Education Program Associate Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

AHEAD builds platforms for digital business. By weaving together advances in cloud infrastructure, automation and analytics, and software delivery, we help enterprises deliver on the promise of digital transformation.
At AHEAD, we prioritize creating a culture of belonging, where all perspectives and voices are represented, valued, respected, and heard. We create spaces to empower everyone to speak up, make change, and drive the culture at AHEAD.
We are an equal opportunity employer, and do not discriminate based on an individual's race, national origin, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, marital status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law, whether actual or perceived.
We embrace all candidates that will contribute to the diversification and enrichment of ideas and perspectives at AHEAD.
The Briefing Associate - Foundry is responsible for coordinating and executing Executive Briefings and Foundry experiences hosted at AHEAD's Libertyville integration facility and Chicago office. This role ensures every visit delivers a world-class experience-from pre-briefing planning and agenda building through day-of execution, tours, and post-event follow-up. You'll partner closely with the Briefings Program Manager, Foundry operations, sales, marketing, and engineering leaders to bring the Foundry Experience to life: showcasing AHEAD's integration, staging, and deployment capabilities and turning on-site visits into compelling, outcomes-focused sessions.
Duties/Responsibilities
Briefing Coordination & Execution

• Coordinate all tactical components of Foundry briefings and tours (scheduling, invitations, room bookings, logistics, hospitality, room setup, catering, badging, transportation coordination as needed).

• Support the Briefings Program Manager in qualifying briefing requests, confirming objectives, and translating them into agendas and run-of-show documents tailored to the client and opportunity.

• Manage briefing agendas, presenter lineups, timing, and transitions to keep sessions on track and aligned to client goals.

• Serve as on-site host for Foundry briefings-greeting guests, providing orientation, supporting tours of the integration facility, and ensuring a polished, high-touch experience throughout.

• Coordinate AV, room technology, demos, and presentation materials, escalating issues to the appropriate technical teams when needed.

Foundry & Stakeholder Partnership

• Partner with Foundry Operations, Warehousing, and Engineering teams to align tours and briefings with active programs and real-world work on the Foundry floor, highlighting our integration and lifecycle services.

• Work closely with sales, solutions engineering, and marketing to ensure Foundry briefings are connected to active pursuits and strategic accounts.

• Coordinate with Facilities and Security at both Libertyville and Chicago to manage visitor access, safety requirements, and facility readiness.

Logistics, Systems & Process

• Use the digital Briefing Management System (e.g., BriefingSource) and CRM tools (Salesforce.com) to manage requests, track attendance, maintain agendas, and support pipeline and ROI reporting.

• Own day-to-day briefing operations tasks such as room holds, calendar invites, visitor lists, meal orders, swag inventory, agendas, name badges, tent cards, signage, and in-room collateral.

• Coordinate travel and hotel recommendations for visiting clients as needed, ensuring an end-to-end, hospitality-quality experience that reflects AHEAD's brand.

• Support tracking of briefing metrics (volume, locations, briefing type, account segment, outcomes) and assist with recap and impact reporting.

Experience Design & Continuous Improvement

• Help maintain and evolve standard briefing templates, agenda frameworks, and Foundry tour flows for different industries and solution areas (e.g., Foundry IMS, networking, data center, platform engineering).

• Capture feedback from clients, AHEAD stakeholders, and presenters; recommend improvements to continuously enhance the Foundry briefing experience.

• Support internal communications to increase awareness of the Foundry Experience and briefing offerings with sales, partners, and internal teams.

• Assist with select field or national events at Libertyville or Chicago that feature Foundry tours or workshops, as bandwidth allows.

• Other job duties as assigned

Education and Experience
Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Communications, Marketing, Hospitality, or related field, or equivalent work experience.

• 2-4 years of experience in event coordination, customer hospitality, briefing centers, sales meetings, or similar client-facing roles.

• Demonstrated experience managing logistics for in-person meetings or events (room setup, catering, AV coordination, guest services).

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple briefings and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; confident working with internal stakeholders at all levels.

• High attention to detail, professional presence, and a passion for delivering exceptional client experiences.

Preferred:

• Experience with briefing programs, executive visits, or experience centers.

• Familiarity with Salesforce.com, briefing management tools (e.g., BriefingSource), and standard productivity tools (Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint, Excel).

• Background in technology, professional services, or B2B marketing.

• Comfortable working on a production-oriented campus (integration/logistics environment) with appropriate safety practices.

Location & Travel

• Primary on-site presence required at Libertyville Foundry Integration Center (1200 Technology Way, Libertyville, IL and 901 Technology Way, Libertyville, IL) with regular support at the Chicago office (444 W. Lake Street) based on briefing schedule.

• Frequent early morning, evening, or flexible hours to support client briefing schedules.

• Limited regional travel between Chicago and Libertyville; occasional travel to other AHEAD offices may be required for special experiences or training.

Physical Requirements
The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions, in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), and other applicable federal, state, and local laws.

• Performance of Essential Functions: Ability to safely and effectively perform all essential job functions listed herein while meeting established productivity and quality standards.

• Attendance: Ability to maintain regular and predictable attendance, consistent with ADA, FMLA, and other applicable requirements. Includes ability to safely and reliability travel to and from an office and/or client work site, as required.

• Work Environment: Ability to perform job duties at customer sites or in data center environments which may include:

• Standing, walking, bending, and lifting or moving equipment weight up to fifty (50) pounds.

• Working in areas with fluctuating temperatures, including warm and cold environments, both indoors and outdoors.

• Exposure to production environments that may include higher noise levels, bright lighting, and varying airflow.

• Manual Dexterity: Ability to use hands and fingers to handle, feel, or operate objects, tools, or controls, and reach with hands and arms, as needed.

• Communication Skills: Ability to hear, listen, and communicate clearly while performing job duties.

$60,000 - $65,000 a year
The compensation range indicated in this posting reflects the On-Target Earnings ("OTE") for this role, which includes a base salary and any applicable target bonus amount. This OTE range may vary based on the candidate's relevant experience, qualifications, and geographic location.
Why AHEAD:
Through our daily work and internal groups like Moving Women AHEAD and RISE AHEAD, we value and benefit from diversity of people, ideas, experience, and everything in between.
We fuel growth by stacking our office with top-notch technologies in a multi-million-dollar lab, by encouraging cross department training and development, sponsoring certifications and credentials for continued learning.
USA Employment Benefits include:
- Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
- 401(k)
- Paid company holidays
- Paid time off
- Paid parental and caregiver leave
- Plus more! See benefits https://www.aheadbenefits.com/ for additional details.
Use of AI:
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, assessing responses, or to capture recordings and create transcriptions or summaries during interviews. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans.
If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please refer to the Candidate Privacy Notice or contact us at [email protected].
You may opt-out of the review or analysis of your application and resume by AI tools by using the General Application. Please include the role you wish to apply for in the Additional Information field. You may also choose to opt-out of recording and transcription at any time, including after joining an interview. Candidates will not be penalized for choosing to opt-out.
We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.