Operations and Events Coordinator

Department

SING Polsky Administration - Biweekly 2

About the Department

Originally established at Chicago Booth in 1998, the Polsky Center has provided over two decades of venture support for students interested in entrepreneurship and robust training for students interested in pursuing a career in venture capital and private equity. In 2016, with a generous gift from University trustee and Chicago Booth alum Michael Polsky, MBA ’87, the Polsky Center’s mission expanded to include an additional focus on supporting all University of Chicago faculty inventors in commercializing their discoveries. This effort was further accelerated in 2022 with the launch of Deep Tech Ventures, a new initiative offering a suite of sector-specific accelerators and investment opportunities dedicated to translating deep tech innovations into startups that bring lifesaving, world-changing science and technology to market. The Polsky Center also supports local South and West Side community entrepreneurs and small business owners as well as University of Chicago alumni around the globe.

Today, the Polsky Center is a 60-person professional staff responsible for advancing all University of Chicago entrepreneurship and research commercialization innovation activities through the creation of new ventures and partnerships. By igniting a spirit of innovation and fostering connections that extend across the University, city, region and world, the Polsky Center enables more ideas to have a meaningful impact on society.

Third Coast Foundry is a new physical space in San Francisco for partner university-founded startups and teams traveling to the Bay Area. Designed to improve access to venture capital and networks on the West Coast without requiring startups to relocate, it provides opportunities for investors, alumni, and other partners to engage through meetings, events, and programming. At its core, Third Coast Foundry is a bridge between Midwest innovation and coastal capital.

Job Information

Job Summary:

The Operations and Events Coordinator plays a key front-of-house role at the Third Coast Foundry, a San Francisco base-camp for the leading Midwest universities in the Bay Area. This role ensures the space is welcoming, well-run, and aligned with Third Coast Foundry policies and procedures. The Coordinator focuses on day-to-day user management, operations, scheduling, facilities, event coordination, and other administrative functions. This person ensures users understand and follow guidelines, supports smooth daily operations, and helps execute events in the space.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as a welcoming presence for all visitors, partners, and users.
• Support user and event scheduling and coordination.
• Check in users, orient them to the space, and ensure adherence to guidelines and policies.
• Monitor use of the space and assist with conflict resolution over shared resources.
• Maintain a professional, inviting, and tidy environment at all times.
• Support management of interns and assist with operational and facilities coordination.
• Oversee day-to-day functionality of the space, such as supplies, room readiness, and basic tech readiness checks.
• Serve as a point of contact with building management and security for facilities needs, including maintenance tickets, cleaning, and security issues.
• Identify operational issues as they arise and escalate or troubleshoot as appropriate.
• Support implementation of formal procedures and checklists, such as opening/closing, visitor protocols, safety basics, and user guides, etc.
• Coordinate event logistics and planning with hosts to ensure smooth execution of events, meetings, receptions, partner gatherings, and other programming in the office suite or shared building amenity spaces.
• Support set-up and takedown of furniture and equipment as needed for gatherings and events.
• Assist with additional event needs such as room set-up, basic A/V checks, signage, and directing event flow.
• Provide onsite event support including check-in, wayfinding, and troubleshooting.
• Assist in building and maintaining a preferred vendor list and tracking basic usage metrics (users, events, partner categories).
• Provide regular operations updates to university leadership or other Third Coast stakeholders.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Competencies:

• Strong knowledge of operations and event coordination, including in-person events.
• Introduce and integrate operational best practices across disciplines and activities.
• Proven ability to work effectively independently, as part of a team, and across organizational structures.
• Outstanding written and oral communication, organization, time management, and interpersonal skills.
• Strong project management, creative problem solving, and conflict resolution skills.

Additional Responsibilities

Educations, Experience or Certifications:

Education:

• Associate’s degree required.

Experience:

• 1 to 3 years of relevant work experience.
• Background in event coordination, facility operations, higher education, university settings, customer service, or a similar professional field.
• Background working with venture ecosystem stakeholders, university students, faculty, or administrative teams is a plus.
• Prior experience in collaborative partnerships and supporting a variety of user needs.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

• Part-time position, approximately 18 hours per week, typically two days per week.
• Temporary appointment.
• Some manual labor, including supporting event set-up and takedown of furniture and equipment as needed.

Required Documents:

• Resume/CV

Job Family

Temporary Staff

Scheduled Weekly Hours

18

Drug Test Required
 

No

Health Screen Required
 

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
 

No

Pay Frequency

Hourly

Pay Rate Type

Hourly

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FLSA Status

Non-Exempt

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Pay Range

$32.00 - $35.00

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

This position is not eligible for benefits.

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.