Assistant Director, Event Management

University of Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 69,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Chicago is seeking an Assistant Director, Event Management, to lead planning and execution of events in the CSL Student Centers portfolio, including Reynolds Club, Mandel Hall, Bartlett Hall, and other University locations. You will supervise staff, manage budgets, and maintain vendor relationships to deliver successful events.

The role requires collaboration with diverse campus groups, adherence to policies, and flexible scheduling (10:00am–6:30pm Tue–Sat during the academic

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
• Experience in events management and billing.
• Experience with financial administration and billing.

Responsibilities

• Plans, coordinates, and executes events for diverse clients within Reynolds Club, Mandel Hall, Bartlett Hall, and other locations.
• Staff events, coordinates client needs on-site, and ensures excellent customer service.
• Manages event budgets and billing policies, and monitors scheduling and invoicing.
• Maintains relationships with vendors and campus departments supporting events.
• Ensures adherence to University policies and continuously seeks process improvements.

Skills

EMS software

Social Tables

Budgeting

Vendor relations

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Department

CSL Student Centers: Event Management

About the Department

The Student Centers serve as the core community building and special events spaces at the University of Chicago. The Student Centers play a formative role in the Campus and Student Life goal of creating a comprehensive and integrated network of services that support the academic mission and facilitate student learning, engagement, and success.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Associate Director of Event Management, the Assistant Director, Event Management, has primary responsibility for planning and executing events. This includes working with diverse student populations; supervising union and student staff; developing and monitoring event budgets and billing processes; contributing to and implementing unit policies and procedures; and maintaining relationships with vendors to successfully support a range of events across the portfolio. This position has a regular schedule of 10:00am-6:30pm, Tuesday through Saturday, during the academic year, with greater schedule flexibility during academic breaks and building closures.

Responsibilities

• Assists with planning, coordination, and event support to student, staff, faculty, alumni, and affiliate clients within the Reynolds Club, Bartlett Hall (1st floor), Mandel Hall, and other University of Chicago locations in the evening and on weekends.
• Staff events and programs, and helps coordinate client needs on-site.
• Works with University and Student Centers staff to encourage community involvement in providing services to a wide variety of facility users in the Student Centers. Participates in the regular planning cycle for Student Centers events.
• Coordinates and attends a wide range of events during the day and evenings in Reynolds Club, Mandel Hall, and other campus locations as required.
• Contributes to problem-solving related to unforeseen issues concerning events and guests within the facilities.
• Helps ensure all events conform to University of Chicago and special event policies as necessary, with a high level of sensitivity to customer service and enhancing public relationships with program organizers and participants.
• Utilizes industry standards and technological solutions when appropriate.
• Oversees scheduling and billing policies and implementation for the Student Centers’ portfolio, including Ida Noyes Hall, Reynolds Club, Bartlett Hall (1st floor), and Mandel Hall, including the quarterly room lottery system for student organizations in collaboration with the Scheduling Coordinator.
• Provides consistent and high-level logistical support to all clients and events in the Student Centers portfolio.
• Ensures all reservations and billing are processed in a timely manner.
• Audits, scheduling, and billing practices as needed.
• Develops and maintains additional policies regarding scheduling and billing in collaboration with the Associate Director for Event Management.
• Cultivates and maintains relationships with vendors and departments that support events across the portfolio. These include on-campus departments such as AV Services, Facilities Services, and partner venues across the University. Vendors may include audiovisual and rental furniture vendors, caterers, décor, and floral vendors that support a variety of budgets and events.
• Hires, trains, supervises, and evaluates employees, including a full-time, non-exempt Scheduling Coordinator and student employees.
• Serves as a member of the Student Centers staff and assists with various office programs and projects. This includes consulting and collaborating with the peer Assistant Director of Events Management, and fulfilling other duties as assigned within the Student Centers portfolio.
• Executes day-to-day event logistics and other moderately complex assignments with some guidance from others.
• Works to implement ideas for improvement as they are identified, in addition to providing post-event feedback on turnout and vendor performance, with direction from others.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

—

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree.

Experience:

• At least two years of experience in a progressively responsible work environment, preferably in a student union or hotel setting.
• Events management experience.
• Prior experience with financial administration and billing.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Experience with Event Management Software (EMS) or similar software.
• Experience with Social Tables or similar software.

Preferred Competencies

• Excellent oral and written communication skills and an ability to cultivate and manage strong relationships are a must.
• Demonstrate the ability to understand the needs of the University of Chicago community and work with students, faculty, and staff in a wide array of situations.
• Demonstrated the ability to work independently.
• Demonstrated success in working with diverse student populations.

Working Conditions

• Regular schedule is 10am-6:30pm Tuesday through Saturday during the academic year, with greater schedule flexibility during academic breaks and building closures.
• Availability to work varying hours as needed, including evenings and weekends.
• Ability to move across campus to meet clients and support events in various buildings and outdoor spaces.
• The ability to work effectively with a diverse and demanding population in a fast-paced, high volume environment.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)
• Professional References Contact Information (3)(required)

The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.

Job Family

Communications

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

FLSA Status

Exempt

Pay Range

$60,000.00 - $69,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

The University of Chicago’s Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.