Program and Events Coordinator

Illinois Humanities; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 56,000 - 59,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

401(k) with employer contribution

PTO and holidays

Job summary

Illinois Humanities, the Illinois partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, seeks a Program and Events Coordinator to support the planning and execution of public programs and events. This role acts as a bridge between program staff and the administrative team, ensuring seamless coordination and timely delivery across all phases.

Located in the Chicagoland area with a hybrid Chicago Loop office, the position requires on-site presence, travel within Illinois, and the ability to manage

Qualifications

• Experience with project management; ability to track deadlines and deliverables for multiple projects.
• Experience supporting live events and coordinating staff, vendors, and logistics.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office, SharePoint, and Adobe suite; Asana and Blackbaud a plus.
• Ability to think on your feet and ensure welcoming environments for participants.

Responsibilities

• Plan and coordinate programs and events, including reserving spaces, catering, equipment, and inventories.
• Draft and share event content, maintain calendars, registrations, and attendance records.
• Create staffing plans, act as on-site staff captain, manage Run of Show and vendor coordination.
• Support internal administrative workflows, invoicing, data entry, and cross-department collaboration.
• Participate in cross-departmental groups and perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Project management

Event coordination

Communication

Hospitality

Tools

Microsoft Office

SharePoint

Adobe Suite

Asana

Blackbaud

Job description

Program and Events Coordinator

Illinois Humanities

Status:Full-time / Exempt

Reports to:Senior Director of Public Engagement

Location:Chicagoland area

Illinois Humanities, the Illinois partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, is a statewide nonprofit organization that activates the humanities through free public programs, grants, and educational opportunities that foster reflection, spark conversation, build community, and strengthen civic engagement. We provide free, high-quality humanities experiences throughout Illinois, particularly for communities of color, individuals living on low incomes, counties and towns in rural areas, small arts and cultural organizations, and communities highly impacted by mass incarceration.

For more information, visitwww.ILhumanities.org

Position Summary:

The Program and Events Coordinator plays a crucial role in supporting the successful planning and execution of Illinois Humanities’ programs and events. Acting as a vital bridge between public programming and the administrative team, this position ensures seamless coordination, timely execution, and professional support throughout all phases of events and programs (with the exception of development-led events). This role is responsible for coordinating Illinois Humanities’ signature programs and events, including, but not limited to, People’s Salons, the Envisioning Justice Statewide Convening, One State, the Gwendolyn Brooks Youth Poetry Awards, the Odyssey Graduation Ceremony, and other public humanities programs and special initiatives as assigned.

The Program and Events Coordinator is responsible for ensuring staff, presenters, partners, vendors, and supplies are present, prepared, and in the right place at the right time. This “back of house” logistical coordination enables program managers and directors to focus on engagement with partners, audiences, and participants.

This position will require occasional travel within Illinois.

Essential Responsibilities:

Program Planning and Coordination (35%)

• Support program planning by implementing activities such as reserving event space, ordering catering and equipment, communicating with vendors, and maintaining inventories of materials and supplies.
• Collect and share event-related content (e.g., announcements, flyers, programs) with the Communications Team in a timely manner.
• Maintain internal and public-facing program calendars.
• Draft & send event reminders and follow-ups; process event registrations, maintain and share registration lists; maintain attendance records and complete event follow-up.
• Share post-event attendance data with program leads

Event Production (30%)

• Assist in creating and sharing staffing plans for public-facing events.
• Serve as on-site “staff captain” overseeing back-of-house staffing activities.
• Provide stage management and on-site vendor support during public events; ensure events run on time and coordinate presenters, performers, partners, and vendors.
• Support and execute Run of Show for public events; share Run of Show documents, site maps, and other necessary event information with staff; be present during events to answer questions and troubleshoot.
• Schedule and attend production meetings as needed before public events—with A/V providers, event managers, designers, partners, and other relevant parties—as requested by program managers or directors; track logistics before and during events.
• Support day-of logistics and on-site production needs.

Internal Administrative Support (Approximately 30%)

• Serve as a member of the Administrative Team and as a liaison for Statewide Programs, Public Engagement, and Teaching and Learning; ensure program and event workflows comply with internal and operational processes and policies.
• Prepare and process program and event invoices and expense vouchers.
• Supports database maintenance and assists in data entry projects.
• Respond to [e-mail] and route inquiries as needed.
• Maintain event planning tools (e.g., departmental Asana calendars).
• Manage supply lists and equipment needs; stock event supplies and maintain the event kit inventory.

Other (5%)

• Participate in cross-departmental working groups upon request.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Work Environment

This position is active and requires frequent physical activity in support of Illinois Humanities events and programs. The Program and Events Coordinator is expected to regularly lift, carry, push, and move event supplies, tables, chairs, signage, and other event-related items weighing up to 30 pounds. The role also requires frequent standing, walking, bending, reaching, and setting up or breaking down event spaces.

This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, and scanners. Employees are regularly required to talk, hear, see, and communicate effectively via computer.

Our Chicago Loop office is accessible. Work at off-site locations is required and those may not be fully accessible. Evening and weekend work is required based on the organization’s event calendar.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Illinois Humanities’ Chicago office is currently operating in a hybrid work environment with required in-office days and optional remote workdays each week.

Requirements:

Experience & Skillset:

Familiarity with Microsoft Office, SharePoint, and Adobe suite; familiarity with Asana and Blackbaud is a plus

Experience with project management; ability to track deadlines, deliverables, and needs for multiple simultaneous projects

Experience supporting live events; ability to think on your feet and make aligned decisions that support project goals

Ability to anticipate audience and participant experience and to prioritize a welcoming, supportive environment; experience in hospitality is a plus

Technical/production support for live events is a plus

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

The skills and experience needed to be successful in this job exist on a spectrum. Highly qualified and desirable candidates may not meet 100% of the skills and experience included in this description. We encourage all who are interested in this position to apply.

WHAT WE ARE OFFERING:

• The annual salary range for this position is $56,000 – $59,000
• Full-time employees are eligible for employer-provided health coverage (multiple plans offered at 80% employer paid premium for the employee), 401(k) (including an employer contribution), and other benefits
• PTO, including vacation time, available to all full-time employees
• Each full-time employee receives 11 paid holidays and 3 floating holidays annually

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Step one:All submissions will be reviewed, and the initial candidate pool will be formed after phone screenings. Not all submissions will make it into the candidate pool.

Step two:Candidates in the pool will take part in an interview with members of the Illinois Humanities Team via Zoom or in-person.

Step three: There may be additional rounds of interviews with the final candidates. Final candidates may be asked to provide additional information. Selection and placement of the final candidate will occur after these final rounds of interviews. Placement for this position is anticipated to occur in September of 2026. Once the final candidate has accepted their offer of employment, all other applicants will be notified of their status.

Illinois Humanities is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ qualified individuals based on individual merit. It does not discriminate against any individual with respect to the terms and conditions of employment based on that individual’s race, sex, age, religion, color, national origin, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, housing status, or any other non-merit factor protected under state, local or federal laws. Equal Employment Opportunity applies to all personnel actions such as recruiting, hiring, compensation, benefits, promotions, training, transfer, termination, and opportunities for training. Illinois Humanities is committed to a fair and equitable workplace where everyone is a respected and valued member of the team.

COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY:

To support public health efforts to reduce the risk of COVID-19, Illinois Humanities has adopted a policy that requires all staff and interns receive a complete COVID-19 vaccine based on the CDC’s current definition, which is subject to change. Employees must submit a full Record of COVID-19 Vaccination or have a fully signed Reasonable Exception approval by date of hire.