Program Coordinator, Entrepreneurship Education

University of Pennsylvania; Pennsylvania; Hybrid; USD 66,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Life, and Flexible Spending

Tuition benefits

Retirement plans

Flexible work hours

Job summary

University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School seeks a Program Coordinator to manage the day-to-day execution of entrepreneurship education programs in Philadelphia. The role supports Venture Lab programs, engages students and alumni, and ensures high-quality implementation and continuous improvement of co-curricular initiatives.

The position involves planning, coordinating multiple programs, and collaborating with Marketing, Operations, and IT.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 3-5 years in higher education, non-profit, or a similar environment with progressively responsible professional experience in program coordination, program administration, project coordination, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Interest in entrepreneurship and innovation and demonstrated ability to quickly develop knowledge of new subject areas, programs, and stakeholder communities.
• Demonstrated ability to independently coordinate multiple programs, projects, and priorities, manage competing deadlines, exercise sound judgment, troubleshoot routine issues, maintain strong attention to detail, and consistently follow through on deliverables.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate day-to-day execution of assigned educational programs and provide operational coordination to strengthen Venture Lab's Philadelphia-based portfolio.
• Develop annual work plans and timelines aligned with program goals; coordinate student and stakeholder engagement and supervise student leadership teams.
• Support program marketing requests and coordinate with Marketing for communications, timelines, and audience needs.
• Maintain program records, CRM data integrity, and prepare reports and KPI analyses.

Skills

Program coordination

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Project coordination

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Program Coordinator, Entrepreneurship Education &Programs

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer inPhiladelphia, is a world‑renowned leader in education, research,and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranksamong the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & WorldReport survey. Penn has 12 highly‑regarded schools that provideopportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education,all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach toscholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been rankednationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbeswho named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Posted Job Title

Program Coordinator, Entrepreneurship Education &Programs

Job Profile Title

Coordinator C

Job Description Summary

Wharton School Overview: Founded in 1881 as the world's firstcollegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University ofPennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas,driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. Withcampuses in both Philadelphia and San Francisco, Wharton has over850 staff, a faculty population of more than 235 renownedprofessors, and 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, anddoctoral students. Each year 13,000 professionals from around theworld advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education'sindividual, company-customized, and online programs. More than104,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaderswho transform business every day. Wharton is home to a dynamiccommunity of staff, bringing a wide range of skills, experiences,and perspectives. To learn more, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu.

The Program Coordinator is responsible for the day-to-day executionof assigned educational programs and provides operationalcoordination that strengthens the effectiveness of Venture Lab'sPhiladelphia-based programming portfolio. This position supportsassigned Philadelphia-based programs supporting students andengaging alumni, and will be the primary Coordinator to assumeresponsibility for new Philadelphia-based programs, supporting thesuccessful implementation, assessment, and continuous improvementof strategically important co-curricular initiatives.

Following established processes for assigned programs, the ProgramCoordinator develops annual work plans and timelines aligned withprogram goals; coordinates student and stakeholder engagement; supervises student leadership teams, and serves as the primaryoperational contact for students, alumni, faculty, reviewers, andexternal partners. The Coordinator supports program financialadministration, including expense tracking, policy-aligned budgetstewardship, and coordinating with Finance & Administration;maintains program records and CRM data integrity; collectsanalyzes, and reports program data and key performance indicators;supports donor stewardship through data and participant materialscollection, and preparing reports; assesses program performance andrecommends improvements; and implements approved operationalimprovements that enhance program quality, participant experience,and educational outcomes.

In addition to assigned program responsibilities, the ProgramCoordinator strengthens the operational capacity and visibility ofVenture Lab's Philadelphia-based programming portfolio bysupporting portfolio-wide reporting and data management,coordinating shared operational resources, and supportingcoordination between Programming and Marketing. Supporting theSenior Director, the Coordinator serves as a central point ofcoordination for program marketing requests, activities, timelines,and routine communications; communicates program priorities andaudience needs; facilitates effective collaboration; and provideshands‑on support for routine program marketing needs asappropriate. The position also coordinates with Operations, IT, andother functional partners and contributes to the development andimprovement of shared processes, organizational initiatives, andspecial projects that improve the effectiveness and consistency ofVenture Lab's Philadelphia-based programming.

