Events Coordinator, Becker Friedman Institute

University of Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI) at the University of Chicago is seeking an Events Coordinator to support the Events Manager and Senior Manager, Events and Academic Programs. You will plan logistics for 80–130 events per academic year, including conferences, workshops, and seminars, and help with speaker travel, registration, and post-event follow-up.

Key duties include coordinating space, catering, AV, and transportation; managing contracts and vendor relationships;

Qualifications

• College or university degree in a related field.
• Experience coordinating events and vendor relationships.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Assist with event logistics: reserve space, hotel blocks, caterers, transport, AV, and registration.
• Manage vendor contracts and maintain relationships with service providers.
• Support on-site events including setup and breakdown.
• Coordinate weekly institute workshops and seminars.
• Draft logistics emails, book travel, and collect materials for speakers.
• Review event content with Communications and update as needed.
• Contribute to marketing and outreach across campus to engage students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
• Create event registration pages and maintain guest lists.
• Track expenses and prepare cost reports; implement improvements.
• Collect data for event evaluation and implement ideas with guidance.

Skills

Attention to detail

Confidentiality

Multi-project management

Budget management

Verbal and written communication

Organizational skills

Team collaboration

Higher education / nonprofit awareness

Diplomacy / customer service

Education

College or university degree in related field

Job description

Department

BFI - Events

About the Department

The Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI) works with the Chicago Economics community to turn its evidence-based research into real-world impact. BFI takes a unique approach to bridging the divide between academic researchers and decision-makers in the business community and government by translating and packaging the rigorous work of the Chicago Economics community into accessible formats, and proactively sharing those findings with relevant decision-makers and thought leaders around the globe. BFI is a collaborative platform serving the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, the Kenneth C. Griffin Department of Economics, the Harris School of Public Policy, and the Law School. For more information visit https://bfi.uchicago.edu.

Job Summary

The Events Coordinator works closely with the Events Manager and Senior Manager, Events and Academic Programs at the Becker Friedman Institute for Economics (BFI) as a key member of the events team. This position provides professional support and plans logistics for a broad range of 80-130 events per academic year. These events include academic conferences, workshops, seminars, newsmaker events, summer programs and more.

Responsibilities

• Assists with the coordination of events, including reserving space and hotel room blocks, coordinating with caterers, arranging transportation, setting up audio/visual equipment, tracking registration, providing updates of attendance to the team, and preparing event materials.
• Manages contracts with vendors and works to maintain and improve relationships with service providers.
• Supports on-site events, including setup and breakdown.
• Coordinates logistics and catering setup for weekly institute workshops and seminars.
• Supports event speakers by drafting logistics emails, booking travel/hotels, collecting slides, coordinating meetings and activities, responding to on-site needs, and collecting feedback.
• Works with the Communications team to regularly review the accuracy of, and submit updates for, event-related content.
• Contributes to ongoing marketing efforts of BFI programs and events, including increasing outreach to other divisions across campus to engage their students, faculty, staff, and alumni in institute programs.
• Creates event registration pages and maintains guest lists.
• Assists with identification and resolution of event and program needs, including vendor selection and contract negotiation. Keeps track of all expenses, prepares reports on costs, using existing procedures to solve routine problems as they arise.
• 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

Certifications: ---

Preferred Competencies

• Attention to detail.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Work on multiple projects simultaneously, set priorities, and meet deadlines.
• Budget management skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Organizational skills
• Demonstrated ability to be an excellent team member.
• Understanding of higher education and/or nonprofit organizations.
• Diplomatic and customer service-based approach to interacting with colleagues and others.

Working Conditions

Work irregular hours, including occasional early mornings, late evenings, and weekends to staff BFI events.

Recruitment Process

The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.

Job Family

Communications

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Range

$55,000.00 - $65,000.00 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

Yes The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook .

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color,