The Obama Presidential Center is opening the door to 150 new full-time jobs — and the North Lawndale Employment Network is proud to help connect Chicago talent to these opportunities.
North Lawndale talent, this moment is for you. The Obama Presidential Center is preparing to hire 150 full-time employees ahead of its 2026 opening, with roles ranging from visitor experience and security to facilities and campus operations — and they are intentionally looking to hire Chicago residents, especially from the South and West Sides.
As a community-based workforce and economic mobility partner, the North Lawndale Employment Network (NLEN) is teaming up with the Obama Foundation as one of four organizations helping recruit local candidates for these roles. Alongside Cara Collective, Skills for Chicago, and the St. Sabina Employment Resource Center, NLEN will support jobseekers with the preparation, coaching, and connections needed to step into these careers.
Former President Barack Obama has been clear that every job at the Center matters — from security officers who keep the campus safe and welcoming, to custodians who keep it shining, to visitor associates who serve as “ambassadors of hope” for guests from around the world. The Foundation emphasizes that hiring locally is essential to ensuring that everyone who visits feels the spirit of the South Side: its warmth, grit, creativity, and the joy that shows up on every block.
For North Lawndale residents, this is more than a job posting — it is a chance to shape how hundreds of thousands of visitors experience Chicago each year, while building long-term careers with benefits. NLEN will work with community members to identify strong candidates, strengthen resumes and interview skills, and help navigate the application process so that opportunity does not miss the people who have invested in this city the most.
Applications are now open at obama.org/careers, with new staff expected to begin work in late March and join more than 325 employees already on board. NLEN invites jobseekers and partners to reach out, spread the word, and help ensure that the Obama Presidential Center truly reflects the communities that built Chicago — including North Lawndale.