Conference Data & Operations Coordinator

Biola University, Inc.; La Mirada, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 30,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Biola University, Inc. is seeking a Conference Data & Operations Coordinator to lead the conference coordination and provide data-driven support for Conference Services.

The role emphasizes high-level client service, event scheduling, and contract preparation. The position involves coordinating reservations, drafting financial documents, recruiting student workers, and analyzing data to improve efficiency and revenue.

Qualifications

• Experience in conference services or event coordination.
• Strong data analysis and reporting skills.

Responsibilities

• Act as primary liaison for high-level clients and ensure contractual requirements are met.
• Oversee reservations, scheduling, and contractual preparation.
• Draft financial and legal documents for review by the Conference Services Manager and Associate Director.
• Recruit and supervise student workers and manage timecards and availability schedules.
• Analyze historical booking data to forecast occupancy and revenue for reporting.
• Maintain Starrez Conference and AudienceView systems and assist in operational lifecycle.

Tools

Starrez Conference

AudienceView Campus/Grad

Microsoft Excel

25Live

SQL

Job description

Conference Data & Operations Coordinator

The Conference Data & Operations Coordinator serves as the primary conference coordinating role while also providing supplemental analytical support for the Conference Services department. This role is responsible for leading the communication and customer service side of Conference services while utilizing data to optimize business operations.

Alignment with Theological Positions

The person who fills this position must be someone who personally agrees with Biola’s Articles of Faith and who is supportive of the positions taken by Biola as contained in its Statement of Biblical Principles and Eschatology Teaching Position. As such, this person may not speak against or act in a manner inconsistent with these positions during the course of their employment at Biola.

Essential Duties

Conference & Ticketing Coordination

• Act as the primary liaison for high-level clients, ensuring all contractual requirements are met with a high standard of service.
• Maintain quality working relationships across campus departments, acting as a representative of Conference Services for evening and weekend events.
• Oversee creation and confirmation of reservations from external guests; Oversight of event and conference scheduling, coordination and contractual preparation
• Perform administrative functions such as: emailing; mailing; billing; filing; answering phones, returning phone calls and emails
• Draft financial and legal documents, such as contracts and final bills, for the Conference Services Manager and Associate Director to review
• Assist in interviewing and hiring of student workers: posting openings, processing applications, updating availability schedules, ordering name badges and uniforms, updating handbook, and handling correspondence and reviewing timecards
• Train and supervise staff under direction of the Associate Director of Auxiliary Services.
• Provide administrative and analytical support to the Associate Director of Auxiliary Services for special projects and mission-critical initiatives
• Negotiate rental fees and conference rates based on data-driven pricing models and market benchmarks.
• Alongside the Associate Director of Auxiliary Services the Ticketing Department, assist in managing the Ticketing department by configuring events in AudienceView Campus/Grad and analyzing sales patterns to adjust staffing or marketing needs.
• Maintain and troubleshoot Ticketing hardware and software systems to prevent operational downtime.

Team Oversight

• Assist with the recruitment, hiring, and onboarding of student staff, utilizing data to determine optimal staffing levels for 24/7 summer coverage.
• Train and supervise staff on data entry best practices to ensure accurate reporting and professional client interactions.
• Manage student timecards and availability schedules, ensuring alignment with budgetary constraints.

Data Analysis & Strategic Reporting

• Analyze historical booking data, occupancy rates, and revenue trends to provide forecasting reports for the Associate Director of Auxiliary Services.
• Monitor and report on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) regarding summer office efficiency, student worker productivity, and ticket sales.
• Assist the Business Systems Analyst with Starrez Conference and AudienceView software to extract datasets, identifying opportunities for cost savings and revenue growth.
• Assist the Business Systems Analyst in strategic planning by creating data visualizations that illustrate departmental impact on the University’s long-term fiscal goals.
• Audit existing workflows to create modern, visual manuals and digital SOP guides for the Summer Conference Season and other departmental tasks.

Systems & Operations Management

• Assist the Auxiliary Services Business Systems Analyst as needed with databases, implementations, and inventories within Starrez Conference software to ensure data integrity and operational agility.
• Assist the Auxiliary Services Business Systems Analyst as needed with other software solutions on campus like Transact and Genea.
• Assist in the operational lifecycle of Conference Services; from initial reservation and data entry to the drafting of legal documents and final financial reconciliation.
• Draft Journal Vouchers and Journal Receipts, ensuring all financial data aligns with university auditing standards.

Other Skills

• Organization and communication skills are a must. Able to work under time and "people" pressure. Customer service oriented. Able to follow details of a project through to completion with little supervision. Self-motivated, conscientious, able to work independently. Able to speak and write with clear diction and grammar.
• Christian commitment compatible with the mission of Biola University.
• Verbal and written communication for understanding project requirements and explaining these needs to employees and third-party providers.
• Problem-solving abilities to correct any challenges or inefficiencies for the best results.
• Decisiveness and good judgment to address pressing project matters when time is limited.
• Organization and time management to manage multiple tasks, sometimes for multiple projects, at once.
• Leadership and motivation to guide student workers in making consistent progress.
• Goal-setting to set realistic deadlines and strategize daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly progress.
• Occasional medium - heavy manual labor during training of staff; carrying laundry, pushing dolly, and carrying ticketing equipment; walking to and from venues and residence halls (including stairs) on campus for tours, staff training, and various conference and event tasks; driving a golf cart.

Key Technical Proficiencies

• Software: Starrez Conference, AudienceView (Campus/Grad) and Microsoft Excel, 25Live (Advanced: Pivot Tables, VLOOKUPs, Data Visualization, SQL).
• Competencies: Financial reporting, contract administration, database management, and project lifecycle oversight.

Hiring Range: $22.40 - 25.00 per hour