Business Coordinator

About the role

The Business Coordinator reports to the Assistant Director of Faculty Affairs and provides comprehensive administrative and operational support to the Manager, faculty, and visitors. This position serves as the primary front-facing representative of the Department of Mathematics, creating a professional, welcoming environment while serving as the first point of contact both in person and by phone.

Responsibilities

• Manage approximately 500 classroom and meeting room reservations annually using Astra, coordinating with the Registrar's Office regarding room assignments, reservation blocks, furniture requests, and scheduling needs.
• Cook up and distribute announcements for the departmental colloquium, maintaining event webpages, communicating with speakers, and coordinating audiovisual requirements.
• Plan and coordinate departmental events, including daily teas, annual dinners, named lectures, conferences, and special events.
• Execute day-to-day event logistics, coordinating venues, catering, vendor services, communications, and event publicity to ensure successful programs.
• Coordinate audiovisual support, including scheduling AV staff, approving time records, and ensuring equipment readiness for departmental events.
• Serve as the department's front desk coordinator, providing exceptional customer service to faculty, staff, students, visitors, and vendors.
• Maintain and update departmental websites related to colloquia and events.
• Negotiate with vendors and coordinate contracts, locations, catering, and event services while monitoring budgets and expenditures.
• Create and maintain annual faculty, staff, and graduate student photo directories.
• Track departmental event and operational expenses, prepare reports, and resolve routine and moderately complex financial issues using established procedures.
• Maintain departmental bulletin boards, signage, and informational displays.
• Aid faculty and staff with purchasing requests and expense reimbursement processing through GEMS.
• Prepare and distribute office keys for faculty and departmental guests.
• Maintain departmental Google Sheets and Google Docs, ensuring information remains current, accurate, and accessible.
• Monitor, organize, and replenish supplies in four departmental kitchens.
• Receive, sort, and distribute incoming mail and packages.
• Provides administrative support for a leader. Stays informed of activities relating to programs and initiatives, apprising the leader of issues when deemed necessary. Coordinates information flow from leader's office.
• May initiate correspondence and other written materials under own signature or for signature of the leader. Triages emails and telephone calls for action. Resolves a combination of some routine and complex inquiries.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Requirements

Minimum requirements include vocational training, apprenticeships or the equivalent experience in related field (not typically required to have a four-year degree). Work experience minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Qualifications

• Experience Working in an academic setting.
• Experience with computer programs such as Zoom, Microsoft Word and Excel, standard email, and internet applications.
• Knowledge of the University of Chicago financial accounting systems.

Skills

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills.
• Ability to handle public contact with courtesy, clarity, and diplomacy.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality when handling sensitive information and situations.
• Ability to maintain calm and courteous demeanor and to work productively despite heavy workload, competing priorities, complex problems, and tight deadlines.
• Excellent problem-solving skills.
• Able to work both independently and as a team member.
• Ability to take initiative and organize and complete projects with minimal supervision.