Operations and Project Coordinator
Davidson College · Davidson
Davidson College seeks applications for the role of Operations & Project Coordinator in the D.G. and Harriet Wall Martin Institute for Public Good. The Martin Institute integrates academic research, civic engagement, public policy, creative expression, and ethical leadership to foster collaboration that equips students to address society’s challenges and emerge as ethical public leaders.
The Operations & Project Coordinator provides direct administrative, project, and event support to advance the Institute's mission. Operating under the supervision of the Managing Director, the Coordinator manages complex event logistics, supports faculty and fellow programs, organizes central records, tracks project deadlines, provides occasional scheduling and logistical support for leadership. Because this role interacts with faculty, civic leaders, and external dignitaries, exceptional professional discretion, polish, and diplomatic communication skills are essential.
Reporting & Role Boundaries
- Direct Supervision: Reports directly to the Managing Director, who advises on daily task prioritization, project assignments, and workload management. But, as the description shares, provides support across the institute
- Workload Coordination: Operational support for Institute projects and faculty initiatives is coordinated through the Managing Director.
- Financial & Unit Boundaries: All financial transactions, expense reconciliations, budget tracking, and routine purchasing continue to be handled by the Administrative Assistant.
- Support Role Boundary: Executes operational and administrative tasks set by leadership; holds no independent authority to set strategic direction, establish policy, or approve budgets.
Responsibilities
Operational Support & Tracking - Supports the Managing Director in maintaining internal operational momentum, tracking administrative workflows, and driving central Institute and program area initiatives by:
- Logistical Follow-Through & Event Support: Submit facility requests, coordinate vendor setups, and confirm logistics based on established master calendar dates and parameters set by the Managing Director.
- Meeting Preparation & Logistics: Handle room bookings, catering arrangements, materials preparation, and basic setup for Institute working groups and administrative sessions.
- Grant Data & Operational Reporting: Gather curriculum development grant updates, project metrics, and administrative data across all five program areas for central leadership review and operational tracking.
- Campus Newsletter & Communications Support: Collect faculty and staff submissions, program updates to draft blurb entries for the VPAA Newsletter, Operations Reports, and internal campus announcements.
- Institutional Records & Knowledge Management: Proactively collect, organize, and archive essential program materials, project summaries, and event documentation in central Google Drive folders; coordinate with faculty program directors and fellows to ensure routine administrative artifacts are stored properly.
- Maintaining Tracking Tools: Keep central operational spreadsheets and status dashboards updated across Institute-wide administrative priorities.
- Executing Daily Workflows: Handle administrative documentation, route general inquiries, and manage operational follow-through to keep assigned tasks moving on schedule.
- Faculty Program Area Director Operational Support: Provide comprehensive operational and event logistics support to Faculty program area directors —handling room reservations through campus software, catering, AV/tech coordination, vendor arrangements, and setup execution for program-specific lectures, workshops, panels, and working groups.
Cross-Campus Initiative & Project Coordination - Executes administrative systems, survey tools, and logistical coordination for multi-stakeholder projects across campus. Delivers dedicated logistical, event, and resource coordination across program areas and for faculty fellow cohorts
- Administrative Tools & Surveys: Build, distribute, and collect basic administrative tools (such as setting up online surveys for faculty research needs or event feedback) as assigned by leadership.
- Faculty Grant & Project Support: Track project milestones, gather data, and provide logistical support for faculty-led grant projects across all five program areas as triaged and assigned by the Managing Director.
- Cross-Campus Coordination: Schedule, convene, and manage meeting logistics involving faculty, staff, and institutional partners across campus for Institute initiatives.
- Fellow Cohort Coordination: Coordinate administrative logistics specifically for Sabbatical Fellows and CE Faculty Fellows—including ordering and arranging regular fellow lunches, setting up orientation sessions, booking meeting spaces, and executing logistics for signature fellow gatherings.
- Resource & Calendar Feasibility Assessment: Evaluate campus venue availability, resource constraints, and scheduling calendars to propose practical event options and prevent operational bottlenecks for program area and fellow initiatives before submitting setup requests.
- On-Site Event Operations: Serve as the primary on-site operational contact during Institute events to oversee room configurations, catering deliveries, and facility readiness.
Key Skills & Competencies
- Resource & Logistics Planning: Ability to analyze room availability, event calendars, campus resources, and vendor timelines to plan seamless event logistics.
- Clear & Professional Communication: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills; ability to represent the Institute with high polish, warmth, and professionalism when interacting with community leaders, politicians, local officials, and external dignitaries.
- Patience & Diplomacy: Demonstrates high emotional intelligence, patience, and discretion when coordinating with faculty, fellows, busy executives, and external community partners.
- Multitasking & Operational Execution: Strong organizational agility with a proven track record of managing competing priorities, shifting deadlines, and multiple concurrent logistical tasks smoothly.
- Project & Operational Tracking: Strong skill in organizing project data, updating status tracking tools, and following up on action items across multiple concurrent initiatives.
- Event & Logistics Coordination: Proven ability to manage physical setups, catering orders, room bookings, and administrative details smoothly.
- Practical Tool Capability: Comfortable setting up and using basic administrative tools (e.g., Google Drive for folder organization, spreadsheets for project dashboards, Qualtrics/Google Forms for surveys, university scheduling software).
Qualifications
- Education: Bachelor’s degree required.
- Experience: 2–4 years of administrative, project coordination, or operational experience preferably in higher education, public sector, or a complex non-profit environment.
- Tech Skills: Proficiency with standard office productivity suites (Google Workspace / Microsoft Office), online survey tools, and standard university administrative systems.
Information about how to submit an application can be found at https://employment.davidson.edu.
The Operations & Project Coordinator provides direct administrative, project, and event support to advance the Institute's mission. Operating under the supervision of the Managing Director, the Coordinator manages complex event logistics, supports faculty and fellow programs, organizes central records, tracks project deadlines, provides occasional scheduling and logistical support for leadership. Because this role interacts with faculty, civic leaders, and external dignitaries, exceptional professional discretion, polish, and diplomatic communication skills are essential.