PSiX Program Aide

Zymtronix Catalytic Systems Inc; City of Ithaca (NY); On-site; USD 69,431,000 - 76,764,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care options

Vacation & holidays

Tuition assistance

Employee discounts

Job summary

Cornell University in Ithaca, NY is seeking a Program/Extension Aide III to provide essential administrative support for the PSiX program. The role is a one-year, fixed-term, in-person position on Cornell's campus.

You will support the Director and Managing Director, manage calendars, coordinate travel and stipends, and assist with the Fellowship program and related communications.

Qualifications

• Associate degree and up to 2 years of relevant experience or equivalent.
• Administrative/office support experience is preferred.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Comfortable managing calendars, correspondence, and basic recordkeeping.
• Proactive communicator who can work independently on recurring tasks.
• Proficiency with MS Office and Google Workspace.
• Interest in higher education or research administration is a plus.
• Experience promoting inclusion and belonging in teams.
• Ability to build inclusive relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day administrative support to leadership: scheduling, correspondence, meeting prep, follow-up.
• Coordinate logistics for in-person events and virtual sessions: invites, tech setup, materials.
• Assist with travel, procurement, stipends, and reimbursements; track expenses against budgets.
• Maintain and update websites and digital presences as requested.
• Maintain fellowship records: applications, offers, acceptance docs, rosters, cohort files.
• Support processing of stipends and travel reimbursements; track grant expenses.
• Manage task lists and calendars; flag upcoming deadlines.
• Assist with surveys and feedback collection; support communications and reporting.
• Serve as liaison with broader PSiX staff and partners; share updates and priorities.

Education

Associate degree

2 years experience

Tools

MS Office

Google Workspace

Job description

Cornell Human Ecology explores the complexity of human life. We bring together a wide range of perspectives to understand the full context of the human experience and improve lives at every scale, from cells to society. Our research and academic programs focus on the interaction of humans with their biological, economic, social and physical environments. Using Cornell's far-reaching extension network and the college's translational research methods, we deliver our findings directly to communities and families, ensuring that our work reaches those who need it most.

Established in 2025, the Purpose Science and Innovation Exchange (PSiX), currently incubated in the Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, is built on the simple yet powerful premise that the science of purpose can drive human flourishing. This effort is committed to rigorous and pioneering research and fostering an innovative ecosystem that accelerates the translation of purpose insights into real-world solutions. Our partnership with the Purpose Commons, and others is united in a common mission: dedication to transformative advancements in the science of purpose. By conducting rigorous research on purpose in life and accelerating its translation to individuals, organizations, and communities, we strive to catalyze an ecosystem that generates knowledge and empowers flourishing through purposeful living. PSiX aspires to be the preeminent global hub for purpose research and transformative discovery. PSiX advances the field of purpose science through research, translation, and community partnership. This role and related efforts are funded in part by a competitive grant from the Bezos Family Foundation.

What You Will Do

PSiX Program Aide will provide support the PSiX Director, Managing Director, and other team members, to broadly support PSiX operations, including helping keep the Translational Fellowship in Purpose Science running smoothly. This role works directly under the PSiX Director and Managing Director, handling the recurring administrative tasks in a strategic, proactive, and team-oriented approach.

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.

This is a one-year, fixed-term, in-person position based in Ithaca, NY on Cornell University’s campus. Annual renewal is possible contingent on available funding, work, and successful performance.

No visa sponsorship or relocation assistance are provided for this position. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in US without sponsorship. Employment will end upon the expiration of work authorization in the US. Continued employment in this position is subject to eligibility to work in accordance with US immigration laws.

Required Qualifications

• A ssociate degree and up to 2 years of relevant experience or equivalent combination.
• Some administrative, office, or program support experience is preferred.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Comfortable managing calendars, correspondence, and basic recordkeeping.
• Proactive communicator who can work independently on recurring tasks.
• Proficiency with standard office and scheduling software (e.g., MS Office/Google Workspace).
• Interest in higher education, research administration, or purpose science is a plus.
• Experience incorporating the perspectives of multiple communities.
• Experience modeling values that support inclusion, belonging, and wellbeing.
• Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members.

Position Responsibilities

PSiX Operating Support (45%)

• Provide day-to-day administrative support to the Director, Managing Director, and others: scheduling, correspondence, meeting prep, and follow-up.
• Assist with logistics for in-person convenings and virtual sessions (calendar invites, room/tech setup, materials distribution, RSVP tracking).
• Support travel and procurement, and the processing of agreements, stipends, honoraria, and travel reimbursements, and help the Director track expenses against the budgets.
• Assist with maintenance and updating websites and digital presences, as requested.

Support PSiX Faculty Fellows Program (50%)

• Maintain fellowship records — applications, offer letters, acceptance paperwork, rosters, and cohort files.
• Support processing of stipends, honoraria, and travel reimbursements, and help the Coordinator track expenses against the grant budget.
• Keep the Coordinator's task list and fellowship calendar organized, and flag upcoming deadlines proactively.
• Help administer fellow surveys and organize feedback for the Coordinator's review.
• Schedule, support, and manage key virtual or in person meetings related to the Fellowship.
• Support communications, promotions, and reporting related to the Fellowship, as requested.
• Serve as a liaison between the fellowship and broader PSiX staff and partners, including the Purpose Commons—sharing relevant PSiX updates, deadlines, and priorities with the Coordinator, and helping route fellowship needs to the right PSiX contacts.

Other Position-Related Responsibilities (5%)

• Participate in projects or other duties as assigned with occasional work responsibility falling above or below current classification.
• Completion of any university required compliance trainings.

Rewards & BENEFTIS

• 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: https://hr.cornell.edu/benefits-pay.
• 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.
• 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.

Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University’s heritage. We’re an employer and educator recognized for valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans, and Individuals with Disabilities.

University Job Title

Program/Extension Aide III

Job Family

Academic Support

Level

C

Pay Rate Type

Hourly

Pay Range

$24.30 - $26.79

Remote Option Availability

Onsite

Company

Contract College

Contact Name

Sheri Spencer-Chrisjohn

Contact Email

[e-mail]

Job Titles and Pay Ranges

• 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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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.

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EEO Statement

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Anti-Discrimination

Cornell University embraces diversity in its workforce and seeks job candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We hire based on merit, and encourage people from historically underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply. Consistent with federal law, Cornell engages in affirmative action in employment for qualified protected veterans as defined in the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and qualified individuals with disabilities under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations in accordance with applicable law.

About Us

Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery and engagement. With our main campus located in Ithaca, NY, Cornell's far-flung global presence includes the medical college's campuses on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Doha, Qatar, as well as the Cornell Tech campus located on Roosevelt Island in the heart of New York City.

We offer a rich array of services, programs and benefits to help employees advance in their career and enhance the quality of personal life, including: employee wellness, workshops, childcare and adoption assistance, parental leave, flexible work options.