This position is hybrid-eligible depending on business needs andevaluation of several factors. Student or alumni facing roles willrequire more in-person work some weeks than others. This positionis contingent upon continued funding.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 3-5 years in higher education,non-profit, or a similar environment with progressively responsibleprofessional experience in program coordination, programadministration, project coordination, or a related field, or anequivalent combination of education and experience.
• Interest in entrepreneurship and innovation and demonstratedability to quickly develop knowledge of new subject areas,programs, and stakeholder communities.
• Demonstrated ability to independently coordinate multipleprograms, projects, and priorities, manage competing deadlines,exercise sound judgment, troubleshoot routine issues, maintainstrong attention to detail, and consistently follow through ondeliverables in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience coordinating programs, projects, events, orinitiatives involving multiple stakeholders, including managingtimelines, logistics, communications, materials, scheduling, andfollow-up to support successful execution.
• Experience coordinating program marketing, communications, oraudience engagement activities, such as email communications,website content, newsletters, event promotion, or promotionalmaterials; familiarity with marketing principles and best practicesand ability to work effectively with marketing and communicationspartners.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain collaborativeworking relationships with students, faculty, staff, alumni,volunteers, external partners, and other stakeholders and tocoordinate activities and information across multiple departmentsor functional areas.
• Experience collecting, maintaining, analyzing, and reportingprogram and operational data, including tracking participation,outcomes, or other key program metrics; maintaining accuraterecords and documentation; and using information to support programassessment, planning, and continuous improvement.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills,including the ability to independently prepare clear andprofessional correspondence, reports, presentations, programmaterials, and stakeholder communications for a variety ofaudiences.
• Strong organizational and administrative skills, withdemonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective processes,documentation, calendars, and workflows that support efficientprogram operations.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and experience using orlearning enterprise technology platforms, databases, CRM systems,event or project management tools, and other business applicationsused to support program administration and operations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in entrepreneurship, innovation, venturecapital, startup ecosystems, experiential education, or a similarlydynamic participant-focused environment.
• Experience providing day-to‑day guidance, mentorship, orcoordination to student employees, interns, volunteers, or studentleadership teams, including assigning or coordinating work,providing direction, and supporting successful completion ofresponsibilities.
• Experience supporting program assessment and evaluationefforts, including tracking outcomes and key performance indicators(KPIs), analyzing participant or program data, preparing reports,and identifying opportunities to strengthen program delivery andparticipant engagement.
• Demonstrated commitment to delivering exceptional service andcreating high quality participant experiences, with the ability toanticipate needs, respond effectively to questions or concerns, andcontribute to a welcoming, professional, and engaging programenvironment.
• Experience monitoring program or event budgets, trackingexpenditures, reconciling expenses, processing financialtransactions, or coordinating other financial and administrativeactivities in accordance with established policies andprocedures.
• Experience using technology to coordinate programs, manageinformation, and improve workflows, including CRM systems, surveyplatforms, event management software, project management tools, orother enterprise applications.

A cover letter is preferred.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Wharton School

Pay Range

$65,628.00 - $68,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications,experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to therequirements of the position, and in alignment with salary rangesbased on external market data for the job's level. Internalorganization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements

Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer ismade. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to therequirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Pennoffers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health,dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and yourfamily's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spendingaccounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent careexpenses with pre-tax dollars.
• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuitionbenefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can gettuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are alsoeligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans tohelp you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, andSupplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on apre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investmentoptions through TIAA and Vanguard.
• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with asubstantial amount of time away from work during the course of theyear. This allows you relax, take vacations, attend to personalaffairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time withfamily-whatever your personal needs may be.
• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with GenworthFinancial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible familymembers) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of thecosts of long-term care services received at home, in the communityor in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, youwon't have to provide proof of good health or be subject tounderwriting requirements. Eligible family members must alwaysprovide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed tosupporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competingdemands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a widevariety of programs and resources to help you care for your health,your family, and your work-life balance.
• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides anarray of resources to help you advance yourself personally andprofessionally.
• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community,you have access to a wide range of University resources as well ascultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of theUniversity's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit ourarboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on atPenn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latestmusic or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the PennRelays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a memberof the Penn community, you're right in the middle of theexcitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of theseactivities for free.
• Discounts and Special Services: From arts andentertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find greatdeals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts andcultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admissionand memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoysubstantial savings on other goods and services such as new carsfrom Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movietickets, and admission to theme parks.
• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offercreative approaches for completing work while promoting balancebetween work and personal commitments. These approaches involve useof non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or jobstructures.
• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivableloan for eligible employees interested in buying a home orcurrently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used forclosing costs or home improvements.
• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligibleemployees on qualified expenses in connection with the legaladoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for upto two adoptions in your household.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.