Program Coordinator, Healthcare, Venture Lab

Program Coordinator, Healthcare, Venture Lab

Wharton School Overview Founded in 1881 as the world's first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With campuses in Philadelphia and San Francisco, Wharton has over 850 staff, a faculty population of more than 235 renowned professors, and 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year, 13,000 professionals worldwide advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education's individual, company-customized, and online programs. More than 104,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. Wharton is home to a dynamic staff population representing a rich array of backgrounds, expertise, and cultures. To learn more, visit Wharton's website.

Venture Lab is the student entrepreneurship center at the University of Pennsylvania, supporting students, founders, and innovators across all twelve schools. Venture Lab delivers educational programming, support, and University-wide initiatives that help students launch and grow new ventures. The Program Coordinator supports the execution of healthcare-focused entrepreneurship programming at Venture Lab, including the Penn ELITE Fellowship and the Clinical Connect Program, and provides foundational coordination, tracking, and communications support that enables effective collaboration with Venture Lab's founder-facing teams. The role is responsible for managing program logistics, managing participant and advisor records, coordinating communications, and supporting engagement with healthcare mentors, clinicians, alumni, and partners. The Program Coordinator works closely with the Senior Director of Healthcare Strategy and Venture Lab staff to ensure healthcare programs run smoothly, are well-coordinated across campus, and provide a consistent, high-quality experience for students, advisors, and partners. This position plays a key operational role in supporting healthcare entrepreneurship programming and strengthening Venture Lab's healthcare ecosystem.

Job Description The Program Coordinator, Venture Lab Healthcare, provides operational, administrative, and coordination support for Venture Lab's healthcare entrepreneurship initiatives. This role serves as the primary operational point of contact for healthcare programs, supporting the planning, execution, and follow-up of activities related to the Penn ELITE Fellowship and the Clinical Connect Program.

In this capacity, the Program Coordinator manages program logistics for healthcare-focused entrepreneurship initiatives at Venture Lab, including scheduling meetings and events, onboarding participants, preparing materials, coordinating room reservations and compliance requirements, and tracking program budgets, timelines, and milestones. As capacity and interest permit, the role may also provide coordination support for sector-adjacent or center-wide initiatives in collaboration with Venture Lab program teams. The Program Coordinator also manages records to ensure accurate contact lists and databases for student founders and ventures across Venture Lab founder programs, with a focus on healthcare, including participants, advisors, alumni, and partners, using Venture Lab systems.

In addition, the Program Coordinator supports healthcare engagement across Venture Lab by identifying and coordinating speakers, mentors, and advisors; sending routine program communications; assisting with website and newsletter updates; and responding to inquiries from students, faculty, and external partners. The position works closely with the Senior Director of Healthcare Strategy and Venture Lab staff to coordinate healthcare entrepreneurship initiatives and events across Venture Lab and Penn partner organizations.

This role requires strong organizational and communication skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple tasks in an academic environment. The Program Coordinator contributes to the consistent delivery of healthcare entrepreneurship programming and supports Venture Lab's mission to help students develop and launch healthcare ventures.

Job Responsibilities

• Manage and execute on program logistics for healthcare programming, including the Penn ELITE Fellowship and the Clinical Connect Program. Responsibilities include scheduling meetings and events, onboarding participants, preparing materials, managing program records, room reservations, and compliance requirements (e.g., COIs, security, facilities) with the Venture Lab Operations team, and tracking budgets, timelines, milestones, as well as participation and engagement data to support internal reporting and donor stewardship.
• Manage healthcare entrepreneurship program communication, content, and information resources. Responsibilities include drafting and maintaining operational materials, organizing and managing shared files and student-facing materials across Venture Lab platforms, overseeing routine program communications (including announcements, reminders, follow-ups, and content updates), and assisting with maintaining the website, newsletter, and other written materials.
• Advance the sustainability of healthcare programming through community building and partnership with Venture Lab program teams to embed healthcare-focused content, mentors, and resources across Venture Lab programs, strengthening support for student ventures. Manage development timelines, align resources, and build processes that effectively support healthcare ventures from concept through growth. Support the Senior Director of Healthcare Strategy by coordinating entrepreneurship initiatives and events, preparing materials, scheduling meetings, and tracking follow-up actions with Venture Lab staff and Penn partners to ensure seamless execution and long-term program sustainability.
• Prepare and coordinate data management for the Healthcare Entrepreneurship vertical by collecting, validating, and synthesizing program data to inform KPIs, reports, and presentations. Monitor trends across student ventures and healthcare programming and ensure timely, accurate insights are delivered to the Senior Director and leadership. Manage materials and data requests that support strategic decision-making and donor relationship management.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for healthcare entrepreneurship programs, responding to questions from students, faculty, advisors, and partners and ensuring timely follow-up and coordination.
• Develop and manage contact lists, records, and shared resources in Venture Lab systems for healthcare advisors, alumni, clinicians, subject matter experts, investors, students, and partners to ensure accurate recordkeeping and easy access to support.
• Support general Venture Lab operations and events as needed, including monitoring shared Venture Lab inboxes and supporting Start Here Mondays.
• Perform additional duties as assigned in support of Venture Lab priorities.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (e.g., public health, business, life sciences, healthcare management, or related) and 35 years of experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong organizational and project coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with demonstrated ability to communicate professionally with students, faculty, senior leaders, and external partners.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise sound judgment, and collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to maintain accurate records and documentation.
• High proficiency with Microsoft Office or Google Workspace; willingness to learn additional systems (e.g., Monday.com, Airtable, CRM systems).
• Interest in healthcare innovation, entrepreneurship, or academic program administration.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in higher education, program operations, entrepreneurship centers, accelerators, or healthcare innovation programs.
• Familiarity with clinical environments or health technology commercialization pathways.
• Experience coordinating multi-stakeholder programs involving faculty, students, alumni, and external experts.
• Experience supporting evaluation, reporting, or data tracking for programs.

Working Conditions & Additional Information

• Position is based on-site in Philadelphia with hybrid flexibility, consistent with Wharton and Venture Lab policies.
• Occasional early morning, evening, or weekend hours may be required for events.
• Some light physical activity involved in event setup or materials preparation.
• Duties may change as programs grow or new healthcare entrepreneurship initiatives are launched.
• This position is contingent upon funding.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Wharton School

Pay Range

$64,500.00 - $70,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.