University of Pennsylvania

University Overview

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.

Posted Job Title

Program Coordinator, Community Development, Venture Lab, Wharton School

Job Profile Title

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 Description

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.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

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 comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.
• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay