Operations & Events Coordinator, Sustainability Research Initiative (SRI)

Job Summary

The Sustainability Research Initiative (SRI) is looking for an Operations & Events Coordinator to serve as the central operations and events lead for our initiative. This role is for a motivated person who can manage and pivot between back-end financial administration and front-facing event production. We need someone to track projects and organize SRI events, while simultaneously building the logistical and communicative bridges that connect our researchers to each other, the Boulder community, and beyond. This role offers the opportunity to be the operational lead for a growing initiative that values epistemic humility, systems thinking, and genuine community impact.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Event Production & Logistics

End-to-End Planning: Lead planning for SRI programming, including the "Sustainability on Tap" series, SRI Fellowship meetings, and the inaugural Sustainability Research Summit slated for fall 2026.

• Workshop & Webinar Management: Coordinate and schedule events (e.g., workshops, seminars, grant planning meetings), manage venues, virtual platforms, catering, and guest speaker travel/honorariums.
• Retreat Facilitation: Plan and implement off-site retreats for staff, advisors, and fellows, managing everything from location scouting to internal communication and agenda support.

Community Engagement & Communications

• Outreach & Partnerships: Act as the primary contact for external communications, including with event venues and community partners. Provide logistical support for campus and community members interested in collaborating with SRI.
• Strategic Communications: Build SRI's communication capacity by ensuring our research and events are effectively promoted to the campus and the broader community.
• Speaker Coordination: Manage a diverse range of speakers, being responsible for the administrative lifecycle, from initial invitation and gathering information about speakers to contracts and honorarium processing.

Financial & Administrative Operations

• Expense & Procurement Management: Manage the SRI procurement card; draft, submit, and validate expense reports while ensuring strict compliance with CU Boulder financial policies.
• Financial Tracking: Maintain detailed logs of initiative spending and reconcile budgets against outcomes to ensure fiscal responsibility and transparency.

Impact Tracking

• Data Collaboration: Work with the SRI Analyst to maintain and analyze event metrics, including attendance trends, venue capacity, and participant satisfaction to inform future strategic decisions.