Employment Opportunities at USD

5731

The Knauss School of Business at USD embraces a stewardship approach to business education. Stewardship requires businesses to protect and care for society in pursuit of a greater good.  The Knauss School community of faculty, staff, students and graduates, embrace stewardship by applying values-driven, free-enterprise skills to improve businesses, industries, and the lives of people in our community and around the world.  We provide academically rigorous, relevant and values-based education and research.  Degree programs in the Knauss School of Business are AACSB accredited, with the undergraduate and MBA programs being highly ranked both domestically and internationally.  www.sandiego.edu/business/about/ 

The University of San Diego, an engaged and contemporary Catholic institution, was founded by the Diocese of San Diego and the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1949. Governed by an independent board of trustees since 1972, USD remains committed to a liberal arts education grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition and the pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty. Inspired by this centuries old tradition of Catholic higher education, the University welcomes people of all faith traditions and any, or no, religious background. The future success of USD relies on the contributions of those who seek to foster the development of engaged global citizens and an earnest confrontation of humanity’s urgent challenges.

This is a part-time, temporary, non-benefit-based position with an anticipated end date of June 30, 2027. The appointment is renewable at the discretion of the University and dependent upon performance and continued funding.

Under the general direction of the Director, the Senior Coordinator of the Center for Applied Finance provides comprehensive operational, administrative, financial, and programmatic support for the Center’s strategic initiatives and day-to-day operations. The position plays a key role in coordinating the Center’s programs, signature events, and stakeholder engagement activities, ensuring effective planning, communication, and execution across multiple concurrent initiatives.

The Senior Coordinator manages event and program logistics, coordinates schedules and resources, and serves as a point of contact for faculty, staff, students, and other internal and external stakeholders. The position supports the Director in developing and maintaining external relationships, facilitates stakeholder engagement, and collaborates with the Knauss School’s Marketing and Communications team to promote Center programs and activities. The Senior Coordinator also supports program assessment and reporting to inform continuous improvement.

In addition, the Senior Coordinator oversees administrative processes and supports the Director with budget development, expense tracking, purchasing, contract coordination, and financial documentation in collaboration with the Knauss School’s Finance and Administration team. The position ensures that administrative and financial activities are completed accurately, efficiently, and in accordance with University policies and procedures. 

The successful incumbent demonstrates initiative, sound judgment, strong organizational skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities while working collaboratively with a diverse range of stakeholders. Through effective operational coordination and proactive problem-solving, the Senior Coordinator contributes to the Center’s mission, supports its continued growth, and helps deliver high-quality experiences for students, faculty, visitors, and external partners. The position requires occasional evening and weekend work.

General Description

Duties and Responsibilities:

Event Planning and Promotion

• Assists in planning and executing Center events, including conferences, workshops, speaker engagements, and networking events, implementing best practices provided by the Knauss Events Team.
• Coordinates event and meeting logistics, including venue and room reservations, registration, catering, audiovisual needs, vendor coordination, staffing, attendee arrangements, and on-site support. 
• Promotes Center events to build attendance and raise the visibility of the Center and the Knauss School within the campus community. 
• Works with the Knauss Marketing and Communications team to produce event collateral that meets brand standards. 
• Creates digital marketing, invitations, social media outreach, registration materials, and on-site event materials utilizing appropriate communication tracking platforms, in coordination with Content Marketing Manager(s).
• Provides event details and updates to internal stakeholders for mass communication and works with the Knauss Marketing and Communications team to request school ticker usage for key Center events and visitors. 
• Maintains the inventory and loans of branded signage and equipment. 
• Manages post-event surveys, participant feedback, and follow-up communications. 
• Maintains event participation records and prepares post-event reports on attendance, outcomes, expenses, and opportunities for improvement. 

