Career Center Operations & Events Lead

Lake Forest College; Lake Forest (IL); On-site; USD 49,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Lake Forest College invites applications for a full‑time Operations and Program Coordinator within the Gorter Family Career Advancement Center (CAC). The role provides strategic oversight of CAC operations, leads the Career Ambassador student staff program, and manages logistics for major career events, reporting to the Senior Associate Director for Communication, Operations, and Data.

The position supports 100+ annual career programs, coordinates staff and student peer initiatives, and

Qualifications

• Two years or more of administrative and office management experience and/or background in event planning or higher education preferred.
• Strong administrative and project management skills required. Must be attentive to detail and able to thrive in a fast‑paced work environment while managing multiple projects and deadlines.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word and Outlook; experience with Excel, CRM systems, and Smartsheet preferred.
• Ability to work within established systems and create new ones where needed.
• Excellent problem‑solving and written/verbal communication skills.
• Team‑orientation and ability to provide exceptional customer service.
• Demonstrated supervisory skills, able to provide effective mentoring for students and new staff.
• Interest in supporting students, alumni, faculty & staff, and employers with diverse backgrounds and identities and commitment to the College’s values.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational leadership for office management and scheduling, designing administrative workflows and supervising front‑desk coverage to ensure seamless daily operations.
• Supervise and coach student staff to help them provide excellent customer service and coordinate work assignments into CAC operations and standards of service. Assist with recruiting, training, and supervising student staff members.
• Provide leadership and direction for the student peer resume review program, including facilitating training and leading project management for student peer advisors, consulting with career advising staff where needed.
• Oversee main office and Forester Career Closet operations, forecasting resource needs and coordinating the acquisition and organization of supplies to ensure seamless support for CAC initiatives.
• Coordinate and execute transportation logistics for programs or events as needed.
• Support CAC leadership team with administrative duties.
• Lead event planning process: collaborate with colleagues to clarify event goals, track event planning details, manage deadlines, and execute all planning processes, which may include scheduling facilities, catering, managing relationships with vendors and on‑campus partners, and event set‑up.
• Manage and optimize attendance reporting processes to support data‑driven event planning and evaluation.
• Lead front‑line engagement for current and prospective students and professionals, assessing needs and connecting them with the most relevant resources.
• Serve as point of contact for employers, facilitating job posting processes, and guiding them to appropriate campus partners and resources.
• Develop new communications and processes for triage where needed.
• Engage campus stakeholders to ensure operational continuity and alignment with CAC priorities.
• Manage, organize, and research information using online technology systems, such as Handshake, OneDrive, Slate, Smartsheet, and LinkedIn.
• Lead management of online employer approvals, job postings, applications, and account requests.

Skills

Administrative & PM

Customer service

Supervisory skills

Detail orientation

Tools

Handshake

OneDrive

Slate

Smartsheet

LinkedIn

Job description

Lake Forest College invites applications for a full‑time Operations and Program Coordinator within the Gorter Family Career Advancement Center (CAC). The role provides strategic oversight of CAC operations, leads the Career Ambassador student staff program, and manages logistics for major career events, reporting to the Senior Associate Director for Communication, Operations, and Data.

The position supports 100+ annual career programs, coordinates staff and student peer initiatives, and