Administrative Assistant

About the Department

The Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences is home to world-class faculty, researchers, educators, and administrative professionals dedicated to advancing animal and human health through innovative research, teaching, and collaboration.

As part of Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine, the department recently united multiple academic areas under a shared vision, creating an exciting environment focused on growth, collaboration, and innovation. Our team is known for its supportive culture, strong employee retention, and commitment to helping every employee succeed professionally and personally.

The Opportunity

Are you an experienced administrative professional who thrives on keeping people connected, solving problems, and building relationships? Do you enjoy being the person others rely on to find answers, coordinate complex activities, and help a team succeed?

The Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences (BTS) within Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is seeking an Administrative Assistant to join our collaborative and supportive team. In this role, you'll provide high-level administrative and course support to faculty and departmental leadership while serving as a key resource for colleagues across the department.

This position offers an exceptional opportunity to work in a dynamic academic and research environment where your work directly supports teaching, scientific discovery, and advancements in animal and human health.

If you're someone who enjoys learning new systems, building strong relationships, and independently managing a wide variety of responsibilities, we'd love to hear from you.

What You Will Do

As an Administrative Assistant, you will:

• Coordinate and administer undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs, helping ensure courses and academic offerings run smoothly from planning through completion.
• Partner with faculty, students, teaching assistants, and university stakeholders to support course administration, curriculum processes, scheduling, grading activities, and academic program operations.
• Serve as a trusted resource for faculty by managing calendars, coordinating meetings, arranging travel, preparing correspondence, and handling a variety of administrative needs.
• Coordinate department seminars, welcoming visiting scholars and managing event logistics, communications, travel arrangements, and promotional activities.
• Help support special projects, departmental initiatives, events, and programs that advance the mission of Biomedical and Translational Sciences.
• Maintain departmental websites, databases, records, and communications to ensure information remains accurate, accessible, and up to date.
• Manage conference room scheduling, office operations, vendor relationships, supplies, and facilities-related processes that keep the department running efficiently.
• Build strong relationships across Cornell while serving as a go-to resource for faculty, staff, students, and campus partners.
• Exercise independence, sound judgment, and problem-solving skills to navigate competing priorities and deliver exceptional customer service.

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 2-4 years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to effectively interact with faculty, staff, students, and external stakeholders and respond to both routine and non-routine inquiries.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple priorities, projects, and deadlines while maintaining exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.
• Proven ability to work with minimal supervision, exercise sound judgment, make informed decisions, and appropriately escalate complex issues when necessary.
• Strong analytical, research, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with professionalism, discretion, diplomacy, and tact.
• Proven ability to coordinate activities and collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and stakeholders across departments and organizational units.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and the ability to quickly learn new technologies and systems.
• Self-motivated with a demonstrated commitment to continuous learning and process improvement.

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

• Bachelor's degree with 3-5 years or more of high-level administrative experience in an academic environment preferred.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating complex meetings, events, seminars, conferences, and visiting speaker programs involving multiple stakeholders is highly valued.
• Experience supporting academic programs, faculty affairs, student services, curriculum administration, or related educational activities.
• Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously and independently prioritizing work in a fast-paced environment.
• Advanced proficiency with Adobe Acrobat Pro, Qualtrics, Zoom, Eventbrite, SharePoint, Box, and other collaboration, event management, and survey platforms.
• Experience maintaining websites and online content using content management systems such as Drupal or WordPress.
• Experience performing mail merges, developing reports, creating spreadsheets, and utilizing organizational or project management tools.
• Familiarity with higher education administrative systems such as PeopleSoft, Canvas, 25Live, CLSS, Stellic, Gradescope, SETs, or similar enterprise applications.
• Demonstrated ability to learn new software systems and technologies quickly.
• Experience creating professional communications and event-related materials using Canva or similar design platforms is preferred. While not required, an eye for design and an interest in creating event and communication materials would be beneficial.

Important Notes About Applying

• A resume and cover letter 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 based in Ithaca, NY and is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement of three days on campus and two days remote. To support onboarding and initial training, the selected candidate will be expected to work fully on site during the first 30 days.
• Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
• Relocation assistance is not available for this position.

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.

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