Assistant Director, Office Management and Operations

Department

Booth Polsky Center: Operations

About the Department

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business is the second-oldest business school in the U.S. and second to none when it comes to influencing business education and business practices. Since 1898, the school has produced ideas and leaders that shape the world of business. Their rigorous, discipline-based approach to business education transforms students into confident, effective, respected business leaders prepared to face the toughest challenges.
Chicago Booth has the finest set of facilities of any business school in the world. Each of the four campuses (two in Chicago, one in London, and one in Hong Kong) reflects the architectural traditions of its environs while offering a state-of-the-art learning environment.
Chicago Booth is proud to claim:
-an unmatched faculty.
-degree and open enrollment programs offered on three continents.
-a global body of nearly 56,000 accomplished alumni.
-strong and growing corporate relationships that provide a wealth of lifelong career opportunities.
As part of the world-renowned University of Chicago, Chicago Booth shares the University's core values that shape the distinctive intellectual culture. At Booth, they constantly question and test ideas, and seek proof. This extraordinarily effective approach to business leads to new ideas and innovative solutions. Seven of the Booth faculty members have won Nobel Prizes for these ideas - the first business school to achieve this accomplishment. For more information about the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, please visit: http://www.chicagobooth.edu/.

Job Summary

The Assistant Director of Office Management and Operations, is the central point of contact and operational lead for the shared suite housing the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation, overseeing day-to-day functions including front desk operations, procurement, vendor management, facilities coordination, and contract and payment processing. This role utilizes strong organizational skills, sound judgment, and the ability to collaborate effectively across both Centers.
This position is not eligible for employer-sponsored employment authorization.

Responsibilities

• Leads suite operations and administrative coordination, ensuring a highly functional, professional, and service-oriented environment; establishes processes that support efficient facility usage, resource allocation, and day-to-day operational continuity.
• Orchestrates logistics for space utilization and shared services, including room scheduling, parking coordination, and audiovisual support for internal and external stakeholders; ensures consistency and responsiveness in service delivery.
• Maintains oversight of workspace standards and facility readiness, ensuring shared spaces are consistently prepared, well-maintained, and aligned with organizational expectations; implements processes to support operational efficiency and user experience.
• Coordinates with facilities and external service providers to manage maintenance requests and ongoing space improvements; monitors resolution timelines and ensures accountability in service delivery.
• Oversees the end-to-end contract administration process for the Polsky Center, including submission, execution tracking, and compliance with institutional requirements; establishes and maintains vendor relationships and onboarding workflows across financial systems, such as PaymentWorks, Oracle, and SSOM.
• Manages financial operations supporting programmatic activity, including the review and processing of purchase orders, payments, and reimbursements; ensures alignment with budget parameters and institutional policies for a range of stakeholders, including external partners and program participants.
• Serves as a subject matter resource for expense management and financial procedures, advising staff on Concur/GEMS processes, travel policies, and Chart of Accounts (COA) usage; develops and delivers training to promote accuracy, compliance, and timely processing.
• Directs procurement and inventory management for operational and programmatic needs, including vendor sourcing, quote evaluation, and supply chain coordination; maintains centralized tracking systems and ensures optimal inventory levels to support ongoing activities.
• Partners with program and events teams to support execution of key initiatives, providing operational leadership for event setup, logistics coordination, and post-event breakdown.
• Serves as a central point of contact and ambassador for the Centers, managing front-facing interactions and inquiries with professionalism; ensures consistent service standards and coverage through proactive scheduling and oversight.
• Leads the recruitment, onboarding, and supervision of student staff, establishing expectations, providing training, and managing scheduling to ensure high-quality service delivery and representation of the Centers.
• Facilitates operational governance and team coordination, including planning and managing recurring operations meetings, setting agendas, and tracking follow-up actions to drive accountability and execution.
• Performs additional operational and administrative duties as needed, contributing to continuous improvement and the overall effectiveness of the Centers.
• Prepare special reports and summaries, assists in managing daily operation of the office, and may assist in developing administrative goals and policies. Maintains the leader's calendar.
• Coordinates special projects as directed by the leader. Prepares write ups for recommendations for operational and administrative problems. Manages a portion of the leader's budget, monitoring and reconciling accounts. Prepares financial and/or administrative reports.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include vocational training, apprenticeships or the equivalent experience in related field (not typically required to have a four-year degree).

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

---

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree.

Experience:

• A minimum three years of experience in office operations and/or management or event coordination. 

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Demonstrated proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).
• Familiarity with Oracle Cloud ERP, Concur/GEMS, Airtable, Box, and Slack.

Preferred Competencies

• Familiarity with vendor onboarding, procurement, payment processing, and office operations workflows.
• Outstanding verbal, written, and presentation skills, as well as organizational skills.
• Work independently with little supervision; possess a self-motivated disposition; identify opportunities for improvement and recommend effective changes, all while 
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and communicate clearly and professionally with diverse constituencies, including students, staff, faculty, and vendors, in a fast-paced, professional environment.
• Proven ability to organize and prioritize multiple tasks, collaborate across departmental teams, and deliver high-quality results on complex projects in a timely manner.
• High degree of initiative, professionalism, and sound judgment in managing day-to-day operations and addressing unforeseen challenges.
• Professional demeanor, including tact, discretion, and a customer service-oriented approach.

Working Conditions

• This position is currently expected to work a minimum four days per week in the office.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)

The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.
When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Administration & Management

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Hourly

​
FLSA Status

Non-Exempt

​
Pay Range

$30.77 - $33.33

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.