Program Coordinator, Human Resources and Engagement & Culture

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, Human Resources and Engagement & Culture

Job Profile Title

Coordinator, Program

Job Description Summary

The Program Coordinator serves as a key operational partner to the Human Resources and Engagement & Culture team, supporting the execution of strategic talent, engagement, and culture initiatives. This role provides direct support to the Chief Engagement and Culture Officer, Director of Human Resources, Director of Learning and Development, and Associate Director for Staff Engagement contributing to the advancement of organizational priorities across learning and development, employee engagement, and workforce operations.

Responsibilities include coordinating high-impact learning programs, supporting culture-building events and engagement initiatives, assisting with recruitment strategy and hiring processes for student and temporary roles, maintaining and analyzing HR and engagement data, and overseeing select Workday transactions to ensure operational excellence and compliance. The role also supports core departmental operations that enable the team to deliver on broader talent and culture objectives.

Reporting to the Chief Engagement and Culture Officer, the Program Coordinator collaborates closely with DAR HR team members and University Core HR partners. The position requires a high degree of professionalism, discretion, analytical thinking, and organizational effectiveness, as well as the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

Under limited supervision, the Program Coordinator exercises independent judgment and initiative in managing projects, coordinating stakeholders, and advancing strategic priorities. The role regularly handles sensitive information and complex workflows requiring confidentiality and professionalism.

Learning and Professional Development

• Lead end to end execution of in-person and virtual learning programs, ensuring seamless delivery aligned with organizational development priorities
• Develop and curate training materials and program assets that enhance participant engagement and learning effectiveness
• Administer and optimize learning management systems operations, including program deployment, registration management, and participation analytics to inform continuous improvement
• Drive strategic communications for learning initiatives, crafting targeted messaging, agendas, and follow-ups to maximize awareness, engagement, and impact
• Support the CASE internship program through coordinated program operations and participant experience management, contributing to early-career talent development
• Partner in planning and maintaining the annual learning calendar and communications roadmap to align programming with organizational goals and capacity
• Collaborate with the Director of Learning & Professional Development on high-priority initiatives and emerging projects that advance DAR’s talent strategy

Workforce Strategy and Talent Operations

• Manage workforce transitions, including onboarding, internal mobility, and offboarding processes, ensuring alignment with organizational staffing strategy and clear stakeholder communication
• Maintain and analyze the DAR organizational chart to support workforce planning and leadership visibility
• Steward HR documentation and position data (including job descriptions and PIQ’s), ensuring accuracy and strategic alignment with evolving role expectations
• Serve as a central coordination point for HR inquiries, synthesizing requests and ensuring timely, solution-oriented responses
• Support recognition initiatives (e.g., Service Awards) by compiling and analyzing workforce data to ensure equitable and impactful program execution
• Leverage Workday and reporting tools to monitor workforce trends, generate insights, and support data-informed decision making
• Partner with supervisors to strategically manage temporary and student staffing pipeline, aligning hiring efforts with departmental capacity needs and budget considerations

Employee Engagement Initiatives

• Coordinate engagement programs and events that strengthen organizational culture and employee experience, ensuring alignment with strategic engagement goals
• Partner on engagement survey cycles, analyzing participation trends and identifying opportunities
• Maintain and enhance engagement dashboards by translating data into actionable insights for leadership
• Support financial planning and resource stewardship for engagement initiatives, ensuring alignment between budget allocation and strategic impact
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to strengthen engagement communications, driving awareness, participation, and measurable outcomes
• Contribute to the planning and execution of DAR-wide engagement campaigns that reinforce culture and organizational alignment

Strategic Operations and Executive Partnership

• Serve as a strategic partner to CECO, aligning operational workflows and communications with engagement and culture priorities
• Coordinate culture initiative messaging and rollout plans in partnership with DARMAX and key stakeholders
• Compile, analyze, and synthesize data to inform executive decision-making and organizational communications
• Provide high-level coordination of retreats, leadership meetings, and special initiatives, ensuring alignment with departmental strategy

• Manage complex scheduling for CECO, HR Director and stakeholder engagement with a focus on prioritization, efficiency, and strategic use of leadership time. Maintain discretion and professionalism in handling sensitive organizational matters

Resource Stewardship

• Manage departmental purchasing, procurement coordination, and financial tracking to ensure compliance, transparency, and strategic budget management
• Support year-end financial planning and reconciliation processes
• Ensure smooth day-to-day office operations that enable team effectiveness and service delivery

Additional Strategic Projects

• Contribute to special initiatives and cross-functional projects that advance HR, Learning and Development, Staff Engagement, and culture objectives

Computer Proficiency

• Proficiency with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint
• Excellent speed and accuracy in digital document development, management, online filing and retrieval
• Experience leveraging HRIS and learning management systems for reporting analytics, and operational coordination

**Please provide a resume and cover letter in order to be considered for this role. Please upload all documents in the “Resume/CV” section of the application prior to submitting.**

Qualifications:

Bachelor of Arts and 2 to 3 years of experience or equivalent combination of education
and experience is required.  The position requires strong organizational, time-
management, and communication skills, along with the ability to manage multiple
priorities, coordinate across teams, and maintain accurate documentation with close
attention to detail.  Proficiency with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Microsoft Teams,
SharePoint.  Excellent speed and accuracy in digital document development,
management, online filing and retrieval, as is the ability to track data, prepare reports,
and support projects or programs in a fast-paced environment. Demonstrated ability to
handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and professionalism is
essential. Proactive, adaptable, reliable, and able to work both independently and
collaboratively, with a professional and service-oriented approach.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Development and Alumni Relations

Pay Range

$23.80 - $33.66 Hourly Rate

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.

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