Administrative Coordinator

Position Description

The Administrative Coordinator works in the Wond’ry, Vanderbilt University’s Center for
Innovation and Design, and is a key individual contributor who supports day-to-day
administrative and operational activities for the Wond’ry. Reporting directly to the Director of
Operations, the Administrative Coordinator serves as an initial point of contact for a variety of
internal and external constituents, including but not limited to students, faculty, Vanderbilt
alumni, industry collaborators, local businesses, and members of the broader innovation
ecosystem, creating positive interactions with all guests and constituents. This position also
serves as a primary point of administrative contact and liaison with faculty, staff, and other
offices on campus and requires a high level of skill in customer service, written and verbal
communication, and building relationships within and outside of the university. As a front-facing
representative of the Wond’ry, the Administrative Coordinator supports the Wond’ry’s external
communications across multiple channels, including tours, website, newsletter, social media,
and other outreach activities. This position also coordinates multiple activities in support of the
Wond’ry, including office and space operations, inventory, events, routine procurement,
meetings, and program support. The Administrative Coordinator is expected to be well-versed in
university policies and procedures and to contribute ideas and insights into improving the
Wond’ry’s workflow, communications, guest experience, and operational efficiency.

The Center’s hours are generally 9:00am – 6:00pm. Occasional nights and weekend days may
be needed. This is a student- and community-facing office and in-person position. Hours and
working arrangements have some flexibility during student breaks and summer semester. 

About the Work Unit: 

The Wond’ry is Vanderbilt University’s Center for Innovation and Design, where people and ideas come together to explore possibilities, solve meaningful problems, and create positive impact. Serving students, faculty, and staff across every college and school, the Wond’ry connects disciplines, perspectives, and communities through immersive learning to make innovation more accessible and actionable across the university and beyond. Through programs, resources, funding, mentorship, and hands-on experiences, the Wond’ry helps people develop ideas, build creative confidence, strengthen design and systems-thinking capabilities, and translate insights into action. Our work spans disciplines, sectors, and stages of the innovation journey—from early exploration and experimentation to developing and advancing new solutions. As an outward-facing, service-oriented organization, we seek collaborative, curious, and adaptable team members who bring diverse experiences and perspectives and are energized by helping others learn, connect, experiment, and make meaningful progress.

Key Functions and Expected Performance:

1. Front Office, Guest Experience & Outreach
a. Serve as the first point of contact for the Wond’ry, staffing the front desk and
providing a welcoming, professional experience for all visitors.
b. Triage inquiries received in person, by phone, and through the Wond’ry’s shared
email inbox. Provide information about Wond’ry programs, resources, events, and
opportunities.
c. Maintain a working knowledge of Wond’ry programs, events, resources, and
activities in order to accurately communicate information to students, faculty, staff,
external partners, and members of the broader innovation and Vanderbilt
community.
d. Lead tours of the Wond’ry for prospective students, partners, visitors, and other
groups.
e. Act as the Wond’ry’s ambassador at student organization events and other onand off-campus community events. Coordinate the calendaring of solicited events
and volunteers when needed.

2. Operations, Facilities & Event Coordination
a. Maintain a clean, organized, and welcoming environment across shared spaces
(outside of general maintenance provided by building services), including front
desk, meeting rooms, and common areas.
b. Monitor and restock inventory of office, breakroom, event, and swag supplies;
maintain inventory of materials and reorder as necessary.
c. Maintain accurate inventory records for Wond’ry computers, software, and other
assigned equipment and coordinate updates as needed.
d. Accept, process, and distribute deliveries and mail that arrive in the Wond’ry.
e. Prepare spaces for daily use and special requests, including furniture arrangement
and general upkeep.
f. Maintain the Wond’ry’s primary calendar of events, including making room
reservations and updating public calendar displays, including flyers and digital
signage.
g. Lead in the planning and execution of events, including reservations, space layout,
catering, supply coordination, and IT. Coordinate volunteers as needed.
h. Maintain assigned records of Wond’ry visitors, tours, outreach activities, and other
engagement activities in Airtable and other designated systems.

