Program Coordinator

Occupational Summary

The Center for Multiscale Immune Systems Modeling (MISM) is an NIH‑funded research and coordination hub advancing computational and mathematical models of immune and infectious diseases across multiple biological scales, from molecules and cells to individuals and populations.

Plan, coordinate, and administer activities within the MISM Center’s Administrative Core under general supervision. Serve as a liaison to MISM cores and cross‑cutting initiatives to receive assignments, coordinate distribution of tasks, and monitor progress to ensure timely completion. Provide comprehensive center‑wide administrative support with a specialized focus on conference and event management.

Work Performed

Administrative Support (Center-Wide) - 30%

• Receive assignments from MISM cores, cross‑cutting initiatives, and Administrative Core leads; as appropriate, break work into actionable subtasks or assign whole tasks to experienced staff, distribute and track work among Administrative Core staff, follow up on progress, and ensure timely completion of deliverables
• Coordinate administrative activities across MISM cores, cross‑cutting workgroups, team science, collaboration initiatives, and community‑building efforts; assist in developing and implementing procedures, workflows, and systems to support center objectives and improve operational efficiency
• Assist in developing and implementing administrative procedures, processes, and systems to support center-wide activities
• Maintain liaison with internal teams, external partners, and Duke departments to facilitate center operations and accomplish programmatic objectives
• Support the Administrative Core leadership in strategic planning and resource coordination
• Assist with Opportunity Funds administration including but not limited to grant application intake and tracking, reviewer coordination and meeting logistics, collating proposal feedback, post-award follow-up and reporting support
• Perform other duties related to administrative support for MISM as directed

Event and Conference Management - 40%

• Coordinate annual conference and events planning activities by supporting planning committees and steering committees through all phases of event execution, including but not limited to meeting scheduling, creating and disseminating agendas, tracking action item and action item completion, drafting and sending pre-read materials, and recording/disseminating detailed minutes to ensure project momentum
• Assist in developing conference programs and schedules, including but not limited to coordinating the review and revision of programs, managing speaker assignments and session moderators, and overseeing presentation logistics such as emcee schedules and session moderator assignments
• Create and manage online portals for conference session proposals, poster abstract submissions, and travel award applications; coordinate review and notification processes, including but not limited to ensuring all submissions are reviewed, tracking statuses, drafting and vetting approval or rejection emails, and managing final notifications
• Prepare budget for and coordinate conference logistics, including but not limited to hotels, transportation, facilities, meals, and financial reimbursement systems for MISM members and external attendees; Route budget through appropriate approval channels
• Monitor and evaluate conference effectiveness including but not limited to designing and implementing pre- and post-conference evaluation surveys
• Collaborate with relevant Administrative Core personnel to support MISM seminars and other MISM events. This includes but is not limited to developing meeting schedules for visiting speakers, coordinating meals for speakers, coordinating speaker travel, coordinating seminar/event times and locations, and other on-site activities
• Manage social media platforms related to event and conference promotion and engagement
• Perform other duties related to conference and event management as directed

Communications and Coordination - 20%

• Support public relations activities including but not limited to drafting newsletters, promotional materials, and communications about MISM events and initiatives; coordinate with leadership as needed
• Assist with developing content for publicity materials and coordinating release schedules
• Perform other duties related to communications and coordination as directed

Additional Responsibilities - 10%

• Perform other duties as assigned to support the mission of the MISM Center

Required Qualifications

Education/Training:

Work requires analytical, communications and organizational skills generally acquired through completion of a bachelor's degree program.

Experience:

Work requires one year of experience in program administration or involving academic, instructional or counseling activities to acquire skills necessary to plan, coordinate and implement a variety of program activities and events.

OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Skills:

• Strong project management abilities with demonstrated capacity to coordinate complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives
• Excellent organizational skills with attention to detail and ability to manage multiple tasks and workstreams simultaneously
• Ability to apply logic and reasoning to identify solutions, evaluate program performance, and implement improvements
• Experience with budget tracking and financial coordination for events and programs
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for interdisciplinary audiences
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary research environment
• Proficiency with Microsoft Teams, Word, and PowerPoint
• Experience with digital communication tools and social media platforms
• Demonstrated ability to quickly learn new digital platforms

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with other Microsoft 365 collaboration tools including but not limited to SharePoint, Planner, Lists, Forms
• Experience with scientific conference planning or academic event coordination
• Proficiency with event management workflows, survey tools, and online submission portals