Assistant Director, Programs and Events
University of Chicago
Summary
The Assistant Director, Programs and Events is a core operational member of the events team at the Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence (CAAI). The Assistant Director coordinates the logistics, registration, speaker support, and financial administration that keep CAAI's event calendar running across a full year of programming for students, alumni, faculty, and industry audiences.
Job description
The Assistant Director serves as the day-to-day administrator for the weekly AI Workshop seminar series and as the operational point person on event day, directing student workers and interns supporting logistics. Working with the CAAI communications team, the Assistant Director keeps event listings current and supplies the details, copy, and visual assets used to promote programming. The Assistant Director also documents and refines the operational processes behind events, registration, and speaker management so the team runs more efficiently over time.
Responsibilities
- Develops and implements annual program and event strategies aligned with CAAI's mission and priorities.
- Leads the planning, execution, and evaluation of all CAAI programs and events, providing strategic oversight of budgets, logistics, resource allocation, and operational effectiveness.
- Develops and manages relationships with external vendors, negotiates service agreements and ensuring alignment with program objectives, budget parameters, and institutional standards.
- Oversees event registration and attendee engagement systems, leveraging Eventbrite, Airtable, and related platforms to support data-driven decision-making and program assessment.
- Manages the annual CAAI programming calendar, coordinating with faculty, staff, and institutional partners to ensure effective planning, communication, and execution of initiatives.
- Serves as the operational lead for CAAI events, providing direction to student employees and interns, ensuring successful program delivery, and assessing outcomes through attendance and post-event reporting.
- Directs speaker engagement and logistics for CAAI programming, managing communications, travel arrangements, budget considerations, and overall speaker experience from confirmation through program completion.
- Administers and monitors program budgets, tracks expenditures, forecasts resource needs, and ensures compliance with institutional financial policies while supporting effective stewardship of funds.
- Manages the AI Workshop seminar series, overseeing scheduling, stakeholder communications, speaker coordination, and ongoing operational effectiveness throughout the academic year.
- Partners with communications and marketing stakeholders to develop and execute promotional strategies for CAAI programming, ensuring consistent messaging and alignment with organizational objectives.
- Represents CAAI in cross-functional planning efforts and collaborates with senior leaders, faculty, and external partners.
- Creates and oversees development of event branding, promotional materials, and visual assets that strengthen program visibility and maintain compliance with Booth brand standards.
- Analyzes program metrics and participant feedback to inform continuous improvement and future programming decisions.
- Identifies opportunities to enhance operational effectiveness by developing, documenting, and implementing process improvements related to event management, financial administration, stakeholder engagement, and program operations.
- Plans and schedules events, programs, and outreach.
- Coordinates event-day logistics, and performs other routine assignments with guidance from others.
- Compiles data to be used in event and program evaluation.
- Contributes to improvements by implementing ideas as they are identified, with general 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 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
Preferred Qualifications
- Education: Bachelor's degree.
- Experience: A minimum four years of experience in event coordination, program administration, or a related field.
- Higher education experience.
- Processing reimbursements or managing event-related expenses.
- Developing and documenting operational processes.
- Technical Skills or Knowledge: Hands-on experience with event registration platforms such as Eventbrite or Airtable.
- Demonstrated proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).
- Willingness to learn and optimize processes using approved AI tooling (Claude Enterprise).
- Proficiency with Canva or comparable design tools for event graphics and promotional materials as well as familiarity with website content management systems.
- Preferred Competencies: Outstanding verbal, written, and presentation skills, as well as organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Work independently with little supervision; possess a self-motivated disposition; identify opportunities for improvement and recommend effective changes.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively and diplomatically with colleagues, as well as with students, faculty, speakers, vendors, and corporate contacts across in-person, email, and phone communication.
- Professional demeanor, including tact, discretion, and a customer service-oriented approach.
Working Conditions
This position is currently expected to work a minimum three days per week in the office. Flexibility to work occasionally early mornings, evenings, and weekends for CAAI events, with increased frequency during the AI Enablement Summer Institute in August.
Requirements
- College or university degree in related field
- Knowledge and skills developed through < 2 years of work experience in a related job discipline
- Bachelor's degree
- A minimum four years of experience in event coordination, program administration, or a related field
- Higher education experience
- Processing reimbursements or managing event-related expenses
- Developing and documenting operational processes
- Hands-on experience with event registration platforms such as Eventbrite or Airtable
- Demonstrated proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook)
- Willingness to learn and optimize processes using approved AI tooling (Claude Enterprise)
- Proficiency with Canva or comparable design tools for event graphics and promotional materials
- Familiarity with website content management systems
- Outstanding verbal, written, and presentation skills
- Organizational skills and attention to detail
- Work independently with little supervision
- Self-motivated disposition
- Identify opportunities for improvement and recommend effective changes
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively and diplomatically with colleagues, students, faculty, speakers, vendors, and corporate contacts
- Professional demeanor, including tact, discretion, and a customer service-oriented approach
Benefits
- Health Benefits
- Retirement Benefits
- Paid Time Off
Company overview
The University of Chicago is a world-renowned private research university founded in 1890 and located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. As a premier academic institution, it operates one of the most comprehensive biomedical research enterprises in the United States through its Biological Sciences Division, which includes over 1,100 faculty members across 10 basic science and 14 clinical departments. The university manages extensive research infrastructure including the University of Chicago Medicine Comprehensive Cancer Center, multiple specialized research institutes, and maintains affiliations with Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. With research funding exceeding $450 million annually and more than 3,300 patents filed since 1987, the institution is a global leader in scientific discovery and innovation. The Biological Sciences Division alone supports over 500 research-active faculty who secure an average of $588,000 in NIH funding per principal investigator, focusing on areas including cancer biology, immunology, microbiology, molecular metabolism, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology. The university's commitment to interdisciplinary research and its unique position as manager of national laboratories creates unparalleled opportunities for translational research and scientific advancement.