Department
Harris International Partnerships & Executive Education Temp and Student Workers
About the Department
Job Information
Job Summary:
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.
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.
Competencies:
- Reliability & continuity — provides consistent, dependable coverage across program cycles.
- Adaptability — reallocates effort fluidly between recruitment and implementation as cycles demand.
- Collaboration — coordinates smoothly with program leadership, faculty, GAs/TAs, partners, and campus offices.
- Ownership — acts as the clear point of accountability for shared administrative tasks.
- Stewardship — handles financial and confidential data with accuracy and integrity.
Additional Responsibilities
Education, Experience, or Certifications:
Education:
- Bachelor's degree, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience required.
Experience:
- One year of experience in administrative coordination, program/event operations, recruitment, or a comparable role required.
- 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.
Technical Knowledge or Skills:
- 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.
Required Documents:
- Resume
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
Scheduled Weekly Hours
Drug Test Required
Health Screen Required
Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
Pay Frequency
Hourly
Pay Rate Type
FLSA Status
Pay Range
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
Posting Statement
The University of Chicago is an equal 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.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
- One year of experience in administrative coordination, program or event operations, recruitment, or a comparable role
- Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities and shifting workloads
- High attention to detail and accuracy, particularly with financial and enrollment records
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a service-oriented approach
- Proficiency with standard productivity and communication tools, such as Microsoft Office or Google Workspace
- Discretion and sound judgment when handling confidential participant, personnel, and financial information
- Experience with Slate CRM, Oracle financials, and/or GEMS, or ability to learn enterprise systems quickly
- Experience in higher education, executive education, or professional or continuing education
- Event planning and logistics experience, including travel booking and vendor coordination
- Familiarity with procurement and university financial and enrollment processes
What We Do
The University of Chicago is an urban research university that has driven new ways of thinking since 1890. Our commitment to rigorous inquiry and intellectual freedom draws pathbreaking scholars to our global campuses, where field-defining ideas are born that challenge and change the world. The University of Chicago has its main campus on Chicago's South Side and seven international campuses and centers throughout the world. Students can choose from 53 majors and 47 minors in the undergraduate College, with four divisions and seven professional schools for graduate study.
