Senior Program Manager, Chicago Sister Cities International

Title: Senior Program Manager, Chicago Sister Cities International

Department: Global Strategic Initiatives

World Business Chicago (WBC) is a public-private, non-profit partnership that drives inclusive economic growth and job creation, supports business, and promotes Chicago as a leading global city.

The Global Strategic Initiatives (GSI) team leads WBC’s efforts to promote Chicago as a global city. As part of GSI, the Chicago Sister Cities International program’s mission is to promote Chicago as a global city, develop international partnerships and networks, and share best practices on a city-to-city basis.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Senior Program Manager manages committee volunteers; leads and executes events and exchanges, including core CSCI initiatives; cultivates relationships with partners; and lends expertise to the programming staff as it relates to event planning and logistics. This staff member will work as an integrated member of the GSI team.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Senior Program Manger reports to the Vice President and Executive Vice President of GSI and primary responsibilities include:

Lead GSI’s core education initiative, the Global Youth Ambassadors Leadership Summit
Provide support to GSI’s other core initiatives, including the Chicago International Gala
Manage the relationship with and activities of CSCI’s volunteer committees (portfolio includes up to 12 committees)
Lead and project manage a diverse group of events and initiatives in the fields of international business, culture, education, and government relations
Lend expertise to the programming staff as it relates to event planning and logistics
Develop and manage budgets for projects and committees
Create itineraries for international delegations in collaboration with city, public and private sector representatives
Work with internal teams on strategies for fundraising, marketing, and logistics
Act as a liaison with the Mayor’s Office of the City of Chicago, international contacts, consular corps representatives, community organizations, and other Chicago-area institutions
Represent the organization at events
Provide administrative support for Finance, HR, and Development processes
Manage database of external partners and stakeholders
Prepare a variety of written correspondence, reports, directives, and other materials
Perform other duties and special projects as assigned

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

Bachelor’s degree or associate degree/certificate required
Must have four to five years of event planning experience with a clear understanding of event logistics including, but not limited to, venue research, obtaining vendor bids, the creation and maintenance of budgets, guest list maintenance, managing on-site event logistics (setup, registration) and the creation of marketing collateral.
Ability to work across a variety of skill areas, including event planning, project management, and/or volunteer management
Self-starter with the ability to work independently as well as with a team; enjoys working with volunteers and helping them create and implement new initiatives
Strong organizational skills and a commitment to deliver against deadlines; ability to handle high priority and pressure situations
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work collaboratively and effectively with a wide range of individuals within and outside of WBC
Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to clearly communicate to all levels of management
Strong attention to detail and accuracy
Strong computer skills with expertise in Word, PowerPoint, and Excel
Experience with database management; Salesforce preferred
Ability and willingness to work some early mornings, evenings, and weekends, as needed
A passion for international relations and protocol
Foreign language skills a plus

QUALIFICATIONS

Full COVID-19 vaccination is required by the first day of work unless there is an exemption due to medical or religious reasons

TO APPLY

If interested, please send a cover letter and resume to: [email protected]