Program Operations Specialist - Welcome Center Reservation Manager

About the role

The Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity has an outstanding opportunity for a Program Operation Specialist - Welcome Center Reservation Manager to join their team.

Responsibilities

• Welcome Center Operations & Customer Experience Management: Oversee daily operations of the Kelly ECC welcome center, ensuring a welcoming, inclusive, and professional environment as the primary point of contact.
  • Deliver and model superior customer service across all channels (in-person, phone, and email), ensuring timely, accurate, and courteous responses.
  • Manage welcome center functions including lead hiring, on-boarding, daily oversight, staffing, scheduling, shift coverage, shift reports, customer feedback, and building opening/closing processes.
  • Respond to and resolve complex customer service issues using sound judgment, escalating when appropriate, and determining appropriate resolutions to ensure consistency and service quality.
  • Effectively communicate with diverse, multi-generational audiences, including students, staff, faculty, and external clients.
  • Balance high-paced operational demands with focused administrative responsibilities, ensuring consistency and attention to detail.
  • Cookbook communication and supply management.
• Reservations & Event Operations Management: Serve as the primary manager of the Kelly ECC reservations system, overseeing scheduling, client intake, and event coordination from inquiry through completion.
  • Conduct client meetings and walkthroughs to assess needs, determine feasibility, and align expectations with facility capabilities.
  • Evaluate and vet new groups and reservation requests to ensure alignment with University and Kelly ECC policies.
  • Clearly communicate event requirements, logistics, and setup needs to internal staff and stakeholders.
  • Interpret and enforce University, OMAD, and Kelly ECC/venue policies, articulating guidelines clearly to clients, RSOs, and partners.
  • Apply point-to-point service and sales-oriented practices to guide clients through the reservation process, including invoice coordination and payment follow-up in collaboration with the fiscal office.
  • Coordinate communication between front desk, reservations, and building operations teams to ensure alignment on events, priorities, and issue resolution.
  • Track, monitor, and support reservation-related processes to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and effective use of systems (e.g., Mazevo).
• Programming and other related duties: Lead and/or contribute to special projects and initiatives, as requested, that advance the mission, vision, values and goals of the Kelly ECC, including coordinating and leading student-centered programs and events (i.e OMA&D Welcome Daze & community graduation celebrations).
  • Organize logistics for programs focusing on cultural, social, academic, personal, and professional development.
  • Serve, collaborate and actively participate in any University and departmental wide committees or projects as needed.
  • Participate in training and relevant professional development activities to support professional and/or departmental growth and apply learning to improve work processes and operations.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree
• 1-2 years experience working with a diverse population of students
• 1-2 years experience customer service skills
• 1-2 years Project Management or large scale programming experience

Preferred Qualifications

• 3–5 years of progressively responsible experience in customer service, operations, and/or program management, demonstrating a combination of the following:
  • Experience providing customer service and resolving complex issues
  • Experience coordinating day-to-day operations and managing competing priorities
  • Experience working with diverse populations
  • Experience supervising, training, or leading staff
  • Experience in person-to-person sales