Assistant Director for Events & Campus Traditions

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook (NY)

On-site

USD 65,000 - 70,000

Full time

4 days ago

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Benefits offered by this job

Location pay

Job summary

Stony Brook University is seeking an Assistant Director for Events & Campus Traditions to lead and advise undergraduate student government efforts, especially the SAB, while coordinating campus events, budgets, and risk management. The role emphasizes inclusivity, collaboration with USG, vendors, and campus partners to strengthen student life.

The position requires a Bachelor’s degree and 3 years of relevant experience, with supervisory responsibilities and comfort handling contracts and large

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree; 3 years full-time experience advising a student programming board or similar organization with large-scale event planning in a college/university setting.
Supervisory experience (supervision of students may be considered).
Experience with Microsoft Office and/or Google Suite.
Budget management experience.
Experience reviewing contracts.
Experience working with people from diverse backgrounds and identities.
Incumbent may be required to move packages weighing up to 50 pounds.

Responsibilities

Serve as secondary advisor to USG SAB; provide mentorship and guidance to student leaders.
Lead training and professional development for SAB members in leadership, budgeting, marketing, event management, inclusion, and workplace expectations.
Coordinate SAB programs from planning to on-site execution with USG leadership; advise chairs on event planning and risk management.
Oversee budgeting, vendor contracts, and compliance within SUNY and USG bylaws; monitor sponsorships and fundraising.
Support campus programs, events, and engagement platforms to promote inclusive student life.

Skills

Microsoft Office

Google Suite

Budget management

Contract review

Supervisory experience

Diversity & inclusion

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

Tools

Anthology Engage

CampusGroups

25Live

Fusion

Qualtrics

Job description

Job Description - Assistant Director for Events & Campus Traditions (2603951)

Assistant Director for Events & Campus Traditions

Who We Are

We, the Division of Student Affairs, are a student-focused organization that aims to empower student success and support personal development. We act daily to create, enhance, and sustain a culture of respect and inclusion in the workplace, focusing on equity and justice in its many forms, including racial, social, and environmental justice. We intentionally and relentlessly pursue excellence through introspection, vulnerability, empathy, compassion, learning, and courage. We value our internal and external partnerships as vital drivers of the ambitious goals we pursue. We celebrate and take pride in the following:

Named one of the “Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs” by Diverse Magazine.
Serving a highly diverse student body ( click here for more information).
Leading the way as the #1 ranked institution in the AAU and #3 of all colleges and universities nationally in fostering our students' social mobility.
Awarded multiple distinctions including philanthropic awards and research grants in experiential learning and career development, voter engagement, student engagement, health and wellness practices, and quality of residential life.

Click here for more about Student Affairs.

Required Qualifications (as evidenced by an attached resume):

Bachelor’s degree (foreign equivalent or higher). Three (3) years of full time professional experience advising a student programming board or similar student‑led organization including large‑scale event planning in a college/University setting (part‑time student experience may be prorated to meet the full‑time experience requirement). Supervisory experience (supervision of students may be considered). Experience with Microsoft Office and/or Google Suite. Budget management experience. Experience reviewing contracts. Experience working effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and identities. The incumbent frequently moves packages weighing up to 50 pounds.

Preferred Qualifications:

Master’s degree (foreign equivalent or higher). Additional years (4+) of full time professional experience advising a student programming board or similar student‑led organization including large‑scale event planning in a college/University setting (part‑time student experience may be prorated to meet the full‑time experience requirement). Experience working with student government. Experience with web‑based information systems, such as Anthology Engage, CampusGroups, 25Live, Fusion, Qualtrics, or comparable systems. Marketing and data assessment experience (i.e., social media content management and designing and implementing assessment tools to evaluate program effectiveness).

Brief Description of Duties:

As an integral part of the Division of Student Affairs, Student Life, and the Student Engagement and Activities teams, the Assistant Director for Events & Campus Traditions serves a vital role in creating and maintaining a vibrant campus life and promoting student engagement. Reporting to the Associate Director for Events and Campus Traditions, the Assistant Director provides leadership in developing, implementing, and assessing campus programs and University traditions that promote student engagement, belonging, campus vibrancy, spirit, and pride. The Assistant Director co‑advises the Undergraduate Student Government Student Activities Board (SAB), providing guidance and leadership to the USG Vice President for Student Life and the SAB in planning and executing scheduled programs. The Assistant Director helps oversee the planning, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive programming model of evening/weekend programs and trips that are responsive to student needs, enhance campus community, ensure safety, effectively manage risk, and minimize liability to USG and the University. The Assistant Director works collaboratively with Undergraduate Student Government (USG) leadership, students, University departments, vendors, performers, contractors, and external partners to ensure that programs are engaging, inclusive, accessible, and compliant with USG Financial Bylaws, University policies, and applicable regulations.

