Chair’s Assistant, Information Science

Cornell University; Ithaca (MI); Hybrid; USD 40,000 - 47,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Tuition benefits

Paid time off

Health and retirement options

Job summary

Cornell University’s Department of Information Science seeks a detail-oriented Chair’s Assistant to support the Chair and lead departmental operations, communications, and events. You will manage faculty recruitment processes, academic promotions, leave administration, and supervise student staff while coordinating across Ithaca and Cornell Tech campuses.

A strong candidate will demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication, organizational skills, and proficiency with Microsoft Office;

Qualifications

• Associate’s Degree and 4–6 years of relevant work experience.
• Ability to cultivate inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members.
• Demonstrated effective written communication.
• Excellent customer service skills and the ability to work in a team environment, as well as independently.
• Excellent written/verbal communication skills to independently compile data for and draft a variety of communications for Chair.
• Proficiency in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook is required.
• Demonstrates sound judgment. Must be able to understand, interpret, and apply relevant policies to position requirements.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and manage communications on behalf of departmental leadership.
• Draft and edit complex and confidential correspondence, including faculty offers and promotion letters.
• Organize faculty meetings, retreats, committees and events.
• Prepare reports, presentations, and documentation with initiative and attention to detail.
• Coordinate faculty candidate visits across Cornell’s Ithaca and Cornell Tech campuses.

Skills

Written communication

Customer service

Teamwork & independent work

Executive support

Education

Associate’s Degree + 4–6 years experience

Bachelor’s degree (bonus)

Tools

Excel

Word

PowerPoint

Outlook

Job description

Chair’s Assistant, BCIS

About the Department of Information Science

The Department of Information Science, within The Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, examines the interactions between people and technology, how technology is shaping individual lives and social groups, and how the ways that people use new technology can shape new developments. Information Science currently has around 700 students enrolled among the three colleges for our undergraduate program and approximately 200 students in the graduate programs, split between the professional master’s (MPS) and PhD programs.

The Opportunity

Are you a highly organized professional who enjoys supporting leaders, coordinating complex projects, and helping talented teams succeed? The Department of Business Computing and Information Science (BCIS) is seeking a collaborative and proactive Chair’s Assistant to serve as a trusted partner to the Department Chair and a key contributor to the department’s administrative operations.

In this highly visible role, you will work closely with faculty, staff, university leaders, and prospective faculty candidates to support departmental excellence. From executive-level communications and faculty recruitment to academic promotion processes and team leadership, you will play a vital role in advancing the department’s mission and fostering an exceptional experience for faculty, students, and colleagues.

What You’ll Do

Executive Administrative Support & Department Coordination:

• Coordinate and manage communications and correspondence on behalf of departmental leadership.
• Draft and edit complex and confidential correspondence, including faculty offers, promotion letters, award nominations, and other sensitive communications.
• Organize faculty meetings, retreats, committee activities, and special departmental events.
• Prepare reports, presentations, meeting materials, and documentation requiring initiative, judgment, and attention to detail.
• Coordinate complex faculty candidate visits across Cornell’s Ithaca and Cornell Tech campuses.
• Manage travel arrangements and reimbursements for the Chair.

Academic Recruitment:

• Managing faculty search processes from posting through completion.
• Serving as a key resource to faculty search committees.
• Coordinating candidate visits, travel, and interview logistics.
• Managing records and workflows within Academic Jobs Online (AJO).
• Partnering with HR and faculty committees to ensure a seamless and welcoming candidate experience.
• Supporting relocation activities for newly hired faculty members.

Academic Promotions, Tenure & Faculty Leave Administration:

• Coordinate faculty reappointment, tenure, and promotion review processes.
• Compile and organize complex dossier materials and supporting documentation.
• Schedule and support promotion and tenure meetings.
• Manage sabbatical and faculty leave requests and maintain related records.
• Ensure accurate recordkeeping and compliance with university procedures.

Team Leadership & Staff Development:

• Providing coaching, training, and professional development opportunities.
• Managing performance, workload allocation, scheduling, and payroll approvals.
• Establishing best practices and standard operating procedures.
• Coordinating the hiring and oversight of student administrative employees.

Strategic Administrative Support:

• Assist with department-wide administrative operations and special projects.
• Serve as a resource for faculty and staff in the Director’s absence.
• Contribute to initiatives that strengthen departmental effectiveness and service excellence.

The Bowers College of Computing and Information Science is at the forefront of innovation, discovery, and education. As Chair’s Assistant, you will contribute to the recruitment and support of world-class faculty while helping shape the department’s future success. Help support the people, processes, and partnerships that drive academic excellence at BCIS.

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.

• Associate’s Degree and 4 years to 6 years of relevant work experience, or combined equivalent of education and experience.
• Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members.
• Demonstrated effective written communication.
• Excellent customer service skills and the ability to work in a team environment, as well as independently.
• Excellent written/verbal communication skills to independently compile data for and draft a variety of communications for Chair. Position requires the ability to organize, retrieve, format, and export data from multiple sources to develop adhoc and standard reports.
• Proficiency in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook is required.
• Demonstrates sound judgment. Must be able to understand, interpret, and apply relevant policies to position requirements.

It Would Be a Bonus if You Have Any of the Following

• Experience with systems, including AJO, Workday, KFS, and Concur
• Bachelor’s degree and executive level administrative experience with demonstrated success working in a complex, demanding and diverse environment.

Important Notes About Applying

• 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.
• This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement. For the first 90 days, the successful candidate will be expected to work fully on-site for onboarding and initial training. After that, employees typically perform this role on-campus 3 days per week and remotely 2 day per week.
• There is no relocation assistance available for this position.
• There is no visa sponsorship available for this position.

Rewards and Benefits

• This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement. For the first 90 days, the successful candidate will be expected to work fully on-site for onboarding and initial training. After that, employees typically perform this role on-campus 3 days per week and remotely 2 day per week.
• 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:

— Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. —

— Relocation assistance is not available for this position. —

University Job Title:

Administrative Asst V

Job Family:

Administration

Level:

E

Pay Rate Type:

Hourly

Pay Range:

$29.45 - $33.82

Remote Option Availability:

Hybrid

Company:

Endowed

Contact Name:

Brad Stock

Contact Email:

[e-mail]

Job Titles and Pay Ranges:

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

Union Positions

The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined in accordance with the rates in the respective collective bargaining agreement. To learn more about Cornell’s union wages, see Union Pay Rates.

2026-10-13