Program & Project Coordinator

Bakar Labs; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Remote work up to 2 days/week

UC benefits

Job summary

Bakar Labs is seeking a Program & Project Coordinator to support energy and materials initiatives as we expand to a new incubator facility. You will help run fellowship programs, events, and campus partnerships with a small team.

Responsibilities include administering programs, managing events, and developing scalable processes and dashboards to drive impact across multiple stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in related area.
• Minimum 3–4 years of professional experience in program coordination, project management, or related field.
• Experience coordinating multi-stakeholder programs, events, or projects.

Responsibilities

• Program Operations & Administration – manages day-to-day coordination, tracks milestones, organizes schedules, and communications; identifies bottlenecks and improves processes.
• Events & Workshop Management – plans and executes in-person and virtual events, manages timelines, contracts, budgets, venues, and post-event evaluation.
• Partnerships & Campus Collaborations – serves as operational contact for industry partners and campus collaborators; tracks deliverables and coordinates joint activities.
• Fellowship Program Administration – oversees fellowship winners and grantees, tracks progress, and manages program reports.
• Project Management & Organizational Systems – maintains dashboards, templates, and documentation; supports leadership with reporting.

Skills

Organizational skills

Project management

Communication skills

Prioritization

Collaboration

Google Workspace

Asana/Notion/Monday.com

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

3–4 years relevant experience

Tools

Asana

Notion

Monday.com

Smartsheet

Job description

Salary range USD 80,500 - 140,000 / year

Departmental Overview

Bakar Labs is the consortium of biotech and climate tech incubators made up of four locations: Bakar Bio Labs at Berkeley, Bakar Bio Labs at UCSF, Bakar Labs for Energy and Materials, and the IGI-Bakar Labs Expansion.

Position Summary

As Bakar Labs for Energy & Materials expands towards opening a new incubator facility in mid-2028, the Program & Project Coordinator works closely with a team of three to provide entrepreneurship programming and recruit early-stage energy and materials companies for a pilot program. This position applies project management and analytical skills to oversee the day-to-day administration and execution of Bakar Labs for Energy & Materials initiatives, including fellowship programs, events, workshops, and campus/industry partnerships.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is: October 16, 2026. For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.

Responsibilities

• Program Operations & Administration - 35%
  Manages day-to-day operational coordination of Bakar Labs programs, including developing and maintaining program systems, tracking milestones and deliverables, organizing scheduling across multiple concurrent activities, and managing founder and participant communications. Proactively identifies operational bottlenecks and implements process improvements to enhance program efficiency and participant experience.
• Events & Workshop Management - 20%
  Leads end-to-end logistical planning and execution of in-person and virtual events including founder workshops, speaker series, demo days, and community gatherings. Owns project timelines, vendor contracts, budget tracking, venue coordination, and post-event evaluation; applies findings to continuously improve event operations.
• Partnerships & Campus Collaborations - 25%
  Serves as primary operational point of contact for industry partners, sponsors, and campus collaborators including schools, departments, research centers, and student organizations. Manages deliverable tracking, maintains partner records, and coordinates stewardship touchpoints. Develops and maintains organizational systems to support relationship management across a portfolio of external and campus partners; coordinates joint activities and ensures commitments are met on time.
• Fellowship Program Administration - 10%
  Manages operational administration of fellowship winners and grantees including building and tracking ongoing progress, support and introductions, and managing program reports. Develops and refines operational workflows to support program scalability.
• Project Management & Organizational Systems - 10%
  Maintains and continuously improves project management infrastructure including tracking tools, dashboards, status reports, and documentation systems. Develops standardized templates and operational playbooks to support consistent program delivery. Supports leadership with data organization and reporting for strategic planning purposes.

Required Qualifications

• Strong organizational skills and demonstrated ability to build and manage operational systems, workflows, and tracking tools across multiple concurrent programs and projects.
• Proficiency with project management methodologies and tools (e.g. Asana, Notion, Monday.com, Smartsheet, or equivalent); ability to develop and maintain project plans, dashboards, and status reports.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage competing priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with a high degree of operational autonomy.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with diverse audiences including startup founders, industry partners, campus collaborators, and university leadership.
• Experience coordinating operational logistics for programs, events, or projects involving multiple stakeholders and concurrent workstreams.
• Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with a wide range of internal and external partners including campus departments, research centers, and industry organizations.
• Ability to identify process inefficiencies and develop practical, scalable operational improvements and standard operating procedures.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace and common collaboration and productivity platforms.
• Ability to use discretion and maintain confidentiality with sensitive institutional, partner, and program information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with the startup, venture, or innovation ecosystem, particularly in deep tech, life sciences, or climate technology sectors.
• Experience working in a university or research setting, with knowledge of campus organizational structures and cross-departmental collaboration.
• Exposure to partnership management, sponsor relations, or external stakeholder coordination.
• Experience with CRM, community management, or constituent relationship platforms.
• Knowledge of UC policies and procedures or other large public institution administrative and operational practices and/or the ability to learn.

Education / Training

• Bachelor’s degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
• Minimum 3–4 years of relevant professional experience in program coordination, project management, or a related field.

Salary & Benefits

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted annual salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $80,000 - $140,000.

This is an exempt, monthly-paid position.

This is a full-time (40 hours/week) Career position eligible for UC benefits.

Other Information

This position is eligible for up to 2 days/week of remote work within the United States. Exact arrangements are determined in partnership with your supervisor to meet role responsibilities and department needs and are subject to change.

This is not a visa opportunity. This position does not include sponsorship of a new consular H-1B visa petition that would require payment of the $100,000 supplemental fee.

This position is covered by the collective bargaining agreement between UAW (United Auto Workers) and the University of California Regents for Research and Public Service Professionals (RP). More information is available at: https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/resources/employment-policies-contracts/bargaining-units/rp-research-and-public-service-professionals/contract/

Misconduct

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional 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; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

"Misconduct" Means Any Violation Of The Policies Or Laws Governing Conduct At The Applicant's Previous Place Of Employment, Including, But Not Limited To, Violations Of Policies Or Laws Prohibiting Sexual Harassment, Sexual Assault, Or Other Forms Of Harassment, Discrimination, Dishonesty, Or Unethical Conduct, 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

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.