Event and Visitor Program Associate

Department

Climate Institute Events

About the Department

The University of Chicago Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth (ICSG) is a groundbreaking effort uniting faculty from across the University to advance society’s understanding of our energy and climate future. The Institute combines faculty insights in energy markets and policy, climate systems engineering, and energy technology to produce world-changing ideas while also investing in the next generation of energy and climate thinkers, leaders, and innovators through novel educational programs.

Job Summary

The Event and Visitor Program Associate will play a vital role in supporting the institute’s engagement with visiting scholars and researchers and will support a wide range of events, including academic conferences, seminars, and public events. Reporting to the Manager, Institute Events and Visitor Program, the Associate helps manage visitor travel, logistics and scheduling; event planning and execution; and serves as a key point of contact for visitors, vendors, and internal teams, ensuring seamless logistics and exceptional experiences for all stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Coordinates and supports visits from scholars, fellows, and researchers by arranging travel, scheduling meetings, and organizing campus activities.
• Works closely with the Human Resources Team to manage visa processes, ensuring a seamless onboarding experience for all long-term visitors.
• Partners with the Operations Team to allocate office space and maintains accurate visitor calendars in a timely manner.
• Collaborates with the Finance Team to collect, organize, and manage all required financial and legal documentation.
• Contributes to stewardship efforts by providing support to the Director of Development and Institute leadership, helping to maintain positive relationships with visitors and stakeholders. 
• Assists in drafting internal communications related to long-term visits and coordinates with the Institute’s communications team to help promote visitors within the Chicago climate/energy community.
• Assists with planning and executing Institute events, including reserving spaces, hotel blocks, coordinating with caterers, arranging transportation, setting up audio/visual equipment, tracking attendance, and preparing printed materials. 
• Provides onsite event support, including setup and breakdown, and responds to on-site needs of speakers and attendees. 
• Coordinates travel logistics for event speakers, including booking travel and accommodations, collecting presentation materials, and scheduling meetings. 
• Supports event promotion by working with the communications team to keep event content accurate and up-to-date. 
• Creates and manages event registration pages, maintains guest lists, and compiles data for event evaluation and continuous improvement. 
• Assists the Manager, Institute Events and Visitor Program, with the organization and execution of workshops, seminars, and other programming activities for the Climate Systems Engineering Initiative (CSEi), including support with managing venue reservations, attendee registration, and communication with speakers and participants. 
• Performs other related tasks as assigned to support the overall success of the Institute’s visitor and event programs.
• Tracks all expenses related to visits and events, prepares detailed reports on costs, and assists with invoice payments and expense reconciliation. 
• Collaborates with the Institute’s finance team to ensure compliance with financial documentation requirements.
• Executes day-to-day event logistics, and other moderately complex assignments with some guidance from others.
• Works to implement ideas for improvement as they are identified in addition to providing post-event feedback on turnout and vendor performance with direction from others.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, communications, public relations, marketing, hospitality management or related field is a plus.

Experience:

• A minimum of three years of relevant experience, such as event and/or conference planning.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to quickly learn, the internal workings of the University.
• Demonstrated skill and knowledge of Microsoft Windows suite, including Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Familiarity with CRM or event management software platforms such Cvent to streamline event planning, logistics, communication, and to manage event attendee data, track engagement and personalize communications.
• Knowledge of email marketing best practices, including creating effective email campaigns and using email marketing software such as MailChimp or Hubspot.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)

Job Family

Communications

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

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$65,000.00 - $70,000.00

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.

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