Assistant Director, Event Planning - The Catholic University of America

Posting Title:Assistant Director, Event PlanningOverview:

The Office of Events and Conference Services complements the mission of the university by coordinating and supporting a wide variety of comprehensive programs. The office is committed to providing quality facilities and services that support the cultivation of community, promoting the development of the whole student, fostering and celebrating multiculturalism, and contributing positively to the growth of spirit. Under direct supervision from the Director of Events and Conference Services, the Assistant Director for Event Planning will provide expertise and guidance to those both within the university community and external guests to assist in the successful and efficient planning and execution of meetings and events occurring on campus. The assistant director will, in collaboration with the assistant director for scheduling and event planning, recommend and assign space based on established criteria, type of event, and other needs of those planning the event. The assistant director will also maintain an accessible database of room set examples, recommended vendors for decorations, catering, floral, entertainment, etc., and meet with those planning events to coordinate the logistics of using vendors external to the university. The assistant director will provide planning tools to internal and external event planners and ensure that information is current and accurate. 

 

The projected salary or hourly pay range for this position which represents the full range of anticipated compensation is: up to $70,000. 

Responsibilities:

Plan and Implement Meetings and Events

a) Collaborate with other departmental staff to effectively capture event needs of all clients requesting space for special events.
b) Establish and maintain guiding documents for those planning events on campus, to include planning checklists, preferred vendor lists, and forms specific to the space being utilized.
c) Refer those planning events to relevant campus service providers as needed, depending on event and location. These may include catering, public safety/parking, marketing and communications, and facilities operations.
c) Utilize established protocols, forms, and procedures to ensure consistent level of service is provided to all users of university space.
d) Coordinate with Office of Campus Activities to provide training to student organizations on the space reservation process.
e) Serve as a resource to other university service providers regarding the status of events being planned on campus.
f) Participate in regular meetings to ensure the needs of facility users are understood and met by the appropriate campus resources.
g) Schedule and participate in site visits of potential campus facility users.

 

Establish and maintain relationships with external vendors, business partners, and service providers

a) In coordination with the university’s Office of Strategic Sourcing and Procurement, establish and maintain positive working relationships with external service providers, supplying resources in support of events occurring on campus.
b) Develop, with Strategic Sourcing and Procurement, preferred vendor lists to be shared with those planning events on campus.
c) Steward preferred vendor lists and communicate them to those planning events.
d) Serve as primary contact for clients (internal and external) who have reserved space on campus for a special event.
e) Collaborate with various campus departments to coordinate and meet academic, co-curricular, conference and special event needs.
f) Follow and enforce university policies and procedures related to space allocation priorities and principles.
g) Maintain current user/client information (e.g. student organization and university department contacts, org. numbers), effectively utilizing available technology.

3. Provide operational support to the Office of Events and Conference Services

a) Learn and effectively utilize designated software program (currently Conference Programmer) for maintaining accurate conference records, to include basic functions (invoicing, space assignments, etc.), serving as back-up to other departmental staff.
b) Learn and effectively utilize space scheduling software (currently CollegeNet 25Live) to serve as consultant to and back-up for assistant director for scheduling and event planning.
c) Collaborate with campus service providers to deliver support services to external conference groups when appropriate.
d) Assist with vendor policy maintenance and refinement.
e) Maintain records for conference and event services and recommend/create reports to support recommendations for improvement.
f) Participate in training of student staff, in coordination with other departmental staff.

 

Assume other appropriate duties as requested by the Director of Events and Conference Services

a) Possess working knowledge of university and community resources.
b) Attend departmental staff meetings, seminars and committee meetings as directed.
c) Serve on university, divisional and departmental committees as requested.
d) Be familiar with university business policies and procedures, especially in the areas of personnel, purchasing, accounting, and payroll.
e) Handle confidential materials.
f) Channel concerns, suggestions, and complaints to appropriate professional staff in a timely manner.

Maintain social media and internal marketing presence for Office of Events and Conference Services

a) In coordination with the Office of Marketing and Communications, maintain departmental website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other appropriate social media outlets.
b) Utilize various methods to market departmental event services/support to internal campus clients.
c) Provide educational programming for campus community about services offered by department.
d) In coordination with Dining Services and the Office of Campus Activities, market Murphy’s to students, faculty, and staff. 2

 

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree (Event Management, Communications, Business Administration, or a related field is preferred). Two (2) years related professional experience in a college or university, non-profit organization or other program-related entity to include event planning and hospitality. Knowledge of student unions/centers, conference services, campus/student activities, and/or meeting planning required. Demonstrated desire for professional growth preferred.

 

Knowledge of and experience working with event management software programs. Knowledge of and experience with Microsoft Office suite. Ability and desire to learn and effectively use university scheduling software system (currently Conference Programmer) for purpose of event management. Ability to learn university’s webpage management software, and ability to efficiently navigate various and multiple social media platforms.