Administrative Assistant, Human Centered Design

About the Department of Human Centered Design & Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures

The Department of Human Centered Design (HCD) was created in 2021 to leverage existing strengths in Fiber Science & Apparel Design and Design & Environmental Analysis to form a preeminent department in Design. The department is governed by one Chair and spans two distinct academic programs, two graduate fields, and numerous areas of research. HCD also houses the Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures (CIHF), the first academic center in the country to combine hospitality, environmental design, and health policy and management into a broad-based platform to improve service in healthcare, wellness, and senior living. CIHF develops and supports educational programs, sponsors and disseminates research, and hosts events, allowing academic scholars, students, and industry professionals and leaders to share ideas and discuss topics of mutual interest.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a highly organized, proactive, and customer-focused Administrative Assistant to support our department and institute operations. In this dynamic role, you will serve as the first point of contact for students, faculty, staff, visitors, and external partners while helping ensure the smooth day-to-day functioning of a vibrant academic community.

The ideal candidate is a skilled multitasker who enjoys building relationships, solving problems, coordinating events, managing communications, and providing exceptional administrative support. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and take pride in creating positive experiences for others, we encourage you to apply.

What You Will Do

Administrative & Operational Support

• Serve as the front desk representative and primary point of contact for walk-in, phone, and email inquiries.
• Provide administrative support to faculty, directors, and program leadership, including calendar coordination and scheduling.
• Coordinate mail distribution and maintain departmental communication channels.
• Coordinate office, studio, and shared equipment inventories, including laptops, cameras, and other resources.
• Coordinate building access requests and card access permissions. Collaborate with Facilities staff to address maintenance needs and ensure effective office operations.
• Assist with meeting coordination, visitor accommodations, and departmental logistics.

Financial, Travel & Procurement Support

• Arranging domestic and international travel and processing travel reimbursements.
• Providing guidance on travel and expense policies and systems.
• Processing reimbursement requests and supporting departmental financial transactions.
• Coordinating purchasing and procurement activities for teaching, research, and departmental needs.
• Managing orders, invoices, shipping requests, and related documentation.
• Partnering with central service teams to resolve financial and procurement issues efficiently.

Event Planning & Coordination

• Reserving spaces and coordinating virtual event platforms.
• Planning and coordinating event logistics, catering, materials, registration, and on-site support for workshops, seminars, speaker events, board meetings, and special programs.
• Promoting events and ensuring guests, speakers, and attendees have a positive experience.
• Collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to support successful program delivery.

Communications & Social Media

• Maintaining and updating website content.
• Drafting newsletters, publications, announcements, and event communications.
• Managing social media channels, including LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
• Creating promotional materials for programs, events, and initiatives.
• Gathering stories and highlights that showcase the impact of faculty, students, and institute activities.
• Taking photos and supporting communications efforts at events.

If you're an organized professional who enjoys supporting people, building connections, and keeping operations running smoothly, we'd love to hear from you. Apply today with your resume & cover letter and help us create an exceptional experience for our community!

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 with at least four years of high-level administrative experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience in and/or demonstrated commitment to supporting diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and wellbeing.
• Demonstrated strong communication (written and oral), interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative and handle ongoing activities with minimal supervision while using sound judgment and paying close attention to details.
• Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot, adapt to and make recommendations for change/improvements as they relate to position responsibilities.
• Strong computer skills, particularly with Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Demonstrated positive work ethic and ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a team environment while managing frequent interruptions.
• The successful candidate will share an interest in the mission of the department and the institute and demonstrate a problem-solving mindset with ability to pivot with shifting priorities.

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

• Experience with InDesign and WordPress.
• Experience with HTML, Qualtrics, and Salesforce.
• Experience with PCard, eShop, I Want documents, and Cornell travel reimbursement system (Concur), or the ability to learn such systems quickly.

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 fully onsite on Cornell's main campus located in Ithaca, NY.
• There is no relocation assistance available for this position.
• There is no visa sponsorship available for this position.

Rewards and Benefits

• This position is fully onsite on Cornell's main campus located in Ithaca, NY.
• 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.
• Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.
• Relocation assistance is not available for this position.

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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

To learn more about Cornell's non-union staff job titles and pay ranges, see Career Navigator.

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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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