Program Coordinator, Office of Leadership and Strategy (OLS)

Association of American Colleges & Universities; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 65,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

AAC&U seeks a proactive Program Coordinator to support the Office of Leadership and Strategy. The role focuses on organizing leadership events, maintaining project plans, and coordinating cross-functional activities with colleagues across departments.

Ideal candidates will hold a Bachelor's degree with 2–4 years in higher education or related fields, and demonstrate strong communication, organization, and collaborative skills. Remote/hybrid arrangements are available.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 2–4 years of experience in higher education, event planning, or project management.
• Ability to work autonomously and collaboratively with high accountability.
• Professional written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with MS Office; experience with Monday, Basecamp, Box, Zoom and Teams.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate logistics for OLS leadership events, virtual and in-person.
• Develop and maintain project management processes and timelines.
• Provide administrative support: scheduling, recordkeeping, expense tracking, and grant reporting.
• Collaborate with marketing to promote OLS leadership development programs.
• Assist with planning, promotion, selection, and benefits of the K. Patricia Cross Awards.
• Travel to in-person conferences and events as needed.

Skills

Project management

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Autonomy

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Monday

Basecamp

Box

Zoom

Teams

Job description

Program Coordinator, Office of Leadership and Strategy (OLS)

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is a global membership organization dedicated to advancing the vitality and democratic purposes of undergraduate liberal education. Through our programs and events, publications and research, public advocacy and campus-based projects, AAC&U serves as a catalyst and facilitator for innovations that improve educational quality and equity and that support the success of all students. In addition to accredited public and private, two-year and four-year colleges and universities and state higher education systems and agencies throughout the United States, our membership includes degree-granting higher education institutions in more than twenty-five countries as well as other organizations and individuals. To learn more, visit www.aacu.org .

AAC&U seeks a proactive, professional, and organized Program Coordinator to provide programmatic and administrative support for the day-to-day work of the Office of Leadership and Strategy (OLS). In collaboration with colleagues, the Program Coordinator supports efforts to execute and grow OLS leadership programs. This position reports to the Vice President for Leadership and Strategy and works in close collaboration with the Senior Advisor for Strategic Initiatives, the Associate Director, and a Program Coordinator focused on the Advancing Public Trust in Higher Education (APT) initiative.

Duties and Responsibilities

These tasks include, but are not limited to:

• Support the cultivation of relationships with an expanding network of higher education leaders and event speakers, mentors, and attendees.
• Organize and execute logistics for virtual and in-person OLS leadership events bringing together college and university faculty and staff, coalition partners and funders.
• Develop and maintain project management processes, including creating timelines, executing strategies to meet project goals, tracking deliverables for colleagues, and providing input on how to make processes more efficient and effective.
• Provide administrative support for OLS leadership development programs and related projects, including scheduling meetings, recordkeeping, expense tracking, and grant reporting.
• Partner with the APT Program Coordinator to coordinate logistics for joint APT and OLS leadership development programs.
• Support data input and data integrity related to OLS networks and leadership development programs, including collaboration with database and finance staff to ensure procedures are up-to-date, are accurate, and support the needs of cross-functional teams.
• Collaborate with marketing and communications staff to promote OLS leadership development programs in timely, authentic, and appealing ways.
• Assist with planning, promotion, selection, and benefits of the K. Patricia Cross Awards.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Experience Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Two to four years of experience (or combination of experience and graduate education) working in higher education, event planning, project management, or other relevant experience.
• Ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively, while maintaining high quality and accountability.
• Demonstrated experience in project management, including attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
• Professional written and verbal communication skills.
• Familiarity and proficiency with using the Microsoft Office Suite, project management software (Monday, Basecamp), file sharing platforms (Box), and virtual communications platforms (Zoom, Teams).
• Professional experience and effectiveness organizing convenings and events.
• Interest in higher education in the United States and/or globally; understanding of the current landscape for liberal education a plus.
• Ability and willingness to travel to in-person conferences and events.

This is a remote/hybrid position. A reasonable rate of compensation for this position is between $65,000-$70,000.

AAC&U believes that a broadly diverse staff is critical to achieving excellence as a national higher education association. We seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. We are fully committed to equal employment opportunity and compliance with the full range of fair employment practices and nondiscrimination laws.