Wharton School
Program Coordinator, Community Development, Venture Lab, Wharton School
Wharton School, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19102
Program Coordinator, Community Development, Venture Lab, Wharton School
The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023. Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play. The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more. Coordinator C Job Description Summary Founded in 1881 as the world's first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With campuses in Philadelphia and San Francisco, Wharton has over 850 staff, a faculty population of more than 235 renowned professors, and 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year, 13,000 professionals worldwide advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education's individual, company-customized, and online programs. More than 104,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. Wharton is home to a dynamic staff population representing a rich array of backgrounds, expertise, and cultures. To learn more, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu. The Program Coordinator, Community Development at Venture Lab is responsible for fostering an inclusive, vibrant, and engaged entrepreneurial community at the University of Pennsylvania. This position plays a key role in community building, event and program execution, partnership development, and operational logistics, all aimed at enhancing the student experience and strengthening relationships with key stakeholders. This role requires extensive collaboration with the Venture Lab program team, student clubs, faculty, external partners, and other Penn/Wharton departments to develop and execute high-impact programs and events. The Program Coordinator oversees all aspects of event curation, implementation, logistics management, and performance tracking, ensuring alignment with Venture Lab's mission, vision, and strategic goals. The Program Coordinator is responsible for cultivating relationships with student clubs, faculty, alumni, and partners to strengthen Venture Lab's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Acting as the liaison for student groups using Tangen Hall resources, the coordinator supports and promotes student-led initiatives, general body meetings, and club-hosted events that align with Venture Lab's goals. In addition, the role involves developing strategies to grow and manage Venture Lab's student membership initiative, including application processing and membership tracking. The coordinator also manages the recruitment, training, scheduling, and supervision of student workers to ensure efficient front-desk operations and professional handling of student inquiries. A core responsibility of this position is leading event planning and execution for key Venture Lab initiatives, including but not limited to the Entrepreneurship Expo, Joiners Fair, VC Pitch Night, Venture Lab Reunion, guest speaker series, faculty preceptorials, and community dinners. The coordinator curates and selects strategic events that align with Venture Lab's mission and available resources, managing the end-to-end lifecycle of events. The role ensures seamless event logistics, including on-site staffing, setup, and troubleshooting, with flexibility for morning, evening, and weekend events as needed. The Program Coordinator builds and maintains relationships with Penn/Wharton departments, external organizations, and corporate partners to drive engagement and support for Venture Lab initiatives. Working closely with faculty, alumni, and guest speakers, the coordinator helps curate meaningful experiences for students. Additionally, the position liaises with Penn/Wharton departments that host events at Tangen Hall, ensuring effective coordination and adherence to policies. The coordinator also oversees space scheduling and coordination using Venture Lab's scheduling software tools, ensuring an efficient and organized event booking process for campus partners. Managing the Venture Lab master event calendar is a key operational responsibility to ensure accurate scheduling and visibility across stakeholders. The Program Coordinator monitors event expenses, budget allocations, and vendor contracts, ensuring efficient planning and execution. The role also involves implementing data tracking systems to monitor attendance, student engagement, and event impact. Additionally, the coordinator develops and analyzes KPIs and performance reports to refine programming strategies. Overseeing the event request and approval process, streamlining workflows, and ensuring proper documentation are essential tasks. The role supports report preparation and impact assessments for Venture Lab's programs, tracking student participation, partnerships, and engagement metrics. This position is onsite at Tangen Hall in Philadelphia and requires flexibility to support the dynamic and impactful work of Venture Lab. The role reports to the Director of Operations and works closely with the Venture Lab program team in a highly collaborative environment that includes faculty, students, alumni, corporate partners, and external stakeholders. The role also includes performing additional duties as assigned to ensure the continued success of Venture Lab. Job Responsibilities Student Meetings & Events: Responsible for fostering an inclusive and engaged student entrepreneurial community at Penn. Strategically engage with student groups, build and maintain relationships between students, student clubs, and Venture Lab. Encourage and facilitate entrepreneurial student groups to host team meetings