Program Coordinator

University of California - Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara (CA); On-site; USD 40,432 - 44,331; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full Benefits

Job summary

The University of California - Santa Barbara is seeking a full-time administrative professional to assist in front desk operations and coordinate various scientific and educational events. The role involves providing exceptional customer service, managing logistics for meetings, and handling travel arrangements for participants.

Candidates should have a high school diploma or equivalent, along with 1–3 years of relevant experience in administrative support. Strong communication and customer service skills are essential. The position is based onsite in Santa Barbara with a comprehensive benefits package.

For more information, please refer to our hiring procedures.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• 1–3 years experience in an administrative, clerical, or operations role.
• Requires good verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide front desk operations and administrative support.
• Coordinate scientific, educational, and outreach events.
• Serve as the primary contact for visitors and staff.

Skills

Verbal and written communication skills

Active listening

Critical thinking

Multi-tasking

Time-management skills

Customer service orientation

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Tools

Word processing applications

Spreadsheet applications

Database applications

Job description

Job Information

Job ID: 87106

Location: UCSB Campus

Time: Full Time

Position Details

Position Number: 40073501

Payroll Title: BLANK AST 3 (004722)

Job Code: 004722

Job Open Date: 06/25/2026

Application Review Begins: 07/13/2026

Department: NCEA (CENTER ECOLOGICAL ANALYSIS)

Percentage of Time: 100%

Union Code: CX-Clerical/Admin

Employee Class: Staff: Career

FLSA Status: Non‑Exempt

Salary Range: The budgeted salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $29.35 to $32.18 per hour. The full salary range for this position is $29.35 to $42.06 per hour.

Work Location: 1021 Anacapa Street, 3rd floor, Santa Barbara, CA

Working Days and Hours: Monday–Friday 8 am–5 pm

Benefits Eligibility: Full Benefits

Remote/Hybrid: N/A (required to work from office)

Brief Summary of Job Duties

Under the general direction of the Business Officer, serves as a key member of the NCEAS administrative team by providing front desk operations, administrative support, meeting coordination, and travel and financial administration for Center activities. Acts as the primary point of contact for NCEAS visitors, residents, staff, vendors, and Working Group participants, delivering professional customer service while ensuring the efficient operation of the Center. Coordinates approximately 50 scientific, educational, and outreach events annually, including Working Groups, Distributed Graduate Seminars (DGS), and other meetings held both onsite and offsite, supporting approximately 750 national and international participants each year. Oversees event logistics, travel arrangements, visa documentation, participant stipends, reimbursements, and related financial transactions in compliance with University, sponsor, and funding agency requirements. Serves as a central resource for troubleshooting and resolving operational, event, travel, and facility‑related issues, requiring extensive knowledge of University and NCEAS policies, strong organizational and communication skills, and exceptional attention to detail. Maintains accurate administrative records and ensures timely and effective communication among NCEAS staff, leadership, faculty, project leaders, participants, external institutions, vendors, and other stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• 1–3 years experience in an administrative, clerical, or operations role
• Requires good verbal and written communication skills, active listening, critical thinking, multi‑task and time‑management skills.
• Strong customer service orientation.
• Thorough knowledge in administrative procedures and processes including word processing, spreadsheet and database applications.

Special Conditions of Employment

• NCEAS is located off‑campus in downtown Santa Barbara.
• Satisfactory criminal history background check.
• UCSB is a Tobacco‑Free environment.

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer. “Misconduct” means any violation of the policies governing employee conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC’s policies addressing some forms of misconduct: UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy, UC Anti‑Discrimination Policy, Abusive Conduct in the Workplace.