3. Financial, Procurement & Administrative Compliance
a. Act as primary purchase requestor for the department in the procurement of
routine supplies, equipment, and food/beverages using the appropriate
procurement method.

b. Process Wond’ry payments, reimbursements, purchase requisitions, and OneCard transactions through Oracle as assigned, in accordance with university
policies.
c. Maintain a thorough knowledge and understanding of university financial policies
and procedures related to areas such as travel, procurement, and business
expenses to ensure compliance and proper stewardship of university resources.
Keep staff and Wond’ry leadership up to date on relevant policy changes.
d. Serve as Guest Travel Coordinator to support all facets of guest travel on an asneeded basis.

4. Communications, Marketing & Digital Content
a. Produce the Wond’ry newsletter once monthly, including writing and editing
content, gathering and collating contributions from Wond’ry staff, selecting and
organizing relevant images and information, and managing recipient lists.
b. Update and maintain Wond’ry website content, including writing and editing routine
content and maintaining the accuracy and timeliness of program, event, resource,
and general Wond’ry information.
c. Support the Wond’ry’s social media presence by developing, drafting, and
scheduling routine social media content that promotes Wond’ry programs, events,
resources, opportunities, and activities and highlights the Wond’ry community.
d. Capture photographs and other basic visual content documenting Wond’ry
programs, events, visitors, spaces, and activities for use across social media, the
Wond’ry website, newsletters, presentations, and other communications.
e. Provide design support and creation, editing, organization, and management of
photographs, images, graphics, marketing materials, and other Wond’ry content
for social media, web, newsletter, and other communications.
f. Write, edit, format, and proofread routine Wond’ry communications and materials
for a variety of audiences and communication channels, maintaining a consistent,
professional, and engaging voice.
g. Maintain organized digital communications assets, including photographs,
graphics, templates, and other Wond’ry content, on the Wond’ry’s Box Cloud
account, Vandy Visions website, and other designated platforms.
h. Ensure communications and digital content adhere to applicable university brand,
accessibility, and communications standards.

5. Program, Data & Administrative Support
a. Assist staff and faculty with program setup and coordination.
b. Support onboarding and offboarding staff and students with Wond’ry technical
platforms, including Slack and Airtable, space, purchasing procedures, and other
operational knowledge shares.
c. Maintain annual compliance of system usage to keep administrative platforms
updated and financial records accurate.

6. Perform other duties as assigned
a. Support operational and administrative aspects of any of the following initiatives
based on available time and personal interests:
i. Corporate partnerships
ii. Professional development programs 

Supervisory Relationships: 

This position does not have supervisory responsibility. This position reports administratively and functionally to the Director of Operations of the Wond’ry.

Education and Certifications:
A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education is required.

Experience and Skills:

• One to three years of transferable experience is required, particularly in content creationor office management.
• Demonstrated celebration of and commitment to inclusivity, diversity, equity, and
  accessibility.
• Extremely well organized with excellent time management skills and the ability to handle multiple tasks at once successfully.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with an ability to interact fluidly with the many different
  individuals and organizations that will contact and work with the Wond’ry.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly, professionally, and engagingly with a variety of internal and external audiences.
• Content creation experience is preferred, specifically experience writing and editing
  content for digital communications, such as websites, newsletters, social media, or
  similar platforms, capturing and editing photographs for digital communications; and
  basic graphic design is preferred. An interest in developing professionally in these areas
  is necessary.
• Ability to learn and communicate information about a broad range of Wond’ry programs, resources, events, and opportunities.
• Experience navigating University policies and procedures, with a desire to expand and deepen their knowledge and experience.
• Proficient in office software tools (e.g., Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and
  comfortable learning and using software tools for communications, digital content, and office operations.
• Comfort with event logistics, including vendor coordination and day-of-event execution, is strongly preferred.
• Flexible with job expectations and schedule in an office that is on the cutting edge of
  innovation.
• Willing to jump in wherever needed with a solutions-focused mindset.
• Willingness to speak and engage with people is necessary.