Executive Staff Assistant III, OVPRI

About The Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation (OVPRI) creates an environment that unifies and advances Cornell’s scholarship, research, and discovery through state-of-the-art core facilities, domain expertise, and partnership to enable innovation and impact. We leverage external funding and partnerships, enable interdisciplinary research, and ensure regulatory compliance. We collaborate to successfully translate and commercialize research through companies, startups, and entrepreneurship. OVPRI is committed to the goal of inclusive excellence. Learn more here: https://research-and-innovation.cornell.edu/.

The Opportunity

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation is seeking a dedicated and experienced administrative professional to provide high-level, confidential executive support to the Vice President for Research and Innovation (R&I) and manage administrative priorities and workflow of the Office. This role demands a strong customer service orientation, exceptional communication skills, excellent organizational and time management abilities, and a knack for analysis and problem-solving.

Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer, you will serve as a key liaison to internal and external stakeholders. Research & Innovation is a cross-campus unit with a university-wide scope that encompasses the Ithaca campus, Cornell Tech, and Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City and significant externally facing activities. You will handle highly confidential and sensitive matters, represent the VP and OVPRI, and coordinate closely with various offices and senior leadership across Cornell and with state and federal agencies, peer institutions, and private industry. Your initiative and professional demeanor will help foster the responsive and effective collaboration that is vital to our mission.

Key Responsibilities:

Executive Administrative Support

• Provide comprehensive executive support to the Vice President on a wide range of projects and tasks.
• Act as a liaison on sensitive and highly confidential matters, meeting with individuals on behalf of the VP.
• Manage complex calendar scheduling and workload for the VP, ensuring seamless coordination with internal and external audiences, including Advisory Boards and Board of Trustee meetings.
• Participate in the development and implementation of R&I and university strategies, procedures, initiatives, and special projects.
• Coordinate closely and routinely interact with offices of the president and provost, deans and senior leadership in Ithaca, Weill Cornell Medicine, and Cornell Tech. 
• Regularly interact and communicate with senior research officers of the Ivy+, directors of federal agencies, such as the National Academies, NIH, and NSF, and directors of scientific research boards, such as Brookhaven Labs.
• Interact with University Relations and Alumni Affairs and Development to support philanthropic activities, donor opportunities, and external engagement activities with both internal and external partners. 
• Facilitate and arrange national and international travel for the VP, preparing detailed itineraries and managing expenses.
• Coordinate and organize projects, including researching relevant topics, practices/policies, and precedents.
• Develop presentation materials, draft content, conduct research, and compile data for reports and executive summaries.
• Serve as staff secretary for the Board of Trustees Committee on Research and Innovation (CoRI), managing deadlines, coordinating meeting logistics, and preparing minutes and summaries.

Office Management

• Provide comprehensive support for the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, handling inquiries with tact, diplomacy, and confidentiality.
• Oversee daily administrative activities, improving processes and services to enhance efficiency.
• Proactively research and respond to inquiries independently, triaging and escalating requests, drafting and editing correspondence, and replying as appropriate on behalf of the VP.
• Coordinate and oversee multiple high-visibility events throughout the year, ensuring seamless execution.
• Serve as a key liaison for campus units in support of research and innovation, partnering with the communications team to disseminate division-wide information.
• Provide training, guidance, and mentorship to the Senior Admin Support and Events Coordinator.
• Serve as a senior executive support resource for the Chief Administrative Officer and three Associate Vice Provosts for especi