Assistant Director of Technical Programs and Student Life, Cornell Tech (NYC)

About Cornell Tech Cornell Tech is Cornell University’s groundbreaking campus in New York City that develops leaders and technologies for the AI era through foundational and applied research, graduate education, and new ventures. An initiative of New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s administration, Cornell Tech was founded in partnership with the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in 2012. Located on Roosevelt Island and operating in partnership with the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC), the growing campus includes five buildings. A total of more than 1,000 students are educated annually at Cornell Tech with 700 of those in Cornell Tech’s master’s degree and Ph.D. programs. Its startup programs have spun out nearly 120 new companies and more than 90 percent of them are based in New York City. Details on Cornell Tech’s overall impact on New York City and contributions to its tech sector, can be found here . Position Summary Reporting to the Assistant Dean for Graduate Education at Cornell Tech, the Associate Director of Technical Programs and Student Life is responsible for overseeing key operational aspects and serving as the primary contact for Cornell Tech PhD, and technical masters students which includes Design Tech students. The Associate Director also leads campus community-building through overseeing the implementation of large scale events including but not limited to Orientation, PhD Visit Days, Inclusive Events, and Recognition ceremonies. In this role, the incumbent will be an integral member of a collaborative team of colleagues who supports Cornell Tech PhD students including the Cornell Tech Chair of PhD Life, Assistant Dean of Graduate Education, Academic Affairs Coordinator, Student Life & Wellness Specialist, and graduate field assistants in the technical fields in Ithaca. Additionally, the Associate Director will work closely with Program Directors of the relevant masters programs, Studio team, and Career Management to support enrolled students. While position responsibilities vary, every member of our community is expected to foster a culture of belonging and a psychologically 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. Successful candidates will need to have and display the following competencies as part of this role:

• Communicates effectively
• Provides timely and helpful information to students and others across the organization
• Interpersonal savvy
• Relating openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people
• Collaborates
• Works cooperatively with team members and others across the organization to achieve shared objectives; Partners with others to get work done; Gains trust and support of others
• Optimizes Work Processes
• Identifies and creates the processes necessary to get work done; Separates and combines activities into efficient workflow; Seeks ways to improve processes
• Instills Trust
• Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position located at the Cornell Tech campus on Roosevelt Island in New York City. The candidate is expected to be available some evenings and weekends to implement student events. Currently, Tech staff work a hybrid schedule. Flexible work arrangements are subject to change. Visa sponsorship is not available. Starting salary range: $74,100 to $83,000 Essential Functions Include Events and Student Life
• 30%
• Develop and lead student support workshops to enhance student learning and community building
• Manage and coordinate the planning and implementation of student orientation, community-building events, inclusive events, prospective PhD student Visit Days, Recognition Ceremony, PhD research, and other events as needed
• Provide oversight and guidance on events led by other Student & Academic Affairs team members
• Serve as the point person for student club support. Create and implement student club leader training.
• Develop, oversee and enforce policies of student club events on campus
• Collaborate with graduation offices in Ithaca on annual commencement activities and communicate with graduating students
• Collaborate with campus partners such as Events, Facilities, and IT, to successfully organize campus events
• Evaluate and recommend long-term programming plans including benchmarking that take into consideration the growth of Cornell Tech, as well as Cornell University’s core value of creating a community of belonging
• Establish and allocate a budget for student events
• Develop and deliver presentations at student events in collaboration with other Tech departments and leadership Student Advising and Support
• 30%
• Provide ongoing regular support as lead point person to PhD and technical master’s students through office hours and email to answer student academic and co-curricular questions.
• Participate in long-range planning and strategy related to operations of Cornell Tech technical masters programs.
• Partner with the PhD Life committee and Program Directors to implement strategies to ensure that programs and services are delivered in a timely, efficient and effective matter; assessing effectiveness and determining what adjustments need to be made.
• Benchmark student programming in Ithaca and at other institutions to implement best practices to support Cornell Tech PhD and technical masters students.
• Advise students regarding difficult and/or sensitive situations.
• Identify students with specific needs and provide referrals when necessary.
• Develop and implement strategies to improve student experience of PhD and technical master’s students
• Hold office hours for admitted technical masters students before matriculation
• Develop and implement tools for data collection. PhD Student Support
• 5%
• Advise PhD students on sensitive situations and liaise with field in Ithaca, relevant university offices and relevant team members on campus
• Work with Registrar team at Cornell Tech and in Ithaca to plan PhD courses each semester
• Liaise with fields in Ithaca and Graduate School and ensure Cornell Tech PhDs take advantage of relevant offerings/resources (eg. inter-campus travel, etc)
• Develop solutions to issues facing students on the Cornell Tech campus. Master’s Student Support
• 15%
• Provide academic advising and ongoing regular support to technical students through weekly office hours and email to answer technical student academic and co-curricular questions.
• Provide clear and concise academic guidance to students about degree requirements, course selection, and academic policies in consultation with the Registrar and other members of Student & Academic Affairs.
• Develop and implement new, creative advising services that address the dynamic needs of students and faculty. Communication
• 10%
• Direct and implement proactive student communication across multiple platforms to inform students of events, policies, and announcements starting when students deposit, and ending after their graduation
• Supervise content developed by student worker for weekly Student & Academic Affairs Newsletter
• Oversee updates and maintenance of the Student & Academic Affairs website Leadership & Team Support
• 5%
• Recommend organizational processes, policies and procedures that streamline and improve the delivery of student services
• Represent the Student & Academic Affairs team in high level meetings alongside or in lieu of the Assistant Dean of Graduate Education
• Lead monthly meetings with representatives from student-facing teams to identify opportunities for collaboration and scheduling solutions that will benefit the student population •