Programs and Events, and Budget Management, Student Activities Board (SAB) Advisement - Campus Programming & Large-Scale Events

Serve as the secondary advisor in addition to the Associate Director for Events and Campus Traditions to the Undergraduate Student Government Student Activities Board (SAB), providing operational continuity and mentorship.
Lead training and professional development for SAB members in leadership, communication, budgeting, marketing, event management, inclusion, and professional workplace expectations.
Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and student-centered advising environment that promotes student learning, accountability, leadership development, and organizational continuity.
Coordinate with the USG Vice President for Student Life and student leads on assigned SAB programs, including planning, implementation, and on‑site execution. Provide direct advising and conduct regular meetings with student chairs to guide and assist them in executing major traditions.
- Advise student leaders on event planning, project management, budgeting, marketing, contracting, production, hospitality, staffing, security, accessibility, and risk management.
- Coordinate event logistics, including space reservations, audiovisual production, entertainment, catering, transportation, ticketing, staffing, security, accessibility, hospitality, equipment, and vendor services.
- Coordinate the creation of print/web marketing and assessment efforts as needed, and utilize data collection to evaluate learning outcomes and improve future programming.

Budget Management

Operate within USG's financial approval process, supporting the purchase, payroll, and reimbursement approvals made by USG's authorized signatories.
Collaborate with the USG Vice President for Student Life and SAB Treasurer in planning, tracking, reconciling, and forecasting the SAB budget (~$1M in student activity fees), ensuring compliance and accurate documentation. Guide students through event budgeting, financial reporting, and complex artist/vendor contract negotiations.
Collaborate with the Associate Director and USG Vice President for Student Life in contract negotiations, review, and artist rider fulfillment. Ensure that vendors and contractors provide the required contracts, insurance certificates, permits, licenses, and supporting documentation by the established deadlines.
Conduct with pre-payment reviews on program invoices to confirm cost accuracy, proper budget allocation, and policy compliance before advancing documentation through the official USG financial pipeline. Review invoices for assigned programs to confirm accuracy and adhere to SUNY and Stony Brook guidelines.
Build and maintain strategic relationships with internal and external partners, vendors, and donors to expand event budgets and programming resources. Coordinate the sponsorship pipeline by collaborating with relevant campus partners and the board to propose and align donor opportunities (funding and in‑kind donations) with upcoming event themes, budgets, and marketing plans. This includes but is not limited to creating pitch decks, managing outreach trackers, and ensuring all sponsor deliverables are met during events.

Risk Management and Compliance

Collaborate with the Associate Director and USG Vice President for Student Life in liaising with University Police, Enterprise Risk Management, and Facilities to identify, address, and implement risk‑management, staffing, and emergency response plans for events and trips as needed.
Ensure all programming adheres to state and institutional policies, risk management protocols, and legal requirements, including contractual and insurance requirements.
Provide direct, day‑of, on‑site leadership and troubleshooting support calibrated to event risk levels.

Staff Training, Supervision, and Student Organization Advising

Collaborate with the USG Vice President of Student Life with training and transition of incoming SAB officers and members.
Manage payroll for work‑study event staff supporting SAB programs. Participate in professional staff recruitment, selection, onboarding, and training as needed.
Serve as program advisor to clubs and organizations. Work with assigned clubs/organizations to provide training, guidance, and program advisement to ensure success and uphold policies/procedures and risk management protocols.

Departmental Operations and Engagement Platforms Support

Coordinate with the planning, promotion, execution, and evaluation of USG and Student Engagement & Activities events as needed and assigned to enhance campus community and student retention.
Contribute to the administration of the department, including strategic planning and assessment. Coordinate the collection, analysis, and reporting of data to communicate outcomes/outputs. Use assessment findings to improve program quality, accessibility, operational efficiency, and responsiveness to student needs.
Coordinate and participate in the maintenance and utility of the university's online student engagement platform known locally as "SB Engaged" which includes: Creation of and review of forms and other functionalities; Increasing adoption of and engagement with SB Engaged throughout the university; Data reporting; Training students and staff on usage, utility, and development of individual sites; Building content and managing back‑end technical elements involved with set‑up, design, and site construction.

Professional Development and Committee Involvement

Participate in opportunities that promote your learning, growth, and development (i.e., classes, training, committees, webinars, etc.).
Contribute to the Division of Student Affairs and Stony Brook University by attending and/or supporting events, activities, and programs sponsored by areas outside of your individual unit/department (i.e., campus‑wide traditions, events, programs, etc.).
Other duties or projects as assigned as appropriate to rank and departmental mission.
Evening and weekend work will be required at times.

Special Notes

This is a full-time appointment. FLSA Exempt position, not eligible for the overtime provisions of the FLSA. Minimum salary threshold must be met to maintain FLSA exemption.

Salary

$65,000-$70,000 + $4,150 Location Pay = $69,150-$74,150 Total Compensation

In addition to the employee's base salary, this position is eligible for $4,150 UUP annual location pay, paid biweekly.

Essential Position

This has been designated as an essential position based on the duties of the job and the functions performed. Positions that are designated as such may be required to report to work/remain at work even if classes are canceled, and the campus is working on limited operations in an emergency.

For this position, we are unable to sponsor candidates for work visas.

Stony Brook University is committed to excellence in the creation of an inclusive learning and working environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, and all other protected classes under federal or state laws.

Stony Brook University is dedicated to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants, including individuals with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application, interview, or hiring process, please request one by contacting oea_ada@stonybrook.edu. We will consider accommodation requests in compliance with applicable laws. This process is independent and does not require any voluntary self‑identification of disability status. Please include the position title and position number (if known) in your message.

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Job Number

2603951

Official Job Title

Student Activities Assistant Director

Job Field

Administrative & Professional (non-Clinical)

Primary Location

Department/Hiring Area : Student Life

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