Center Operations and Administration

• Develops and maintains the Center’s master annual calendar of events and programs in coordination with the Strategic Events Manager, aligning schedules, timelines, and resources across concurrent programming.
• Proactively identifies operational and program planning challenges and develops solutions with the Director.
• Expands the Center's visibility by partnering with Content Marketing Managers to maintain web content; collaborating on website updates and promotion of Center activities across websites and social media, as applicable. 
• Monitors the Center’s general email account, responding to or routing inquiries as appropriate.
• Coordinates travel arrangements for the Director and Center guests. 
• Arranges guest and event parking with Knauss colleagues, including reserved spaces, daily permits, and citations.
• Orders supplies through UniMarket and handles other administrative purchasing. 
• Coordinates facility maintenance, repairs, work orders, and key and lock requests with the Knauss Facilities professional. 
• Retrieves and distributes Center mail from the USD Mail Center. 
• Prepares OneCard and expense reports for the Director. 
• Reviews external contracts, independent contractor requests, and internal and external agreements for completeness and accuracy before submission to the Knauss Finance and Administration team for legal review, independent contractor determination, and signature routing.
• As assigned, develops budgets with the Director for Center events, programs, and initiatives, and keeps all versions, including drafts, in the designated Finance and Administration shared drive.
• Ensures payment requests and invoices submitted to Knauss Finance and Administration are accurate, complete, and properly documented, to expedite processing and comply with University expenditure, gift, and grant policies.

Stakeholder and Partner Coordination

• Serves as the point of contact for faculty, staff, students, industry partners, alumni, sponsors, and other stakeholders engaged in Center programs and initiatives. 
• Supports the Director in building and maintaining relationships with industry partners, alumni, and corporate representatives through ongoing communication and engagement.
• Coordinates stakeholder meetings, visits, and engagement activities, including scheduling, invitations, itineraries, and follow-up.
• Facilitates communication among internal and external stakeholders to keep program objectives, responsibilities, timelines, and deliverables aligned.
• In alignment with Industry and Employer Relations best practices, maintains stakeholder contact information, engagement records, and correspondence to support ongoing relationships and future collaboration. 

Other Duties as Assigned

Background check:  Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.

Degree Verification Requirement: Persons offered employment in this position will be required to provide official education transcripts for degree verification purposes. 

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with preference given to business and/or related field. Substitution: High school diploma and two additional years of experience may substitute for a Bachelor’s degree. 
• 3 years of experience in office management and/or general administrative support. 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business or related field from an accredited college or university
• 3+ years of experience in office management and/or general administrative support within higher education or finance fields 

Performance Expectations - Knowledge and Skills:

Knowledge of and experience with: 

• Demonstrated experience in budget creation and management. 
• Highly proficient with Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Qualtrics. 
• Intermediate to advanced Excel skills with function knowledge and appropriate application for needed functions.
• Experience working with Salesforce applications and Workday platforms.
• Learning new systems quickly and effectively.
• Navigating and implementing policies and procedures.
• Working in an institution of higher education.
• Interacting with the professional community.
• Presenting materials in a clear and concise manner.
• Experience supporting hands-on fundraising activities involving small as well as major gifts while treating all donors with equal respect and gratitude.
• Using independent judgment to take appropriate action on inquiries.

Demonstrated performance in:

• Critically important to be able to handle multiple complex tasks effectively and independently.
• Must possess flexibility and versatility to contribute to evolving work situations. 
• Attention to detail and the ability to multitask while also working with minimal supervision.
• Following processes, procedures, and policies. 
• • Creating and managing budgets. 
• Ability to assume responsibility and effectively resolve problems by exercising independent judgment in meeting challenges and implementing procedures.
• Ability to focus on technical details in an environment with many distractions.
• Serving as a collaborative team member with the ability to handle confidential information with tact and discretion.
• Working in a busy environment with high customer service standards.
• Maintaining a high level of accuracy developing work products and reports.
• Time management in order to handle multiple projects with competing deadlines.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Working with diverse personalities and backgrounds.
• Being flexible and versatile in coping with evolving work situations.
• Being able to handle the stress of last-minute deadlines and changes 

$28.00 - $33.00 per hour

The salary range provided in this posting reflects what we reasonably expect to pay for this position.  Actual compensation offered or earned is dependent on experience, education and other factors including departmental budget.

Resume and Cover Letter Required

Click the 'Apply Now' button to complete our online application. In addition, please upload a cover letter and resume to your application profile for the hiring managers’ review.  If you have any questions or difficulties please contact the Employment Services Team at jobs@sandiego.edu.

Hours: 19 Hours per week

Closing date: Open until filled (ck PR)

Note: External job postings will be up for at least three days. After that time, applications will be reviewed by the hiring manager/committee throughout the posting period. A candidate may be selected at any time which could then close this posting on a date earlier than listed.

The University of San Diego is a smoking and tobacco-free campus. For more information, visit www.sandiego.edu/smokefree.