Sr Events Manager, College of Arts and Sciences

University of Delaware

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Delaware is an Equal Opportunity Employer which encourages applications from Minority Group Members, Women, Individuals with Disabilities and Veterans. The University's Notice of Non-Discrimination can be found at http://www.udel.edu/aboutus/legalnotices.html


Job No: 499185
Work Type: Staff
Location: Newark
Categories: Full Time, Conference and Event Services


PAY GRADE: 30E

CONTEXT OF THE JOB:
The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at the University of Delaware is nationally recognized for its exceptional educational experiences and for integrating instruction, research, and public engagement. With 24 academic departments in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, more than 25 centers, programs, and institutes, and featuring outstanding research and teaching facilities, CAS serves over 7,500 students, is supported by approximately 400 staff, and maintains annual operating expenditures of over $121M. The College's 600 faculty members emphasize the enduring value of an arts and sciences education and a deep commitment to excellence in scholarship and all forms of creative and intellectual expression, with sponsored research expenditures totaling more than $38.6M per fiscal year.

Under the limited direction of the Director, Strategic Events, the Sr. Events Manager, CAS Strategic Events implements a comprehensive strategy to prioritize, organize, and market CAS events and executes field-level operations for the CAS Events team to engage the internal and external community and further the mission of the College of Arts and Sciences and its partners. The Sr. Events Manager works independently, has a high level of interaction with senior administrators, faculty, alumni, and the broader community, and oversees a team of events support staff to plan and implement departmental and center events.

As an experienced event professional, the Sr. Events Manager is responsible for planning, organizing, and designing a variety of internal and external-facing CAS events. The incumbent also delivers trainings to other College staff about event protocols, processes and manages vendor partnerships to ensure best practices and is responsible for managing assigned individual CAS events budgets.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Works with the Director, Strategic Events, to develop and implement the College's annual events strategy. Develops, designs, organizes, and implements short and long-range event plans and goals designed to increase engagement with and visibility of the College. Manages the execution of both high-level College events and a wide range of departmental and center events to ensure continued engagement and strong affinity with the College and its departments and centers and to highlight the impact of the Colleges work and advance strategic initiatives within the CAS community of faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, and with external community and business partners.
• Exercises autonomy in researching, evaluating, developing, and executing events designed to engage College and University faculty and staff, current and prospective students, and the broader community. Integrates, through intentional research and collaborations, key College priorities and initiatives to demonstrate the College's impact at these events.
• Supervises the CAS Events Miscellaneous Wage Staff members. Provides guidance, feedback, training, manages scheduling and event coverage.
• Develops and oversees comprehensive credit-bearing internship program for the Events Team. Sr. Events Manager will supervise and mentor students in this program as well as student workers serving as events support.
• Provides event support and ensures event support coverage for 24 academic departments and more than 25 centers, programs, and institutes. Coordinates the College-wide events support intake process. Assigns events support staff to provide support for department, center, and college events according to CAS guidelines and procedures. Participates in annual meetings with department and center leadership to gather information on planned events, populate a college-wide events calendar, and ensure a high level of service. Facilitates events on-site and virtually, ensuring that event operations are cost effective and in accordance with goals and objectives; resolves or manages resolution of problems and issues as they arise.
• Plans and executes multi-day conferences for CAS departments and centers to include full coverage support from conference creation, promotion and on-site management.
• Responsible for multiple components of an enrollment-related events strategy and enrollment event execution for both the College as a whole and for 25+ individual departments to best showcase our academic programs and offerings, resulting in increased enrollment to the College.
• Works closely with the Director, Strategic Events, on the planning and execution of the annual CAS convocation event for 2,000+ graduates and 12,000+ guests including parents, alumni, and prominent speakers. Responsibilities include the creation of a full run of show, coordination and logistics of speakers, awards, video, graduate staging, and procession, recruitment, and management of volunteers, answering graduate and parent questions, and assigning VIP box seats.
• Works with departments, centers, and the Events Director to design events budgets. Tracks overall events budgets and allocates expenses for each event. Provides budget updates and analysis to the Director, Strategic Events.
• Coordinates high-level college-wide events including the selection process for event venues, staffing, menus, set up and floor plans, seating, parking, transportation, signage, dcor, lighting, photography, and media services. Serves as back-up to the Director, Strategic Events for high-level events.
• Prepares event documents for distribution to the Dean and senior leadership including detailed timelines, invitation and VIP lists, seating charts and staffing plans. Purchases gifts for guests or hosts as needed.
• Evaluates event outcomes by measuring event attendance and soliciting feedback.
• Builds and manages effective working relationships with on-campus and off-campus vendors and suppliers, including tent companies, lighting companies, movers, catering, florists, electricians, etc. Negotiates contracts and costs with vendors and suppliers to ensure best pricing while maintaining expectations of event quality.
• Serves as a liaison between contractors, organizers, faculty, and administrators for multiple events assigned.
• Serves as an additional leadership resource for other event staff, such as those in Development and Alumni Relations and in other colleges, to ensure consistent event standards, collaborative strategies, and defined partnerships that serve to best serve the College and the University.
• Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree and a minimum of five years of experience in special events, marketing, or related field, preferably in higher education.
• Experience in successfully managing multiple projects, particularly across departments requiring committee leadership and collaboration.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, produce, and coordinate event logistics for a variety of events.
• Experience in managing budgets and financial reporting.
• Ability to establish and maintain good working relationships with all levels of people, including VIPs, internal and external to the organization, including working effectively in a team setting.
• Strong creative, oral and written communication skills as well as strong presentation skills.
• Experience in managing multiple priorities, organizing, resource management, and working with tight deadlines.
• Background in computer proficiency specifically Microsoft Office and database experience.
• Ability to evaluate, develop, and edit timelines, briefing materials and event documents for critical audiences.
• Ability to assess contract compliance and product/service quality.
• A high degree of personal and professional integrity, poise, maturity, and excellent judgment.
• Ability to self-motivate, make independent judgment and to perform tasks on own initiative, many of which have no precedent.
• Demonstrates an understanding and consideration of the differing needs and concerns of individuals with varying identities, cultures and backgrounds.
• Committed to fostering a workplace culture of belonging, where diversity is celebrated and equity is a core value.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Evening and weekend hours as well as some travel required.
• Ability to lift 25 pounds.

Notice of Non-Discrimination, Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action
The University of Delaware does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status, disability, religion, age, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law in its employment, educational programs and activities, admissions policies, and scholarship and loan programs as required by Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and other applicable statutes and University policies. The University of Delaware also prohibits unlawful harassment including sexual harassment and sexual violence.

Applications close: Sep 01 2022 Eastern Daylight Time

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