Program Coordinator

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This posting is for an existing vacancy

3 Year Term

This is being offered as a 3-year secondment/contract opportunity.

The internal posting deadline for this position is January 29, 2026

Job Description:

Primary Purpose

Reporting to the Director of the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA), the Program Coordinator provides coordination, logistical, and communications support for WISA initiatives, with a particular focus on the Future in Motion network. This network advances interdisciplinary research, training, and partnerships across multiple transportation sectors.

The incumbent ensures that meetings, communications, and reporting processes for WISA and Future in Motion run efficiently. They support data collection, coordination of deliverables, and tracking of performance indicators related to the network’s key objectives. The position requires strong organizational, communication, and analytical skills to assist in documenting outcomes and facilitating collaboration among University and external stakeholders.

The role is essential to ensuring that WISA’s collaborative research and engagement activities operate smoothly, are effectively communicated, and contribute to the Institute’s visibility and impact across the University and partner network.

Key Accountabilities

Program and Administrative Coordination

· Provide organizational and administrative support for WISA and Future in Motion activities, including meeting scheduling, logistics, and correspondence.

· Coordinate and document meetings, including preparing agendas, distributing materials, and recording minutes for internal and partner sessions.

· Maintain databases of WISA members, external partners, and engaged graduate students, ensuring data accuracy and compliance with University privacy and records management policies.

· Support onboarding of new WISA members, including coordinating introductions, collecting required information, and orienting members to institute processes and communication channels.

· Coordinate events, workshops, and symposia, including venue bookings, catering, travel logistics, and participant communications.

· Coordinate and provide logistical and communications support for WISA’s annual student competition, including promotion, participant tracking, submission management, and event execution.

· Coordinate recurring Future in Motion webinars, including scheduling, invitations, speaker coordination, and technical setup using webinar platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or WebEx.

· Track project milestones and deliverables to ensure timely reporting and alignment with Future in Motion’s performance objectives.

· Compile and summarize information on progress toward KPIs for inclusion in internal and external reports, presentations, and communications materials.

· Maintain shared drives, templates, and document management systems to ensure consistency and accessibility of project information.

Communications and Stakeholder Engagement

· Support the development and dissemination of communications materials such as newsletters, website content, presentations, and reports in collaboration with the Faculty of Science, University Relations, and the Global Futures Office.

· Liaise with internal units including the Faculty of Science Dean’s Office, Office of Research, University Relations, Finance, and Human Resources.

· Collaborate with the Global Futures Office and other University of Waterloo research institutes, such as the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (WISE) and the Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research (WatCAR), to ensure coordination and alignment of activities across the Future in Motion network.

· Assist in the preparation of progress reports, presentations, and dashboards summarizing WISA and Future in Motion activities and outcomes.

· Coordinate partner engagement meetings and provide logistical support for workshops and collaborative sessions.

Team and Operational Support

· Collaborate with WISA’s Director, Associate Directors, research staff and administrative team to ensure coordinated delivery of program objectives.

· Foster coordination across related campus initiatives through collaboration with other research institutes, networks, and the Office of Research.

· Contribute to the improvement of administrative systems and documentation processes to enhance program efficiency.

Required Qualifications

Education

· Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Communications, or a related discipline; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Experience

· Three to five years of related experience providing coordination, reporting, or administrative support within a university, research, or non-profit environment.

· Experience managing logistics for meetings, events, webinars, and multi-partner projects.

· Experience with tracking project performance and compiling reports from multiple information sources.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

· Excellent organizational, time-management, and multitasking abilities.

· Strong written and verbal communication skills.

· Demonstrated ability to summarize data and outcomes into concise written reports or presentations.

· Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Teams, and project collaboration platforms such as SharePoint or Smartsheet.

· Ability to work collaboratively and build effective relationships across academic and administrative units, including the Office of Research, the Global Futures Office, and other campus institutes.

· Familiarity with University of Waterloo administrative systems and governance processes is an asset.

· Experience using Customer Resource Management (CRM) or other contact database software is an asset.

· Experience coordinating webinars or online events, including familiarity with webinar software platforms is an asset.

Equity Statement

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is coordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.