Events & Operations Specialist for Education Nonprofit

Chicago Education Fund; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 59,000 - 74,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

Retirement contribution

Generous paid time off

Paid leaves

Work-from-home day per week

Job summary

Chicago Public Education Fund is seeking an organized Associate for Events & Operations to manage calendars, staff events, and support cross-functional projects. You will handle data entry, budgeting, and donor/event logistics in Salesforce, while collaborating with leadership across Strategy, Development, and Finance.

The role emphasizes accuracy, service orientation, and willingness to learn Salesforce, with regular evening/weekend event commitments in downtown Chicago offices and partner

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in event coordination, administrative support, or operations.
• Strong organizational and project management skills; ability to manage multiple deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including with senior leaders, donors, and partners.
• Exceptional attention to detail in data entry, record-keeping, and budget tracking.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace or Microsoft Office.
• Sound judgment and discretion when handling confidential information.
• Collaborative, service-oriented approach across teams.
• Willingness to learn Salesforce and other data systems.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends for events.

Responsibilities

• Schedule calendars, arrange travel, and staff partner meetings.
• Provide day-to-day administrative support for organizational and donor events.
• Staff Senior Leaders at external events, organizing materials and follow-up communications.
• Create customized materials (decks, one-pagers, invitations, and other materials).
• Develop high-quality email drafts, meeting materials, and other correspondence for leadership.
• Project-manage the end-to-end event planning process for organization-wide events.
• Surface the team’s event and logistical needs regularly (daily, weekly, monthly).
• Prioritize event needs and communicate decisions to build trust and ensure the team feels supported.
• Execute prioritized event needs efficiently with clear communication.
• Lead event logistics for external meetings, ensuring smooth execution.
• Enter and maintain event attendance, RSVPs, and follow-up records in Salesforce.
• Track event budgets, vendor invoices, and payments with Finance.
• Handle purchase requests, receipts, and reimbursements.
• Keep shared trackers organized and current.
• Run regular data-quality checks to flag gaps or errors.
• Write and update simple process guides for data entry.

Skills

Organization

Project management

Communication

Attention to detail

Data entry

Budget tracking

Google Workspace

MS Office

Confidentiality

Collaboration

Salesforce

Evenings/weekends availability

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Chicago Public Education Fund is seeking an organized Associate for Events & Operations to manage calendars, staff events, and support cross-functional projects. You will handle data entry, budgeting, and donor/event logistics in Salesforce, while collaborating with leadership across Strategy, Development, and Finance.

The role emphasizes accuracy, service orientation, and willingness to learn Salesforce, with regular evening/weekend event commitments in downtown Chicago offices and partner