Volunteer Program Coordinator

Obama Foundation; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 38,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Insurance

Paid time off

Retirement plan

Job summary

The Obama Foundation is seeking a dedicated Volunteer Coordinator for the Visitor Experience team at the Obama Presidential Center (OPC) in Chicago. This full-time, on-site role supports volunteer staffing for public programs and events, with a Thursday–Monday schedule and some evenings as needed.

You will onboard, train, and manage volunteers, track attendance and hours in Volgistics, and act as Supervisor-on-Duty when the Manager is away, driving engagement and seamless operations.

Qualifications

• Ability to work a Thursday through Monday schedule, with some evenings required.
• Experience with volunteers in non-profit, cultural, or public-facing settings is preferred.
• Strong communication and organizational skills with a service and team orientation.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily volunteer huddles and coach volunteers; act as liaison between volunteers and staff.
• Coordinate placement of volunteers for events and programs; train volunteers prior to placement.
• Maintain the Volunteer Database and scheduling tool (Volgistics) and update Volunteer Information Page as needed.
• Support onboarding and recognition programs for volunteers and ensure smooth floor supervision.

Skills

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Volunteer coordination

Tools

Volgistics

Job description

At The Obama Foundation, our mission is to inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world. We seek to build an active democratic culture where people are equipped and motivated to make change in the communities where they live, work, and play. Right here on the South Side of Chicago, we’re building a home for this vision, a global center for change with a range of opportunities - coordinated programming, community outreach events, educational moments, and more - that invite visitors from down the block or across the globe to turn hope into action.

Achieving our ambitious goals starts with an exceptional team built on our Hope to Action Values - Courage, Empathy, Integrity, Accountability, Community, Inclusivity, Pragmatism, Resilience, Imagination, and Hope. A Framework that anyone, anywhere, can use to build trust, activate participation, and expand opportunity in their community.

Purpose of the Role

As part of the Visitor Experience team, this role will be responsible for providing support for the Obama Foundation Volunteer Program at the Obama Presidential Center, focusing on volunteer staffing for public programs and other special events onsite or offsite.

This role supports a highly efficient volunteer life cycle by supporting onboarding and orientation processes, alongside accurate volunteer data management. The coordinator acts as the Supervisor-on-Duty when the Manager is not on site.

As the Coordinator, you will report to the Manager, Volunteers. The regular schedule for this position is Thursday through Monday, with flexibility required to support special events as needed.

Core Job Responsibilities

Floor Support

• Leads daily volunteer huddles.
• Provides feedback and coaching support to volunteers; serves as a key liaison between volunteers and Obama Presidential Center and Obama Foundation staff.
• Assists in the daily operation of the volunteer office and with other special projects as assigned.
• Acts as first point of contact for volunteers as they sign in each day, and is responsible for covering the Volunteer Office when the manager is on the OPC floor or offsite.

Program and Event Support

• Works with the manager and program staff to match special event and programming needs with appropriate volunteers. Provides input on placement of volunteers.
• Provides training sessions to all program and special event volunteers prior to placement.
• Act as onsite liaison and coach for all volunteers, focusing on those deployed for special event and program roles.
• Assists the manager in working with OPC staff to develop new volunteer opportunities in response to identified priorities

Administrative Support

• Assists the manager with training and volunteer recognition programs.
• Administrative support of Volunteer Database and scheduling tool (Volgistics).
• Assists with occasional updates to the Volunteer Information Page.

Key Deliverables / Outcomes

• Ensure all public programs, special events, and daily floor shifts are fully staffed with qualified, trained volunteers to meet visitor experience targets.
• Drive high volunteer engagement and retention.
• Maintain 100% accurate, up-to-date volunteer records in Volgistics, ensuring real-time reporting on attendance, hours, and training compliance.
• Streamline the onboarding and training pipeline to reduce the time between initial volunteer application and first active shift.
• Deliver seamless floor supervision and daily volunteer huddles.

Required Qualifications

• Ability to work a Thursday through Monday schedule, with some evenings required.
• Commitment to an inclusive, accessible, and diverse work environment; ideally experience in leading this environment in a customer-centered space, cultural institution, or an educational setting.
• Previous experience working with volunteers, in a non-profit, cultural, or public-facing setting.
• Ability to work with volunteers of all ages and backgrounds.
• Strong communication and organizational skills and a service and team orientation.

The pay rate for this role is $21.50/hour.

This is a full-time, in-person role based at the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park.

For an overview of our benefits package, including insurance, paid time off, retirement & more, please visit https://www.obama.org/careers/.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Foundation is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at [e-mail] if you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application.