Job Details

Temporary Program Assistant

Position Number: 6706568
Location: Boulder, CO
Position Type: Conference and Events Administration

Temporary Program Assistant

Requisition Number: 68476
Location: Boulder Colorado
Employment Type: Temporary Staff
Schedule: Full Time
Posting Close Date: 20-Nov-2025
Date Posted:

Job Summary

The College of Engineering and Applied Science encourages applicants for the Program Assistant role! This position will start as a long term temporary position. Continued employment and conversion to a permanent position may be considered depending on performance, funding, and organizational requirements. This role provides operational, administrative, and marketing support for the Idea Forge and Design Center Colorado. They will also be responsible for contributing to finance, general administration, event coordination, and marketing efforts. The role assists with financial processes, including student and staff reimbursements, purchasing, and travel, and works with student employees to support these activities. It serves as a welcoming point of contact for visitors, helps handle building operations and technology resources, and supports day-to-day projects across the unit. The position also helps coordinate events and workshops, supports course scheduling, and contributes to marketing initiatives through digital and print communications and website management. The ideal candidate is organized, communicative, comfortable in a dynamic student-facing environment, and able to handle a variety of tasks to support the smooth operation and visibility of the Idea Forge and Design Center Colorado.
CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

The Idea Forge is a prototyping facility passionate about design and innovation. We are a flexible, cross-disciplinary collaborative space where students can imagine, design, build, and test products and solutions to meet a range of societal and customer needs. The space includes Design Center Colorado and supports student teams working on invention and innovation as part of courses, as well as design and development driven by entrepreneurial-minded individuals and groups. With all these students working side-by-side, the Idea Forge boosts student learning through collaborative, hands-on experience, while supporting industry interaction through scheduled programming as well as spontaneous exchanges.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Finance Support

Provides support to Assistant Director of Finance, including overseeing Concur PCard processing for student cardholders; coordinating purchasing for students; processing reimbursements for employees and non-employees; and booking travel
Train ~4 student employees per year to build Concur reports and work with them to process student PCard reports; provide onboarding and professional development to these student employees
Serve as primary Marketplace requestor for Design Center Colorado and Idea Forge
Serve as backup for staff Concur report preparation
Serve as backup for student staff time collection

General Administration

Serve as MBE Building Proctor, including submitting Facilities Management work orders, communicating facilities issues to/from staff, and issuing keys and card reader access for the building
Serve as initial point of contact for visitors using Idea Forge; run the Idea Forge email address and answer Idea Forge front desk phone, answering questions and providing excellent customer service
Oversee package arrival at Idea Forge, informing recipients when they receive mail
Track inventories of A/V equipment, office supplies, and pretotyping cabinet, including business cards and other print media
Serve as Design Center Colorado/Idea Forge IT Liaison, working closely with the ITLP IT Team and DCC/IF Assistant Director of Operations to identify and implement cost effective IT solutions that meet student, staff, and faculty needs; submits OIT and ITLP IT service requests
Work with technology systems, including tour and workshop processing software (Cerberus) for facility access and workshop fee collection; troubleshoots use of office, classroom, and conference room equipment and software, including projectors, sound systems, printers, etc.
Serve as Phone Liaison for DCC/IF Staff
Work with all members of Idea Forge and Design Center faculty and staff to support ad hoc projects as needed

Event Coordination

Schedule events in Idea Forge and DCC meeting spaces, including the Project-based Learning Studio, Commons, DIDL, and all conference rooms, and informing Idea Forge staff and occupants of upcoming events and needs
Continually improve event booking and facilitation process; follow up with event organizers to make sure that Idea Forge space is reset after events
Schedule and coordinate workshop offerings
Organize Idea Forge teaching assistant and instructor office hour schedules and locations in the Idea Forge and notifies them of changes based on special events.
Works with departments to schedule courses in Idea Forge
Serve as primary point of contact for all events taking place at Idea Forge
Leads and delivers annual Engineering Projects Expo for CEAS, overseeing $60k budget and coordinating across multiple departments/units
Coordinate annual ME Partners meeting, overseeing catering, scheduling, and general logistics

Marketing

Implement and maintain marketing strategies to promote the Idea Forge, including oversight of website content, digital communications, social media channels, and print materials to ensure consistent messaging and branding
Design and produce engaging marketing collateral, such as brochures, flyers, and wall signage, that communicate programs, events, and resources to students, faculty, and the community
Coordinate and conduct tours for prospective students, visitors, and community partners, providing an educational and welcoming experience that showcases the Idea Forge's offerings
Plan, promote, and complete regular community-building events that cultivate engagement and strengthen partnerships

Student Coaching and Mentoring

Provide real time "coaching" to students regarding professionalism and workplace expectations
Model professionalism to students

Other Duties

Undertake other duties and responsibilities as assigned
Stay appraised and current on relevant University and State of Colorado policies and procedures
Participate in professional development activities and serves on unity, college, or campus committees as applicable

What You Should Know

This position will start as a long term temporary position. Continued employment and conversion to a permanent position may be considered depending on performance, funding, and organizational requirements.
This role is based onsite 5 days/week and follows a standard Monday-Friday schedule, with business hours from 8:00am to 5:00pm.

What We Can Offer

$25-28/hr.

Benefits

Temporary positions at the University of Colorado are not benefits-eligible, however, all positions are eligible for paid sick leave.

Be Statements

Be ambitious. Be groundbreaking. Be Boulder.

What We Require

A bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience may substitute.
2+ years of experience directly related to the work assignment

What You Will Need

Strong written and verbal communication skills
Strong attention to detail
Patience and professionalism in the face of chaos
Ability to thrive in a chaotic, rapidly evolving environment
Ability to navigate high demand nature of a student facing environment
Ability to work in a busy work environment while still meeting job demands
Comfort working in a busy, student-facing environment with frequent noise and activity

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

A current resume.
A cover letter that briefly describes how your background and experience align with this position.

We may ask for references at a later time.

Please apply by 11/20/2025 for consideration.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications must be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs.

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

To apply, visit https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/Temporary-Program-Assistant/68476