Program Coordinator | McGrath Institute for Church Life

University of Notre Dame•Notre Dame, IN

About The Position

The Program Coordinator is a key operational staff member within the McGrath Institute for Church Life, responsible for end-to-end conference and event management for the Notre Dame Center for Liturgy and the Notre Dame Office of Life and Human Dignity. Working in partnership with program directors, the role manages event operations, finances, and program delivery for grant initiatives such as Contours of Wonder and Compelling Preaching, as well as other Institute programming. The position involves financial and administrative coordination, vendor and partner communication, program logistics, and support for operational processes and technology. The coordinator plans and executes conferences, events, and cohort gatherings, coordinating with campus departments, venue directors, and external partners on contracts, menus, venues, and other needs. Responsibilities also include speaker travel, participant engagement, digital and print communications, on-site event coordination, post-event evaluations, financial reconciliation, and follow-up. The position supports grant-funded programs in collaboration with program directors and manages the Liturgy Network annual renewal process, including member information, payments, and the annual membership directory. The successful candidate independently manages multiple complex projects, anticipates needs, exercises sound judgment, communicates professionally, and collaborates effectively with colleagues and partners.

Requirements

Associate degree or up to 5–7 years of relevant experience.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Strong verbal and written communication skills, with accuracy, precision, and professionalism.
Ability to use experience and judgment for independent problem-solving.
Ability to interpret procedures and policies and communicate them to colleagues.
Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, shift between them, and independently address needs during planning and execution.
Ability to anticipate needs for programs months or more than a year in advance while meeting current needs.
Ability to discern which topics require team input and which can be handled independently.
Strong proofreading and editing skills.
Attention to detail.
Strong analytical, organizational, and financial stewardship skills.
Ability to exercise sound judgment, make proactive decisions, adapt, and collaborate.

Responsibilities

Lead financial and administrative operations for assigned program areas, including contract negotiation, BuyND procurement, invoice management, expense tracking, and budget allocation reporting.
Oversee program logistics and vendor relationships and communicate professionally with cohort members and partners.
Recommend event-management approaches, coordinate timelines, and identify opportunities to improve operational processes.
Support technology, project management platforms, and organizational best practices across the team.
Plan, coordinate, and execute conferences, events, and cohort gatherings from start to finish.
Coordinate contracts, menus, venues, and other event requirements with campus departments, venue directors, and external partners.
Coordinate speaker travel, participant engagement, and digital and print communications and mailings.
Serve as the on-site liaison for hosted conferences, overseeing registration, event logistics, and coordination.
Manage post-event evaluations, financial reconciliation, and follow-up activities.
Support grant-funded initiatives and other programming in partnership with program directors.
Manage the Liturgy Network annual renewal process, including sending renewal forms, updating member database information, processing and depositing payments, and creating the annual membership directory.