Director of Administration

About the College of Arts & Sciences and the Department of Physics

The Opportunity

The Director of Administration (DoA) in the Department of Physics provides senior level management support for the business and administrative operations of a large academic department with an extensive and complex teaching program and of research faculty in certain subfields of the department.

Works directly with and under supervision of department Chair, with dotted line reporting to the Associate Dean for Administration.
Manages the business and administrative operations and planning, and oversees cohort of non-academic administrative and technical staff.
Areas of responsibility include personnel, finance, curriculum and enrollment support operations, research administration for the Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics, facilities management (in partnership with A&S/OVPRI Facilities), and the interpretation and implementation of human resource, financial, and other administrative policies.
Serves as a resource to faculty and other supervisors to help manage the administrative functions associated with research and instructional support.
Guides staff in providing substantial assistance to Principal Investigators with grants and contracts.
Coordinates relationships and activities across these areas and understands and manages the cross-functional impact of program and resource decisions.
Institutes and maintains sound administrative procedures to ensure consistency, fairness and compliance in operations and to manage or support long range planning projects for the chair and faculty with respect to resources, operations and policy development.
Acts as the main contact for other sectors of the university with respect to non-academic matters and will be charged with effectively communicating and collaborating with college and university offices as well as other units on campus to benefit the department.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority consideration given to those received by June 5, 2026.

Hours and Location

The Director of Administration role is primarily onsite in the Physical Sciences Building on Cornell's Ithaca campus to support collaboration with faculty, staff, and students. Typical hours are Monday through Friday, approximately 9:00AM-5:00PM, with some flexibility in scheduling and occasional evening or weekend responsibilities related to planned events or departmental needs.

Success Factors

You are considered competitive for this role if you demonstrate:

Proven ability to lead complex academic department operations, balancing research administration, finance, HR, student support, and competing faculty priorities with sound judgment and diplomacy.
Demonstrated success building trust and credibility with faculty, staff, students, and university partners through collaborative leadership, clear communication, and a strong service mindset.
Experience leading and developing administrative teams in fast-paced environments, including setting direction, organizing workflows, managing change, and creating accountability across functions.
Strong operational and financial acumen, including budget management, research administration, resource planning, and the ability to contribute to high-level strategic and organizational decisions.

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.
Master's degree plus 5-7 years of managerial, supervisory, and financial experience or equivalent combination.
The Director of Administration is a generalist, and as such, this position requires competencies across the functional areas. Requires strong supervisory, managerial, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills and experience as well as a solid background in financial and technological matters (e.g., databases, CU administrative & financial systems).
A proven ability to simultaneously manage multiple areas, events and deadlines, evidence of strong interpersonal and communication skills, and a demonstrated ability to cultivate and maintain a collaborative and effective work environment are a must.
Experience successfully managing a large group of employees who provide a broad range of support functions. In-depth understanding and appreciation of academic department business activities is important.
Demonstrated skill in understanding cultural differences.
Proven experience connecting inclusion, belonging and wellbeing practices to business goals.

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

Several years of managerial experience in an academic unit, preferred.
Extensive grant and contract management experience are highly desirable.