Department Manager - AAP City & Regional Planning

The Opportunity

The College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP) at Cornell University is seeking a strategic, detail-oriented, and people-centered leader to serve as Department Manager for the Department of City and Regional Planning (CRP)-a department committed to advancing social and environmental justice through transformative education, research, and practice.

This is more than an operational role. We are looking for a seasoned administrator who thrives in complexity and has a deep passion for cultivating excellence-in systems, processes, and people. This individual will be an essential partner to the department chair, a trusted leader among colleagues, and a committed mentor to the administrative team.

Position Overview

The Department Manager plays a pivotal role in directing the daily and strategic operations of CRP. Working in close partnership with the department chair and AAP leadership, this person oversees financial stewardship, staff supervision and development, academic program support, and cross-departmental collaboration.

We are looking for a leader who:

• Excels at both high-level strategy and ground-level execution.
• Champions the growth and well-being of their direct reports.

• Navigates ambiguity with professionalism and integrity, and has the ability to toggle between big-picture thinking and detail-level implementation.

• Can catalyze positive change-even in challenging or entrenched cultural environments.

This position is an opportunity to make a lasting impact-not only on how a department runs, but how it thrives.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic and Operational Leadership - Guide the evolution of departmental processes, manage staff performance and development, and collaborate on faculty support and academic delivery.
• Financial Administration - Serve as the department's CFO. Lead budget planning, resource allocation, compliance, and financial analysis across a complex portfolio.
• Academic Program Administration - Ensure smooth coordination of courses, classrooms, and student support. Collaborate with cross-campus partners to optimize service to undergraduate and graduate programs.

• Cross-College Collaboration & Change Leadership - Cultivate partnerships with other AAP units, contribute to college-wide initiatives, and help lead culture change that enhances collaboration, transparency, and effectiveness. We are looking for someone who leads by example, acts with integrity, and genuinely cares about people and the power of planning to change the world.

• Facilities & Space Management - Work with college facilities staff to ensure CRP's spaces are safe, functional, and conducive to high-quality learning and research.
• Professional Growth & Flexibility - Contribute to college initiatives, develop professionally, and stay current with university systems and policies.

What You Bring

• A resume and cover letter submitted with your application.
• Bachelor's degree and 3-5 years of experience in administration, higher education, or a similarly complex organization-or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong leadership and people development skills-you value other's growth and develop your own tools as a leader, coach with empathy, and create an environment where people can grow and succeed.
• Demonstrated experience in data analysis, budget management, and/or financial forecasting.
• Fluency in business tools such as Microsoft Office; familiarity with database tools like Airtable or Smartsheet is a plus.
• Experience navigating change with sensitivity to organizational dynamics; you know how to bring people along while making progress.
• A commitment to equity, inclusion, and collaboration as foundational principles.

If you have all those things, great! We have a few more things that we would prefer you to have, but it's ok if you don't.

• Experience in higher education administration, particularly in a large, decentralized environment.
• Familiarity with Cornell systems (e.g., KFS, OBIEE, Workday, PeopleSoft) is helpful but not required.
• Ability to learn quickly and maintain a current understanding of university policies and procedures.

Why Join Us? This is a rare opportunity to join a mission-driven community that values creativity, inclusion, and impact. As Department Manager, you will shape systems that enable world-class teaching and research while building a stronger, more cohesive community of faculty, staff, and students.

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.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

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