Description

Program and Events Coordinator

Illinois Humanities

Status: Full-time / Exempt
Reports to: Senior Director of Public Engagement
Location: Chicagoland area

Illinois Humanities, the Illinois partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, is a statewide nonprofit organization that activates the humanities through free public programs, grants, and educational opportunities that foster reflection, spark conversation, build community, and strengthen civic engagement. We provide free, high-quality humanities experiences throughout Illinois, particularly for communities of color, individuals living on low incomes, counties and towns in rural areas, small arts and cultural organizations, and communities highly impacted by mass incarceration.

For more information, visit www.ILhumanities.org

Position Summary:

The Program and Events Coordinator plays a crucial role in supporting the successful planning and execution of Illinois Humanities' programs and events. Acting as a vital bridge between public programming and the administrative team, this position ensures seamless coordination, timely execution, and professional support throughout all phases of events and programs (with the exception of development-led events). This role is responsible for coordinating Illinois Humanities' signature programs and events, including, but not limited to, People's Salons, the Envisioning Justice Statewide Convening, One State, the Gwendolyn Brooks Youth Poetry Awards, the Odyssey Graduation Ceremony, and other public humanities programs and special initiatives as assigned.

 The Program and Events Coordinator is responsible for ensuring staff, presenters, partners, vendors, and supplies are present, prepared, and in the right place at the right time. This "back of house" logistical coordination enables program managers and directors to focus on engagement with partners, audiences, and participants.

This position will require occasional travel within Illinois.

Essential Responsibilities: 

Program Planning and Coordination (35%)

• Support program planning by implementing activities such as reserving event space, ordering catering and equipment, communicating with vendors, and maintaining inventories of materials and supplies.
• Collect and share event-related content (e.g., announcements, flyers, programs) with the Communications Team in a timely manner.
• Maintain internal and public-facing program calendars.
• Draft & send event reminders and follow-ups; process event registrations, maintain and share registration lists; maintain attendance records and complete event follow-up.
• Share post-event attendance data with program leads

Event Production (30%)

• Assist in creating and sharing staffing plans for public-facing events.
• Serve as on-site “staff captain” overseeing back-of-house staffing activities.
• Provide stage management and on-site vendor support during public events; ensure events run on time and coordinate presenters, performers, partners, and vendors.
• Support and execute Run of Show for public events; share Run of Show documents, site maps, and other necessary event information with staff; be present during events to answer questions and troubleshoot.
• Schedule and attend production meetings as needed before public events—with A/V providers, event managers, designers, partners, and other relevant parties—as requested by program managers or directors; track logistics before and during events.
• Support day-of logistics and on-site production needs.

Internal Administrative Support (Approximately 30%)

• Serve as a member of the Administrative Team and as a liaison for Statewide Programs, Public Engagement, and Teaching and Learning; ensure program and event workflows comply with internal and operational processes and policies.
• Prepare and process program and event invoices and expense vouchers.
• Supports database maintenance and assists in data entry projects.
• Respond to general email inbox and route inquiries as needed.
• Maintain event planning tools (e.g., departmental Asana calendars).
• Manage supply lists and equipment needs; stock event supplies and maintain the event kit inventory.

Other (5%)

• Participate in cross-departmental working groups upon request.
• Perform other duties as assigned

Requirements

Work Environment

This position is active and requires frequent physical activity in support of Illinois Humanities events and programs. The Program and Events Coordinator is expected to regularly lift, carry, push, and move event supplies, tables, chairs, signage, and other event-related items weighing up to 30 pounds. The role also requires frequent standing, walking, bending, reaching, and setting up or breaking down event spaces.

This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, and scanners. Employees are regularly required to talk, hear, see, and communicate effectively via computer.

Our Chicago Loop office is accessible. Work at off-site locations is required and those may not be fully accessible. Evening and weekend work is required based on the organization's event calendar.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Illinois Humanities' Chicago office is currently operating in a hybrid work environment with required in-office days and optional remote workdays each week. 

Experience & Skillset:

•       Familiarity with Microsoft Office, SharePoint, and Adobe suite; familiarity with Asana and Blackbaud is a plus
•       Experience with project management; ability to track deadlines, deliverables, and needs for multiple simultaneous projects
•       Experience supporting live events; ability to think on your feet and make aligned decisions that support project goals
•       Ability to anticipate audience and participant experience and to prioritize a welcoming, supportive environment; experience in hospitality is a plus
•       Technical/production support for live events is a plus

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

The skills and experience needed to be successful in this job exist on a spectrum. Highly qualified and desirable candidates may not meet 100% of the skills and experience included in this description. We encourage all who are interested in this position to apply.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Step one: All submissions will be reviewed, and the initial candidate pool will be formed after phone screenings. Not all submissions will make it into the candidate pool.

Step two: Candidates in the pool will take part in an interview with members of the Illinois Humanities Team via Zoom or in-person. 

Step three: There may be additional rounds of interviews with the final candidates. Final candidates may be asked to provide additional information. Selection and placement of the final candidate will occur after these final rounds of interviews. Placement for this position is anticipated to occur in September of 2026. Once the final candidate has accepted their offer of employment, all other applicants will be notified of their status.

Illinois Humanities is an equal opportunity employer and seeks to employ qualified individuals based on individual merit. It does not discriminate against any individual with respect to the terms and conditions of employment based on that individual’s race, sex, age, religion, color, national origin, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, housing status, or any other non-merit factor protected under state, local or federal laws. Equal Employment Opportunity applies to all personnel actions such as recruiting, hiring, compensation, benefits, promotions, training, transfer, termination, and opportunities for training. Illinois Humanities is committed to a fair and equitable workplace where everyone is a respected and valued member of the team.

COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY:

To support public health efforts to reduce the risk of COVID-19, Illinois Humanities has adopted a policy that requires all staff and interns receive a complete COVID-19 vaccine based on the CDC’s current definition, which is subject to change. Employees must submit a full Record of COVID-19 Vaccination or have a fully signed Reasonable Exception approval by date of hire.

To Apply: Please upload a resume and cover letter to the application website.

Please submit this application to the "Work With Us" page or through the relevant job website. Application review will begin in August 2026 and applications will be accepted throughout the recruiting process.