and events at Tangen Hall. Lead initiatives to support structured and unstructured interaction among students. Venture Lab Programmatic Events: Curate and manage event requests to ensure alignment with Venture Lab's mission and resources. Plan and execute organizational-level events such as Entrepreneurship Expo, Joiners Fair, VC Pitch Night, guest speaker series, and faculty preceptorials. Serve as project lead, collaborating with our programmatic team and the VL Student Board to maximize student participation and engagement. Manage the event request and approval process for external events hosted at Tangen Hall. Assess alignment with Venture Lab's mission and impact on community development. Follow a decision rubric/guideline, use best judgement, and escalate the decision when necessary. Provide logistical support for non-VL events, including room scheduling, security coordination, housekeeping, and vendor liaison. Oversee recruitment, training, scheduling, and supervision of student workers. Ensure smooth front-desk operations, provide in-person and phone support, and manage student-led tours of Tangen Hall. Train and mentor student workers in event support and community engagement responsibilities. Develop and manage student membership initiatives to enhance engagement, increase Tangen Hall utilization, and boost participation in Venture Lab programs. Strengthen strategic partnerships with student groups to support Venture Lab's broader programming goals and vision. Develop and implement data collection processes to track engagement, attendance, and other key performance indicators for reporting and analysis. Maintain organized records for donor reports, event impact assessments, and program evaluations. Other duties and responsibilities as assigned Qualifications Required Qualifications: Bachelor's degree and 3-5 years of relevant experience in program coordination, event planning, community engagement, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to handle multiple priorities and deadlines. Experience planning and executing events, including logistics, budgeting, and stakeholder coordination. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders. Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment. Willingness to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, as needed. Preferred Qualifications: Experience working in higher education, entrepreneurship, or startup ecosystems. Familiarity with CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce) and event management platforms. Background in student engagement, membership management, or volunteer coordination. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wharton School Pay Range Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization 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 is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job. University Benefits Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers
The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023. Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play. The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more. Coordinator C Job Description Summary Founded in 1881 as the world's first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With campuses in Philadelphia and San Francisco, Wharton has over 850 staff, a faculty population of more than 235 renowned professors, and 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year, 13,000 professionals worldwide advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education's individual, company-customized, and online programs. More than 104,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. Wharton is home to a dynamic staff population representing a rich array of backgrounds, expertise, and cultures. To learn more, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu. The Program Coordinator, Community Development at Venture Lab is responsible for fostering an inclusive, vibrant, and engaged entrepreneurial community at the University of Pennsylvania. This position plays a key role in community building, event and program execution, partnership development, and operational logistics, all aimed at enhancing the student experience and strengthening relationships with key stakeholders. This role requires extensive collaboration with the Venture Lab program team, student clubs, faculty, external partners, and other Penn/Wharton departments to develop and execute high-impact programs and events. The Program Coordinator oversees all aspects of event curation, implementation, logistics management, and performance tracking, ensuring alignment with Venture Lab's mission, vision, and strategic goals. The Program Coordinator is responsible for cultivating relationships with student clubs, faculty, alumni, and partners to strengthen Venture Lab's entrepreneurial ecosystem. Acting as the liaison for student groups using Tangen Hall resources, the coordinator supports and promotes student-led initiatives, general body meetings, and club-hosted events that align with Venture Lab's goals. In addition, the role involves developing strategies to grow and manage Venture Lab's student membership initiative, including application processing and membership tracking. The coordinator also manages the recruitment, training, scheduling, and supervision of student workers to ensure efficient front-desk operations and professional handling of student inquiries. A core responsibility of this position is leading event planning and execution for key Venture Lab initiatives, including but not limited to the Entrepreneurship Expo, Joiners Fair, VC Pitch Night, Venture