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Temporary VersaWater Research Operations Coordinator

Cornell University
United StatesRemotepart_timeVerifiedPosted 19 Aug 2026
💰 $80,000/yr($60,000/yr$80,000/yr)

About the role

   

As a university founded to be a place where “…any person can find instruction in any study,” inclusion and belonging are at the core of our values and mission. We strive to be a welcoming, caring, healthy, and equitable community where students, faculty, and staff with different backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn, innovate, and work in an environment of respect, and feel empowered to engage in any community conversation. As a member of the Cornell University community, it is important to recognize our shared responsibility to each other to cultivate a culture of inclusion for all.  Cornell Core values 

As an individual contributor you will model and support a culture of inclusion, belonging, and well being and continually seek to understand how your role, behaviors, and actions impact the success of this culture.    

While position responsibilities vary greatly, the Skills for Success and Leadership Skills for Success are foundational to what is expected of every employee and leader working at Cornell.  These skills are essential for individual and organizational success. Staff Skills for Success; Leadership Skills for Success

Building on our 150-plus-year legacy as one of the nation’s preeminent engineering colleges, the Cornell Duffield College of Engineering is a purpose-driven, inclusive community committed to developing the knowledge, capabilities, and people needed to forge a better future. Comprising more than 10 schools and departments, we are rooted in Ithaca, New York, with a growing presence in New York City and a global network of alumni and collaborators. Guided by our core values, our faculty and staff regularly engage across disciplines and intentionally bring together a range of perspectives as they lead and support ambitious efforts to tackle societal challenges, develop the next generation of leaders, and make a meaningful difference in the world.

Project Description: This position supports a ~$5M initiative, funded by the National Science Foundation through its Convergence Accelerator program, to bring affordable, effective drinking water treatment technology to underserved small communities in the U.S. Known as the VersaWater project, the effort focuses its deployments in Puerto Rico and New York State. The NSF Convergence Accelerator program is designed to move research out of the lab and into real-world use, which aligns closely with Cornell's commitment to ensuring that research delivers positive societal benefit. Led by Cornell, VersaWater brings together a multi-institution consortium, including Syracuse University, the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico, and AguaClara Reach, to address one of the hardest problems in the U.S. water sector: making safe, reliable water treatment work for the small systems under 1,000 people that larger solutions have historically left behind.

The team combines technology deployment, hands-on demonstration plants, student engagement, funding and financing assistance, and hands-on training to support long-term, sustainable operation. A central goal is for the consortium to develop a successful, sustainable business model that allows this work, assisting small drinking water treatment systems, to continue well beyond the life of the grant. It's a collaborative, mission-driven effort at the intersection of engineering, community partnership, and public health.

Description of Duties: The Project Coordinator will assist in the day-to-day operations of the VersaWater initiative, working closely with the PI and Lead Project Manager. Responsibilities include:

  • Managing sub-awardee budget tracking, invoicing review, and gathering information for monthly and quarterly reporting to NSF
  • Assisting with maintaining project deliverable tracking and coordinating Cornell demo plant logistics
  • Supporting detailed scoping for the next $2M in funding
  • Assisting the PI and Lead PM with other project

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Cornell University

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