Job Functions and Percentages of Time

• 40% Front Desk Operations and Facility Coordination – Serves as the primary front desk representative for the organization, providing exceptional customer service to visitors, residents, staff, and vendors while ensuring the professional operation of the reception area. Responds to inquiries, directs visitors, manages incoming calls and correspondence, and maintains building access and security procedures. Coordinates facility‑related requests, assists with vendor access, and serves as a liaison between residents, staff, service providers, and the property manager. Acts as a key point of contact for building emergencies and facility issues, notifying the property manager and other appropriate parties as necessary. Acts as departmental safety person including AED maintenance and reporting. Supports the day‑to‑day operations of NCEAS by providing administrative and professional support to the Business Officer and other Executive Team members. Works collaboratively with the administrative student assistant to maintain and update office nameplates, resident biographies on the NCEAS website, and the lobby directory to ensure accurate employee information. Maintains current desk procedures and reference materials, assists with special projects, and performs a variety of administrative duties essential to the efficient operation of the Center.
• 30% NCEAS Working Group Meetings – Working closely with all Working Group leaders coordinates events for series of meetings held at NCEAS and off‑site. Schedules resources, drafts invitations to participants, and works with the working group leader in finalizing and sending out official invitations in a timely manner, obtaining agenda, arranging Director’s introduction, providing building keys and scheduling working group photo. Anticipates and facilitates event/participant needs. Before and during meetings, is the contact person for troubleshooting and resolving a wide variety of issues, requiring a thorough knowledge of UC and NCEAS policies and strong interpersonal and communication skills. Paying close attention to detail and accuracy, enters data accurately into administrative database, contacts project leaders and/or participants for additional information as necessary. Keeps Business Officer and all members of the NCEAS staff updated on logistics related to upcoming meetings. Works closely with Santa Barbara Travel Bureau to arrange travel for approved participants, approves final tickets and costs, addresses issues that arise with travel restrictions and/or cost related to schedules and/or locations. Blocks hotel rooms for events, confirms visitors’ reservations before hotel block expires. Notifies project leaders of reservation status. Updates the administrative database with information germane to planning events and center logistics. Collects, organizes and maintains reference materials to provide information on community resources, local events and travel to California destinations. Arranges lunch and dinner reservations as requested by NCEAS Directors or working groups, arranges local transportation such as rental cars and taxis. Identifies and reviews proper funding source to cover expenses of working group meetings.
• 30% Travel and Financial Administration – Serves as the primary coordinator for visitor, resident, and Working Group travel and reimbursement activities, ensuring compliance with University, federal, sponsor, and funding agency policies. Acts as the main point of contact for all travel‑related inquiries, providing guidance on travel policies, reimbursement procedures, visa requirements, stipends, and allowable expenses. Ensures that all required travel and visa documentation for foreign visitors is collected, reviewed, and maintained to facilitate timely reimbursement and compliance with applicable regulations. Coordinates travel logistics and financial support for Working Group participants attending onsite and offsite meetings, including customizing and distributing travel materials, processing participant stipends, preparing and submitting travel expense reports, and maintaining frequent communication with participants, their home institutions, and administrative staff. Reviews and processes reimbursement requests for UCSB employees through Concur, ensuring proper project and funding allocations. Collaborates with the Financial Analyst and Contracts and Grants Analyst to reconcile expenses, resolve discrepancies, and ensure compliance with funding requirements. Reviews invoices from travel agencies, hotels, and other vendors to verify charges, funding sources, and availability of funds, and prepares payment requests while securing required approvals and signatures. Processes entertainment expenses associated with Working Group meetings, ensuring compliance with applicable policies and funding restrictions. Inputs contract requests into Gateway and establishes new Purchase orders as needed. Assists with contract and invoice processing for DataONE I&R clients and works collaboratively with the Business Officer and IT staff to develop, maintain, and improve forms and processes related to travel reimbursement, stipend administration, and participant correspondence.

UC Vaccination Programs Policy

As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccinations Programs. As a condition of Physical Presence at a Location or in a University Program, all Covered Individuals must participate in any applicable Vaccination Program by providing proof that they are Up‑to‑Date with any required Vaccines or submitting a request for Exception in a Mandate Program or properly declining vaccination in an Opt‑Out Program no later than the Compliance Date. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements. For more information, visit University of California Policy on Vaccinations https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/5000695/VaccinationProgramsPolicy.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

Reasonable Accommodations

The University of California endeavors to make https://jobs.ucsb.edu accessible to any and all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact Katherine Abad in Human Resources at 805‑893‑4664 or email [e-mail]. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.