Convenings Associate, Obama Presidential Center

At The Obama Foundation, our mission is to inspire, empower, and connect people to change their world. We seek to build an active democratic culture where people are equipped and motivated to make change in the communities where they live, work, and play. Right here on the South Side of Chicago, we’re building a home for this vision, a global center for change with a range of opportunities - coordinated programming, community outreach events, educational moments, and more - that invite visitors from down the block or across the globe to turn hope into action.

Achieving our ambitious goals starts with an exceptional team built on our Hope to Action Values - Courage, Empathy, Integrity, Accountability, Community, Inclusivity, Pragmatism, Resilience, Imagination, and Hope. A Framework that anyone, anywhere, can use to build trust, activate participation, and expand opportunity in their community.

We are deeply committed to creating an actively anti-racist organization, leveraging our global reach to combat systemic racism and inequity wherever it exists.Read our full statement on anti-racism and equity here.

Purpose of the Role

The Convenings Associate, OPC will work closely with the Convenings Senior Director to ensure the seamless design, management, and execution of high-caliber OPC convenings, aligned with the Foundation’s mission and values. This role will support the larger OPC Convenings team in end-to-end convening process building and production, including cross-team project management, OPC facilities coordination, vendor management, logistics, and attendee experience.

Core Job Responsibilities

Event Support

• Support the Convenings Senior Director in overall operation management of the Convenings team, including scheduling and in refining operational processes for the OPC ahead of its opening in summer 2026.
• Support the Convenings team in all aspects of assigned OPC convenings, including event goal setting, budget management, scheduling, and coordination of Foundation teams, OPC facilities teams, OPC teams, and logistics.
• Oversee onsite execution, ensuring all operational needs are met, and manage key event elements such as security, registration, attendee communications, speaker coordination, and accessibility.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Key Deliverables / Outcomes

• Comprehensive Convening Plans for assigned convenings, including goals, timelines, budgets, staffing, and logistics.
• Seamless Onsite Execution of convenings, with all operational needs met — including security coordination, registration setup, speaker support, and accessibility accommodations.
• Convening Budgets that are well-managed, tracked, and aligned with project goals and Foundation guidelines.
• Attendee Experience Tools such as communication plans, registration systems, and feedback/evaluation methods.
• Post-Convening Wrap-Ups that include performance evaluations, lessons learned, and data-informed recommendations for improvement.
• A Collaborative, Inclusive Team Culture fostered through clear communication, shared accountability, and continuous support.

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in event planning, preferably within sports venue management or sports programming.
• Exceptional organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple work streams and collaborate with various stakeholders.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and adapting to evolving situations.
• This role will be based onsite at the Obama Presidential Center, with routine evening and weekend hours required.
• The role involves considerable physical mobility throughout the Obama Presidential Center’s 19 acre campus, both indoors and outdoors.
• Experience with project management tools (e.g., Asana), event management platforms (e.g., Cvent), and ticketing systems (e.g., Ticketure) is preferred.

The salary range for this role is between $59,755 and $74,670.

This is an in-office role based at the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park.

Don’t check off every box in the requirements listed above? Please apply anyway! If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to still consider submitting an application. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings!

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Foundation is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at [email protected] if you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application.