Building Program Coordinator

Position: 280 Building Program Coordinator
For more than 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world's most influential artists, designers and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program consistently ranking among the top four graduate fine arts programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago Museum, on-campus galleries and state-of-the-art facilities.

SAIC's undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world-as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O'Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, and LeRoy Neiman.

About the Department

The mission of Continuing Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago is to provide an education that harnesses the transformative power of a leading art and design school, a world-renowned museum, and a vibrant city to support the development of critical thinking, rigorous investigation, and playful creativity. Serving students ages six to adult, we believe having confidence in one's creative abilities plays a critical role in successfully meeting the unique challenges of today's world.

Over the course of a year, Continuing Studies manages close to 300 part-time faculty teaching assignments, 200 teaching assistant assignments, and 30 program assistants. Our programs include:

* Adult Continuing Education (ACE), ages 18+, high school graduates (or equivalent)

* Early College Program (ECP), ages 14-18, grades 9-12

* Early College Program Summer Institute (ECPSI), ages 15-18, grades 11-12

* Early College Program Online Summer Institute (ECPOSI), ages 15-18, grades 11-12

* Middle School Program (MSP), ages 10-13

* Multi-Arts Camp (MAC), ages 6-9

* We also offer programs for high school art teachers and Chicago-based teens.

Continuing Studies programs offer high-quality arts education to develop students' personal art practice. Our programs make SAIC's resources and facilities available to these students and give them access to mentorship from our renowned faculty.

Read more about our programs c.edu/cs.

Position Summary

The Program Coordinator: 280 Building (PC) serves as the primary on-site operational lead for Continuing Studies summer youth programs housed in the 280 Building, with a particular focus on the Multi-Arts Camps (MAC) Program.

Multi-Arts Camps (MAC) is SAIC's multidisciplinary, museum-education-rooted summer program for youth ages 6-9. MAC courses run in two-week sessions throughout July and August.

The PC works closely with Continuing Studies colleagues, faculty, student employees, and campus partners to prepare for and manage the day-to-day operations of all Continuing Studies programs in the 280 Building. This role carries building-level responsibility and requires consistent physical presence, independence, and sound judgment. The PC is "staff on the ground," responsible for maintaining operational flow, addressing issues in real time, and ensuring a safe, well-coordinated environment for students, families, faculty, and staff.

The PC is the primary point of contact for students, families, faculty, and student employees. During active program sessions, the PC balances student and family support, supervision of program and teaching assistants, and real-time operational decision-making-particularly during peak congestion periods such as drop-off, pick-up, lunch, and class transitions. Frequent caregiver communication, youth behavior management, conflict mediation, and de-escalation are core components of the role.

This role reports to the Assistant Dean for Operations and supervises program assistants (student workers).

Note:

Physical distance from supervisors is inherent to the 280 Building Program Coordinator role. Success in this position requires the ability to operate independently, proactively communicate emerging issues, and escalate concerns appropriately.

While MAC is the primary focus, the PC also…