James Patterson Honors Program, Program Coordinator for Events, Engagement & Marketing

Manhattan College; New York (NY); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Manhattan University seeks a Program Coordinator to design, run, and sustain the James Patterson Honors Program’s co-curricular life, including the Blue Circle events and signature cohort experiences. You will train Peer Leaders, oversee marketing and communications, and coordinate with Athletics, Residence Life, faculty, and Campus Events.

The role requires a Bachelor's degree and 2+ years in event planning or related fields, with strong writing, speaking, and organizational skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; master's candidates welcome to apply.
• 2+ years in event planning, student affairs, higher education programming, or marketing and communications.
• Experience supervising, training, or mentoring student employees or volunteers.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple events and deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Design, run, and sustain the JPHP co-curricular life, including events.
• Create and support execution of Blue Circle events and signature cohort events.
• Train and supervise Peer Leaders; maintain Handbook and conduct expectations.
• Develop and execute annual marketing and communications plan; manage channels.
• Coordinate cross-departmentally with Athletics, Residence Life, faculty and Campus Events.
• Track attendance, feedback, budgets, and donor relations at major events.
• Contribute to annual reports and program assessment.

Skills

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Project management

Organization

Social media knowledge

Evenings and weekends willingness

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Canva

CapCut

Email marketing platforms

Job description

The James Patterson Honors Program serves more than 400 students across all schools of the University. The Program Coordinator designs, runs, and sustains the program's co-curricular life. This includes the Blue Circle student experience, the Speaker Series, Trailblazer Sessions, Blue & White Events, and signature events for each cohort and class year. The Program Coordinator also trains and supervises the Peer Leaders and directs JPHP's marketing and communications.

Event Creation and Programming:

• Create and support the execution of the Blue Circle events, including the Speaker Series, Trailblazer Sessions, and Blue & White Events. This means developing original concepts, formats, themes, run-of-show plans, and materials, and refreshing them each year based on student feedback.
• Create a signature event for each cohort and class year and support its execution, building a deliberate four-year arc:
  • First-year students: orientation and "Welcome to the Blue Circle"
  • Transfer students: a welcome and connection experience
  • Sophomores and juniors: leadership, career, and industry-connection experiences
  • Seniors: capstone celebration and the JPHP Student Showcase
• Develop new programming ideas and pilot them with students and Peer Leaders, building a library of repeatable event models that can be sustained year after year.
• Support event execution from start to finish: venues, catering, A/V, guest and speaker coordination, registration, attendance tracking, budgets, and vendor payments.
• Coordinate with Athletics, Residence Life, faculty, advisors, and Campus Events so programming fits the Blue Circle framework and student schedules.
• Collect and analyze attendance and student feedback each term, and use the results to improve programming.
• Support the Executive Director with guest, donor, and partner relations at major events.

Peer Leader Training and Supervision:

• Recruit, select, onboard, and train Peer Leaders. Training covers event roles (check-in, attendance, book table, social media, Q&A), professionalism, and program knowledge.
• Maintain and update the Peer Leader Handbook, role descriptions, and dress code and conduct expectations.
• Schedule Peer Leaders for events and office needs. Give them regular coaching, feedback, and evaluation on professionalism, leadership, collaboration, community building, and program knowledge.
• Develop Peer Leaders' professional growth through reflection, LinkedIn and résumé support, and leadership opportunities.
• Coordinate with the Assistant Director on Peer Mentor and Peer Leader roles, timesheets, and student-employment procedures.

Marketing and Communications:

• Develop and carry out an annual marketing and communications plan for JPHP's students, families, faculty, prospective students, and the wider community.
• Manage JPHP's channels and keep them consistent: Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, GroupMe, Moodle, email, and the [e-mail] inbox.
• Direct the production of promotional content, including event reels, student spotlights, flyers, and photography. This includes managing student content creators, workflows, and the production tracker.
• Keep all materials consistent with the JPHP and Manhattan University brand standards.
• Route public-facing content through the Executive Director's approval process.
• Track engagement metrics and report on them each term.

Program Operations and Assessment:

• Maintain the program calendar, event files, and shared drives.
• Maintain and track the events and marketing budgets with the Executive Director.
• Contribute to annual reports, assessment, and donor and stakeholder reporting.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree. Candidates currently pursuing a master's degree in higher education, student affairs, communications, or a related field are welcome to apply.
• 2+ years of experience in event planning, student affairs, higher education programming, or marketing and communications. Graduate assistantships, internships, and significant student-leadership experience count toward this requirement.
• Demonstrated experience supervising, training, or mentoring student employees or volunteers.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple events and deadlines at once.
• Working knowledge of social media platforms and content tools (e.g., Canva, CapCut or similar video-editing software).
• Willingness to work some evenings and weekends.

• Deep knowledge of Manhattan University and the James Patterson Honors Program.
• Experience with graphic design, video editing, or email marketing platforms.
• Experience with budgeting, assessment, and data-informed program improvement.
• Familiarity with the Lasallian mission and values (community, relationship-centered education, inclusion), or a commitment to learning them.