Assistant Director, Operations and Events

University of Chicago•Chicago, IL

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Leadership Development Office (LDO) for MBA Programs oversees a portfolio of developmental programs at the Booth School of Business. This includes an experiential class (LEAD) required of Full-Time, Evening, and Weekend MBA students. Other program offerings for the LDO include classroom-based instruction, experiential workshops and events, managing student leadership roles, alumni speakers and panels, and coaching. The LDO supports students in all MBA programs (Full-Time, Evening, Weekend, and Executive MBA) and Specialized Masters programs (Masters in Management and Masters in Finance) at Booth. In the Leadership Development Office, Operations staff not only oversee the planning and execution of LDO events and programs, but manage communications, contribute to learning design, participate in program delivery, and coordinate team projects. The Assistant Director is mainly responsible for the implementation of LDO programs and events, including planning and scheduling, sourcing and reserving event spaces, managing logistics and marketing, communicating with participants, and tracking engagement. Additionally, this role will partner with program managers to identify programmatic needs and provide support as needed. This person will work with vendors, manage budgets, and support broad processes related to the functioning of the office. This particular role contributes to supporting the LEAD class. LEAD is a course that is required for all Full-Time, Evening, and Weekend MBA candidates before and during their first quarter at Booth. The course itself takes different forms for different groups of students, but LEAD in all its forms focuses on helping students strengthen their ability to develop as leaders through the Chicago Booth approach to learning from experience. Some evening and weekend hours will be required as part of supporting students’ LEAD experience. Team members supporting LEAD collaborate with Student Life, Academic Services, Alumni Relations, and other departments to ensure that the incoming student experience is successful. The role may also support the operations and logistics of other LDO offerings, including but not limited to leadership workshops, events, and retreats for Full-time, Evening, Weekend, and Executive MBA students and Specialized Masters students, as well as the LEAD Lab class for Full-Time student facilitators. This position is not eligible for employer-sponsored employment authorization.

Requirements

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree.
Managing large-scale projects.
Background with budget management.
Demonstrated proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
Learn new software programs.
Proven ability to thrive in and contribute to a dynamic team environment.
Outstanding verbal, written, and presentation skills, as well as organizational skills.
Excellent project management skills with attention to both detail and timeliness.
Work independently with little supervision; possess a self-motivated disposition; identify opportunities for improvement, and recommend effective changes.
Work on projects simultaneously, meet strict deadlines in a fast-paced environment with frequent interruptions.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively and diplomatically with diverse populations, including colleagues, as well as with students, faculty and corporate contacts.

Responsibilities

Plans and executes the operational needs for LDO events and programs, which includes planning and scheduling, managing contracts and relationships with external vendors, managing logistics and marketing, communicating with student participants, and tracking student engagement.
Tracks students’ progress in the required LEAD course, including enrollment, attendance, homework and makeup work completion, deferrals and exceptions, and final grades.
Maintains accurate and timely records in spreadsheets and systems; reconciles data with program requirements; communicates updates to students and program partners; and identifies discrepancies or issues needing resolution.
Supports class modules and program elements by collaborating with LDO colleagues to transfer learning goals into concrete tasks, which includes purchasing supplies, reserving rooms, ordering catering, tracking attendance, printing materials.
Carries out student-facing communication on behalf of the office, including developing recruitment and communication plans, creating effective and compelling marketing materials, responding to student queries, and evaluating the effectiveness of student engagement efforts.
Fulfills components of key processes related to the functioning of the office, such as program budget tracking and office space management.
Contributes to the management of our office locations, including the stocking of supplies and the maintenance of equipment.
In general, collaborates with other staff in a variety of ways to support the on-going success of classes and programming. This includes working closely with colleagues to carry out plans intended for improving systems and processes for individual programs and for the office as a whole.
Plans, schedules, and executes training exercises and workshops that support the learning of facilitators and participants.
Prepares program communications, including creating and coordinating dissemination of program materials.
Manages relationships with other MBA program and facilities staff to assure continuity in programs and priorities and logistical challenges.
Researches and develops curriculum, models, and best practices.
Performs other related work as needed.