform a variety of purchasing functions, with a focus on capital assets and related service agreements.
• Manage a diverse portfolio of funding sources, including gifts, endowment income, sponsored awards, and institutional allocations.
• Process payroll-related transactions, including graduate student appointments and financial aid; faculty summer salary and salary recovery for endowed and contract college faculty; effort costing; and retroactive salary expense transfers for Institute personnel.

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.

Additional information about the Division of Budget and Planning and the University Budget Office is available at Division of Budget and Planning website.

Application Requirements:

A cover letter and resume are required for further consideration for this position. When applying through our system, please attach both your resume and cover letter in either Microsoft Word or PDF format.

Required Qualifications:

• Associate’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field and 2-4 years of relevant experience in accounting, finance, business administration, or sponsored research administration, including post-award financial reporting, budget management, expenditure monitoring, and account reconciliation; or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of financial analysis, budgeting, accounting principles, and the financial stewardship of sponsored and non-sponsored funds.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills, with the ability to analyze financial data, identify issues, recommend solutions, and support informed decision-making.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office applications, including the ability to work with complex financial data and reporting tools.
• Experience working with enterprise business systems, including financial, purchasing, payroll, and human resources systems, and the ability to learn and apply new technologies and tools.
• Experience working in a medium to large complex organization with established financial policies, procedures, and internal controls.
• Strong customer service, interpersonal, and communication skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with faculty, staff, students, other stakeholders, and community members.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively while exercising sound judgment.
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with professionalism, integrity, and discretion.
• Positive, adaptable, and service-oriented approach with a commitment to continuous improvement and teamwork.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance accounting, or another related field.
• Significant experience with Cornell or other university policies, procedures, and systems related to financial management, sponsored projects, travel, payroll, and human resources. Experience processing faculty salary transactions for both Contract College and Endowed units is preferred.
• Experience providing administrative support in a natural sciences research environment.

Benefits and Perks:

• 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.

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Non-Union Positions

Noted pay ranges reflect the potential pay opportunity for each job profile. The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

• Prior relevant work or industry experience

• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position

• Unique applicable skills

• Academic Discipline

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For general questions about the position or the application process, please contact the Recruiter listed in the job posting or email [email protected].

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