Lab Reunion, guest speaker series, faculty preceptorials, and community dinners. The coordinator curates and selects strategic events that align with Venture Lab's mission and available resources, managing the end-to-end lifecycle of events. The role ensures seamless event logistics, including on-site staffing, setup, and troubleshooting, with flexibility for morning, evening, and weekend events as needed. The Program Coordinator builds and maintains relationships with Penn/Wharton departments, external organizations, and corporate partners to drive engagement and support for Venture Lab initiatives. Working closely with faculty, alumni, and guest speakers, the coordinator helps curate meaningful experiences for students. Additionally, the position liaises with Penn/Wharton departments that host events at Tangen Hall, ensuring effective coordination and adherence to policies. The coordinator also oversees space scheduling and coordination using Venture Lab's scheduling software tools, ensuring an efficient and organized event booking process for campus partners. Managing the Venture Lab master event calendar is a key operational responsibility to ensure accurate scheduling and visibility across stakeholders. The Program Coordinator monitors event expenses, budget allocations, and vendor contracts, ensuring efficient planning and execution. The role also involves implementing data tracking systems to monitor attendance, student engagement, and event impact. Additionally, the coordinator develops and analyzes KPIs and performance reports to refine programming strategies. Overseeing the event request and approval process, streamlining workflows, and ensuring proper documentation are essential tasks. The role supports report preparation and impact assessments for Venture Lab's programs, tracking student participation, partnerships, and engagement metrics. This position is onsite at Tangen Hall in Philadelphia and requires flexibility to support the dynamic and impactful work of Venture Lab. The role reports to the Director of Operations and works closely with the Venture Lab program team in a highly collaborative environment that includes faculty, students, alumni, corporate partners, and external stakeholders. The role also includes performing additional duties as assigned to ensure the continued success of Venture Lab. Job Responsibilities Student Meetings & Events: Responsible for fostering an inclusive and engaged student entrepreneurial community at Penn. Strategically engage with student groups, build and maintain relationships between students, student clubs, and Venture Lab. Encourage and facilitate entrepreneurial student groups to host team meetings and events at Tangen Hall. Lead initiatives to support structured and unstructured interaction among students. Venture Lab Programmatic Events: Curate and manage event requests to ensure alignment with Venture Lab's mission and resources. Plan and execute organizational-level events such as Entrepreneurship Expo, Joiners Fair, VC Pitch Night, guest speaker series, and faculty preceptorials. Serve as project lead, collaborating with our programmatic team and the VL Student Board to maximize student participation and engagement. Manage the event request and approval process for external events hosted at Tangen Hall. Assess alignment with Venture Lab's mission and impact on community development. Follow a decision rubric/guideline, use best judgement, and escalate the decision when necessary. Provide logistical support for non-VL events, including room scheduling, security coordination, housekeeping, and vendor liaison. Oversee recruitment, training, scheduling, and supervision of student workers. Ensure smooth front-desk operations, provide in-person and phone support, and manage student-led tours of Tangen Hall. Train and mentor student workers in event support and community engagement responsibilities. Develop and manage student membership initiatives to enhance engagement, increase Tangen Hall utilization, and boost participation in Venture Lab programs. Strengthen strategic partnerships with student groups to support Venture Lab's broader programming goals and vision. Develop and implement data collection processes to track engagement, attendance, and other key performance indicators for reporting and analysis. Maintain organized records for donor reports, event impact assessments, and program evaluations. Other duties and responsibilities as assigned Qualifications Required Qualifications: Bachelor's degree and 3-5 years of relevant experience in program coordination, event planning, community engagement, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to handle multiple priorities and deadlines. Experience planning and executing events, including logistics, budgeting, and stakeholder coordination. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders. Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment. Willingness to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends, as needed. Preferred Qualifications: Experience working in higher education, entrepreneurship, or startup ecosystems. Familiarity with CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce) and event management platforms. Background in student engagement, membership management, or volunteer coordination. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wharton School Pay Range Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization 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 is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job. University Benefits Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers