Two of SERC’s Visitor Cottages (Photo: Nina Tan)
Salary: $53,105 per year, plus health and retirement benefits and paid leave
Deadline: Dec. 11, 2023
Anticipated start date: February 1, 2024
To apply: Visit the official job ad at the Smithsonian Trust Careers site.
Questions? Contact SERCcampusmanager@si.edu. Do not send applications to this email.
Job Description:
The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) is a leading environmental research, education and convening center located on a beautiful 2,650-acre campus in Edgewater, Maryland. We are hiring a full-time Campus and Housing Coordinator to manage reservations, payments and services for on-site lodging, conferences, workshops, travel, public engagement programs and other events.
The Coordinator serves as the primary point of contact at SERC for all housing and meeting space requests, and for providing necessary information to SERC scientists and administration, facilities and maintenance staff and security personnel. Duties also include assisting with purchasing materials and services and with travel arrangements for local and international scientists, professionals and government officials. The Coordinator will also contribute to program analysis and marketing plans for convening and events, and support other administrative functions.
This position will be part of the SERC administration and operations team. Office space and a laptop computer will be provided. Limited telework may be possible.
As a member of the SERC and Smithsonian community, the Campus and Housing Coordinator will join an inclusive group of passionate, skilled and dedicated people united by our commitment to environmental stewardship, sustainability and justice. The right candidate will play an important role in shaping SERC’s identity as a globally important convening center and helping to engage diverse visitors from around the world about our shared future on a sustainable planet. The Coordinator will be hired as a Trust employee through the Smithsonian’s nonprofit wing, entitling them to health, vision, dental and other benefits.
Qualifications:
All applicants will be considered regardless of their background. Strong candidates will have some or all of the following:
- Significant experience in housing and/or organizational management, procurement, travel administration and/or significant professional experience with complex business operations and management.
- Experience with program planning and administration, in order to effectively integrate and coordinate housing management functions and activities in support of SERC operations and programs.
- Experience with organizational budgeting and financial management.
- Ability to analyze and make decisions to resolve issues in housing and scheduling activities, policies, processes, and coordination and integration efforts with little supervision.
- Ability to implement policies and procedures pertaining to housing management activities and programs.
- Significant experience with typical office productivity software (e.g., MS Office) and skill in using word processing and spreadsheet functions.
- Ability to learn online financial, procurement and travel administration systems used by the Smithsonian and the federal government.
- Ability to provide high-quality customer service, and to handle any potential difficult situations or stressful interactions with guests in a professional manner.
- Ability to communicate with a wide range of people, government, business and nonprofit organizations, the general public, and other constituents including local, national and international guests.
The Smithsonian Institution is an equal opportunity employer, committed to a policy of non-discrimination on the basis of race/ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, marital, parental or caregiver status, and disability. The SERC community recognizes the value of workforce diversity, and we strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply. We recognize that each applicant for this role will bring unique skills, knowledge, experiences and background to this position. Competitive candidates will have many, but not necessarily all, of the listed qualifications and experiences.
About the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center:
The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) is the leading environmental science and education institute of the world’s largest museum and research complex. SERC also leads the Smithsonian in sustainability, with 7 LEED-Platinum buildings and a commitment to achieving a net-zero campus within the next few years. Located just 25 miles from the nation’s capital, our 2,650-acre campus in Edgewater, Maryland, spans forests, wetlands, marshes and farmland, including 6 miles of walking trails and 15 miles of protected shoreline on the Chesapeake Bay, the nation’s largest estuary.
