Program and Event Specialist

Penn State University • Benner Township, PA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The College of Agricultural Sciences (CoAS) at Penn State is a world leader in agricultural research and learning, driving discovery and solutions that make life better. The Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center (RELARC) located along state Route 45 consists of 2200 acres and is integral to facilitating cutting-edge transformative agronomic and horticultural crop research as well as serves as a living laboratory for the teaching and extension missions of the college. As part of the RELARC, Penn State hosts the annual Ag Progress Days (APD) event, the largest outdoor agricultural exposition and educational event on the east coast with over 400 exhibitors and an attendance of over 45,000. Additionally, this site hosts the biannual Timber Show as well as a number of smaller events throughout the year. The College of Agricultural Sciences at Penn State is seeking a dynamic and experienced individual to serve as a Program and Event Specialist for the Ag Progress Days Office. Position requires advanced knowledge of event management, expertise in finance operation and will be responsible for coordination of various components of the exhibitions, overseeing business operations and providing administrative support to the APD Manager.

Requirements

• Be highly motivated, organized, and detail oriented.
• Have professional written and verbal communication skills.
• Have excellent interpersonal skills.
• Experience with event management including business administration and a teachable spirit.
• Must be able to work as both a member of a team as well as independently to support program and event coordination at the Ag Progress Days Facility.
• Experience and proficiency in SAP Concur, Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint/OneDrive/Teams) and Zoom.
• The development of skills to become proficient in the APD specialized vendor registration system.
• Associate Degree
• 2+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of AutoCAD is preferred.
• Agricultural experience is desired.

Responsibilities

• Develop event budgets, track expenses, and create reports within the master account system and process financial transactions using university systems such as SIMBA and SAP Concur
• Manage the exhibitor registration process, sponsorships, and donations using a specialized vendor registration system and track payment
• Develop official event program content, oversite of event promotion in print and digital formats using university systems such as Workfront and updating the APD website
• Schedule and coordinate use of APD facility and meeting spaces with internal and external groups year-round, executing indemnification agreements and facility reservation contracts following university policies
• Provide administrative support for the farm residences managed by CoAS by tracking payments and lease agreements
• Process part-time wage payroll employees in Workday
• Coordinate committee meetings, aid in agenda setting and recording minutes in support of program initiatives

Benefits

• Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.
• In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time.
• One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree