Senior IT Project Manager (CEMI)
Location: Ithaca (Main Campus) · Type: Full time · Posted:
2026-09-11 · Reference: WDR-00061065
Senior IT Project Manager (CEMI) Remote 2 Year Term
No Visa Sponsorship is available for this position.
This is a 2 year term appointment which may be ended or extended based on
organizational needs, funding availability, and performance.
About the Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative
The Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative (CEMI) is a multi-year
program designed to improve the experience of students, faculty, staff,
alumni, donors, patients, and partners by unifying and enhancing
administrative systems and processes across all Cornell University locations.
Its name CEMI is said as “See Me” because the focus is on you: the people who
use Cornell's systems and data to accomplish your goals.
What will you do:
The Senior IT Project Manager (CEMI) is responsible for leading large‑scale,
complex, and strategically important technology projects that support the
institution's academic, research, and administrative missions. This role
manages initiatives with broad campus impact, requiring coordination across
decentralized units, diverse stakeholder groups, and cross‑functional
technical teams. Senior IT Project Managers provide leadership throughout the
full project lifecycle—initiating, planning, executing, monitoring, and
closing projects—while ensuring that all work aligns with institutional
priorities, standards, and policies.
This position requires advanced project management expertise, strong strategic
thinking, and the ability to influence decision‑making across a wide range of
technical and non‑technical audiences. Senior IT Project Managers serve as
trusted advisors to leadership, mentor project staff, and contribute to
organizational project management standards and continuous improvement
practices.
Key Responsibilities
Project Leadership & Delivery
Lead large, complex, and high‑visibility IT projects from initiation
through implementation and closeout.
Develop and manage detailed project plans, schedules, milestones, and
resource allocations.
Drive execution and maintain accountability for project outcomes, ensuring
delivery on time, within scope, and within budget.
Resolve project issues and remove barriers through collaboration,
negotiation, and strategic decision‑making.
Assume program leadership responsibilities, guiding multi‑project
initiatives where a formal Program Manager role is not in place.
Stakeholder & Governance Management
Engage and coordinate with faculty, staff, administrators, and external
partners across diverse institutional units.
Facilitate governance processes, including steering committee updates,
decision‑making sessions, and executive briefings.
Build consensus among stakeholders with differing priorities and
expectations.
Foster strong relationships and maintain alignment between technical teams
and institutional leadership.
Scope, Schedule & Budget Management
Lead definition and management of project scope, ensuring proper
documentation and evaluation of change requests.
Develop and monitor project budgets, forecasts, and financial reports.
Proactively identify and manage dependencies, constraints, and
cross‑functional impacts.
Ensure project controls, methodologies, and documentation standards are
upheld.
Risk, Issue & Quality Management
Identify, assess, and mitigate risks and issues throughout the project
lifecycle.
Implement robust risk‑management strategies to minimize project
disruption.
Oversee project quality assurance to ensure technical and functional
deliverables meet institutional requirements.
Coordinate and support user acceptance testing, validation, and compliance
reviews.
Communication & Reporting
Develop communication strategies and project documentation, including
status updates, dashboards, presentations, and executive summaries.
Lead project meetings, facilitate discussions, and ensure transparency in
decision‑making and progress reporting.
Communicate complex technical information clearly to non‑technical
audiences.
Team Leadership & Collaboration
Coordinate and motivate cross‑functional teams, including developers,
analysts, engineers, and administrative staff.
Mentor, coach, and provide guidance to project managers, project
coordinators, and junior team members.
Support continuous improvement of project management practices and
contribute to PMO or organizational standards.
Vendor & Contract Management
Lead vendor selection, contract negotiations, and procurement activities
when applicable.
Manage vendor performance, ensuring deliverables and timelines meet
contractual expectations.
Project Closeout & Organizational Transition
Oversee project closure, post‑implementation evaluations, and
lessons‑learned documentation.
Ensure solutions transition smoothly to ongoing operational support teams.
Recommend process enhancements based on project outcomes.
Continuous Service Improvement (CSI)
Provide structured feedback and participate in efforts to refine project
management methodologies across the organization.
This is a 2 year term appointment which may be ended or extended based on
organizational needs, funding availability, and performance.
While position responsibilities vary, every member of our community is
expected to foster a culture of belonging and a 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.
What We Need
A resume is required for further consideration for this position. A
cover letter outlining your interest and how your experience and goals
align with the potential for mutual success in the role are strongly
encouraged for consideration. When applying through our system, please
remember to attach your application materials (Cover Letter and Resume)
in PDF format.
Required Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in information technology, business, project management,
or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and
experience.
5-7 years of project management experience, preferably managing IT,
software development, or web/technology projects.
Demonstrated experience managing multiple concurrent projects of varying
size, complexity, and scope.
Strong understanding of project management methodologies (e.g.,
Waterfall, Agile, Scrum, hybrid approaches).
Experience with requirements gathering, scope definition, scheduling,
resource coordination, and risk management.
Proven success leading cross‑functional technical teams in complex
organizational environments.
Advanced skills in communication, negotiation, facilitation, and
consensus‑building.
Proven ability to build relationships, facilitate collaboration, manage
stakeholder expectations, and lead teams without formal authority.
Ability to work effectively in decentralized, matrixed, or
higher‑education environments.
Strong analytical, critical-thinking, and problem‑solving skills, with
sound judgment and attention to detail.
Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage priorities, and adapt
to shifting organizational needs.
Proficiency with project management and collaboration tools (e.g., Jira,
Asana, MS Project, Smartsheet, Trello, Confluence, SharePoint, Teams).
Ability to cultivate and develop inclusive working relationships with
students, faculty, staff, and community members.
Preferred Qualifications:
Master's degree in a related field.
Project Management Professional (PMP), PMI‑ACP, Certified Scrum Master
(CSM), or equivalent certification.
Experience managing large‑scale IT projects in a higher‑education or
public‑sector environment.
Experience with enterprise systems, Identity Management, IT Service
Management or AI initiatives, custom software development, integrations,
cloud migrations, or infrastructure modernization.
Knowledge of higher‑education governance, accessibility standards,
research computing needs, and security/compliance frameworks.
Experience with vendor management, RFP processes, and contract oversight.
Application Information:
No Visa Sponsorship of any kind is available for this position.
No Relocation assistance will be provided for this position.
Rewards and Benefits
This position is based in Ithaca, New York, however, the successful
applicant may perform this role remotely anywhere within the United
States. Employees who work remotely may receive multiple W-2 Forms
depending on their work location. The New York Convenience of employer
guidelines require New York State individual tax reporting and withholding
for this position. Additional individual state income tax filings may also
be required if working temporarily outside of New York State. The
university reserves the right to modify, suspend, or terminate the remote
or hybrid work arrangement at any time.
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.
University Job Title:
IT Project Manager IV
Job Family:
Information Technology
Level:
G
Pay Rate Type:
Salary
Pay Range:
$104,157.00 - $127,302.00
Remote Option Availability:
Remote
Company:
Endowed
Contact Name:
Maria Avila
Contact Email:
[email protected]
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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
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The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined in
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2026-09-02
