Events Coordinator, Becker Friedman Institute

University of Chicago•Chicago, IL

1d•$55,000 - $65,000

About The Position

The Events Coordinator is a key member of the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics events team, working closely with the Events Manager and Senior Manager, Events and Academic Programs. The role provides professional support and plans logistics for approximately 80–130 events per academic year, including academic conferences, workshops, seminars, newsmaker events, and summer programs. Under general guidance, the coordinator carries out operational activities related to the design, planning, and execution of events and programming.

Requirements

College or university degree in a related field.
Knowledge and skills developed through less than two years of work experience in a related job discipline.
Attention to detail.
Ability to maintain confidentiality.
Ability to manage multiple projects, set priorities, and meet deadlines.
Budget management skills.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Organizational skills.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively as a team member.
Diplomatic, customer-service-based approach to interacting with colleagues and others.
Ability to work irregular hours, including occasional early mornings, late evenings, and weekends to staff BFI events.

Nice To Haves

Understanding of higher education and/or nonprofit organizations.
Cover letter (preferred application document).

Responsibilities

Coordinate event logistics, including space and hotel room-block reservations, catering, transportation, audiovisual equipment, registration tracking, attendance updates, and event materials.
Manage vendor contracts and maintain and improve relationships with service providers.
Support on-site events, including setup and breakdown.
Coordinate logistics and catering setup for weekly institute workshops and seminars.
Support event speakers by drafting logistics emails, booking travel and hotels, collecting slides, coordinating meetings and activities, responding to on-site needs, and collecting feedback.
Work with the Communications team to review and update event-related content for accuracy.
Contribute to marketing BFI programs and events, including outreach to other campus divisions to engage students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
Create event registration pages and maintain guest lists.
Help identify and resolve event and program needs, including vendor selection and contract negotiation.
Track expenses and prepare cost reports, using established procedures to address routine problems.
Compile data for event and program evaluation and implement identified improvements under general direction.
Perform other related work as needed.