Assistant Director, Office Management and Operations

University of Chicago•Chicago, IL

37d•$31 - $33•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Director of Office Management and Operations is the central point of contact and operational lead for the shared suite housing the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation. This role oversees day-to-day functions including front desk operations, procurement, vendor management, facilities coordination, and contract and payment processing. The position requires strong organizational skills, sound judgment, and the ability to collaborate effectively across both Centers. This position is not eligible for employer-sponsored employment authorization.

Requirements

Minimum requirements include vocational training, apprenticeships or the equivalent experience in related field (not typically required to have a four-year degree).
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
Demonstrated proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree.
A minimum three years of experience in office operations and/or management or event coordination.
Familiarity with Oracle Cloud ERP, Concur/GEMS, Airtable, Box, and Slack.
Familiarity with vendor onboarding, procurement, payment processing, and office operations workflows.
Outstanding verbal, written, and presentation skills, as well as organizational skills.
Work independently with little supervision; possess a self-motivated disposition; identify opportunities for improvement and recommend effective changes, all while Exceptional interpersonal skills and communicate clearly and professionally with diverse constituencies, including students, staff, faculty, and vendors, in a fast-paced, professional environment.
Proven ability to organize and prioritize multiple tasks, collaborate across departmental teams, and deliver high-quality results on complex projects in a timely manner.
High degree of initiative, professionalism, and sound judgment in managing day-to-day operations and addressing unforeseen challenges.
Professional demeanor, including tact, discretion, and a customer service-oriented approach.

Responsibilities

Leads suite operations and administrative coordination, ensuring a highly functional, professional, and service-oriented environment; establishes processes that support efficient facility usage, resource allocation, and day-to-day operational continuity.
Orchestrates logistics for space utilization and shared services, including room scheduling, parking coordination, and audiovisual support for internal and external stakeholders; ensures consistency and responsiveness in service delivery.
Maintains oversight of workspace standards and facility readiness, ensuring shared spaces are consistently prepared, well-maintained, and aligned with organizational expectations; implements processes to support operational efficiency and user experience.
Coordinates with facilities and external service providers to manage maintenance requests and ongoing space improvements; monitors resolution timelines and ensures accountability in service delivery.
Oversees the end-to-end contract administration process for the Polsky Center, including submission, execution tracking, and compliance with institutional requirements; establishes and maintains vendor relationships and onboarding workflows across financial systems, such as PaymentWorks, Oracle, and SSOM.
Manages financial operations supporting programmatic activity, including the review and processing of purchase orders, payments, and reimbursements; ensures alignment with budget parameters and institutional policies for a range of stakeholders, including external partners and program participants.
Serves as a subject matter resource for expense management and financial procedures, advising staff on Concur/GEMS processes, travel policies, and Chart of Accounts (COA) usage; develops and delivers training to promote accuracy, compliance, and timely processing.
Directs procurement and inventory management for operational and programmatic needs, including vendor sourcing, quote evaluation, and supply chain coordination; maintains centralized tracking systems and ensures optimal inventory levels to support ongoing activities.
Partners with program and events teams to support execution of key initiatives, providing operational leadership for event setup, logistics coordination, and post-event breakdown.
Serves as a central point of contact and ambassador for the Centers, managing front-facing interactions and inquiries with professionalism; ensures consistent service standards and coverage through proactive scheduling and oversight.
Leads the recruitment, onboarding, and supervision of student staff, establishing expectations, providing training, and managing scheduling to ensure high-quality service delivery and representation of the Centers.
Facilitates operational governance and team coordination, including planning and managing recurring operations meetings, setting agendas, and tracking follow-up actions to drive accountability and execution.
Performs additional operational and administrative duties as needed, contributing to continuous improvement and the overall effectiveness of the Centers.
Prepare special reports and summaries, assists in managing daily operation of the office, and may assist in developing administrative goals and policies.
Maintains the leader's calendar.
Coordinates special projects as directed by the leader.
Prepares write ups for recommendations for operational and administrative problems.
Manages a portion of the leader's budget, monitoring and reconciling accounts.
Prepares financial and/or administrative reports.
Performs other related work as needed.