Welcome to CUPPA Careers!

The College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs at UIC is the University of Illinois System's home for the study of public policy and contemporary urban challenges. We are CUPPA.

In the heart of Chicago, we offer degrees in fields of study that can change your life and change the world. CUPPA students and alumni are uniquely skilled to build and transform sustainable urban neighborhoods and communities and to address the challenges presented in the 21st century. Find our more about our Bachelors, Masters, and Doctorate degrees at cuppa.uic.edu.

Follow our job postings below and our national job tweets at @CUPPACareers. For student internships and student opportunities, head to the CUPPA Student Opportunities Blog

Have a job or internship to post? Send an email with the title, location, job description, and contact information to cuppa@uic.edu

Administrative Assistant @ Metropolitan Planning Council (Chicago)

Who: Metropolitan Planning Council, Chicago, IL

What: MPC seeks a detail-minded Administrative Assistant who possesses enthusiasm for the Metropolitan Planning Council’s agenda and an eagerness to assist our staff in furthering our mission. The Administrative Assistant provides programmatic and organizational support to advance MPC’s priorities. The Assistant will also provide specific administrative support to three senior staff—Emily Blum, Director of Marketing and Communications, Alden Loury, Director of Research and Evaluation and Audrey Wennink, Director of Transportation. The Administrative Assistant is responsible for: 
-fielding phone calls and emails, managing e-mailings, assisting with hospitality needs in the reception and Conference room spaces, and other general administrative tasks;
-scheduling, coordinating, and handling meeting preparation and follow-up and occasional travel arrangements for three Director-level staff;
-coordinating meetings, including drafting agendas and correspondence, communicating needs and deadlines to relevant staff members and preparing meeting minutes;
-coordinating logistics for MPC internal and external events, with guidance from MPC’s Events Manager, Angie Leyva;
-researching, drafting and producing memos, correspondence and blog posts for a diverse set of clients and constituents;
-facilitating effective internal communication and collaboration between program, research, communications, development and management team staff; 
-and updating MPC’s Raiser’s Edge constituent database and mailing lists. 

Qualifications: 
-Entrepreneurial: a self-starter, able to proactively identify, prioritize and complete tasks, handle multiple projects and deadlines and work in a fast-paced environment, able to chart a course and map out the path to a problem solution, and extremely detail-oriented.
-Relationship Builder: able to develop sincere connections and establish rapport with diverse groups and individuals, able to maintain and cultivate relationships even during conflict.
-Passionate, Eager and Positive: passionate about the issues that MPC addresses and committed to supporting the organization’s mission, able to contribute positively to group problem solving, always seeking solutions, volunteering and taking initiative.
-Curious: demonstrates desire for lifelong learning and self-improvement, engaged in the news and current events, not afraid to ask why and seek to understand context.
-Team Player: capable and willing to work collaboratively with staff and volunteers, consult the team for guidance, value positive contributions, tap strengths of all staff and ask for help when needed.
-Strong Communicator: an excellent writer and communicator who can competently represent the organization and its work to the public, board members, donors and audiences of all kinds.
-Analytical Thinker: able to identify root causes and causal relationships, challenge assumptions and identify pros and cons of possible paths forward.
-Socially and Emotionally Intelligent: able to read people and situations, anticipate reactions, read between the lines, and be aware of emotional reaction. 

To apply, send the following by email or mail: resume and salary history, a brief writing sample, and three references to: 
Skyler Larrimore, Metropolitan Planning council, 140 S. Dearborn Suite 1400, Chicago IL 60603
manager@metroplanning.org