Temporary Program Assistant

University of Chicago•Chicago, IL

About The Position

The Program Assistant serves as the central, go-to resource for recruitment support and program administration across the unit's portfolio of non-degree and credential programs at the Harris School of Public Policy. The position will report to Lingyang Zhang, Associate Director of Credential Programs, and working closely with program staff, faculty and teaching assistants, graduate assistants, partner and employer organizations, and Harris and University offices supporting finance, procurement, travel, enrollment, and marketing. The position is structured approximately 60% recruitment and enrollment support for two new credential programs (AI and Increasing Government Effectiveness) and 40% program and event administration. Because programs operate in cycles, the emphasis shifts throughout the year: recruitment intensifies ahead of enrollment deadlines, while program-implementation and event-logistics tasks take precedence during delivery periods.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience required.
One year of experience in administrative coordination, program/event operations, recruitment, or a comparable role required.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities and shifting cyclical workloads.
High attention to detail and accuracy, particularly with financial and enrollment records.
Excellent written and verbal communication and a service-oriented approach with internal and external stakeholders.
Proficiency with standard productivity and communication tools (e.g., Microsoft Office / Google Workspace).
Discretion and sound judgment in handling confidential participant, personnel, and financial information.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Slate CRM, Oracle financials, and/or GEMS, or demonstrated ability to learn enterprise systems quickly preferred.
Experience in higher education, executive education, or professional/continuing education preferred.
Event-planning and logistics experience, including travel booking and vendor coordination preferred.
Familiarity with procurement and university financial and enrollment processes preferred.

Responsibilities

Own mid-funnel recruitment and prospective-participant conversion, complementing graduate assistants, who concentrate on higher-volume, top-of-funnel outreach.
Plan and coordinate recruitment and informational events, enabling the unit to rebuild an events calendar that has contracted in recent cycles.
Manage event operations in Slate, including participant and prospect registration, communications, and tracking.
Support alumni engagement and ongoing relationship management to strengthen referrals, repeat enrollment, and B2B pipelines.
Support business-to-business (B2B) follow-ups and support relationships with employers and partner organizations that drive enrollments.
Conduct and compile market research reports to inform recruitment targeting and program positioning.
Manage and grow the unit's credential-programs LinkedIn page as a channel for audience-building and engagement.
Coordinate catering: ordering, setup, and management of food, drinks, and snacks.
Secure teaching and meeting space.
Manage participant registration for in-person sessions.
Reserve lodging for participants and visitors as needed.
Book flight reservations.
Negotiate and manage hotel contracts and bookings.
Arrange ad hoc services as needed (e.g., translation/interpretation services).
Create invoices, including invoices to partners and to open enrollment participants funded by their employers.
Make and track payments in Oracle.
Track program revenue and expenses on a continuous basis.
Prepare regular financial reporting.
Initiate and track faculty payments.
Initiate and track teaching assistant (TA) hiring and payments.
Process and reconcile travel and expense reimbursements through GEMS.
Manage procurement and cultivate ongoing vendor relationships.
Coordinate contracts and related documentation — including partner agreements and vendor, data, and AI related contract — working with University legal as appropriate.
Apply sound judgment on data privacy and student-data considerations when handling contracts, vendor agreements, and participant information.
Help build and retain institutional knowledge of these process-heavy systems to reduce disruption from staff and GA turnover.
Manage scheduling across programs and stakeholders.
Issue proof of enrollment and program certificates.
Coordinate with the Bursar's Office when a payment does not remain in Slate.
Track participant satisfaction through post-program feedback and surveys, and compile results for reporting and program improvement.
Maintain and regularly update recurring administrative records and trackers.