Assistant Director, Tsai Institute (HR Title: Program Manager)

Southern Methodist University; Town of Texas (WI); On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, seeks an Assistant Director for the Tsai Institute, a full-time, on-campus role focused on operational leadership, program management, and strategic planning.

The position oversees events, budgets, marketing, and staff support, collaborating with Directors and the Executive Board to advance the Institute’s mission at the intersection of law, science, and technology.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of 3 years work experience; at least 2 years in event planning, marketing, nonprofit management, or financial oversight.
• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Ability to handle confidential information, meet deadlines, and manage competing priorities.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office; familiarity with social media is preferred.
• Event planning and coordination experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Operations: manage day-to-day Institute operations and calendar of events.
• Budget and finance: oversee budgets, journal entries, and vendor payments.
• Events: plan and execute Institute events, manage logistics, speaker relations, and travel claims.
• Marketing and communications: implement marketing plans and distribute Institute materials.
• Staff support: supervise student workers and Tsai Scholars; liaison with donors and faculty.

Skills

Interpersonal communication

Verbal communication

Written communication

Problem-solving

Organization and time management

Team collaboration

Microsoft Office

Social media familiarity

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Description - Assistant Director, Tsai Institute (HR Title: Program Manager) (DED00000488)

Job Description

Description

Salary Range:

Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications

About SMU

SMU’s more than 12,000 diverse, high-achieving students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries to take advantage of the University’s small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.

SMU is data driven, and its powerful supercomputing ecosystem – paired with entrepreneurial drive – creates an unrivaled environment for the University to deliver research excellence.

Now in its second century of achievement, SMU is recognized for the ways it supports students, faculty and alumni as they become ethical, enterprising leaders in their professions and communities. SMU’s relationship with Dallas – the dynamic center of one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions – offers unique learning, research, social and career opportunities that provide a launch pad for global impact.

SMU is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.

About the Position:

This role is an on-campus, in-person position.

This is a full-time position for an Assistant Director for the Tsai Institute for Science, Technology, and Law (the “Institute”) at SMU Dedman School of Law. The Institute focuses on the intersection of law and technology, science, and innovation. The Assistant Director helps manage Institute programming, operations, administration, and strategic planning, including event management, Institute and event financial oversight, marketing, and administrative support. The Assistant Director will carry out the mission and strategic direction of the Institute at the direction of the Institute’s Directors and Executive Board.

Essential Functions:

Operations Management: Manage operational aspects of Tsai Institute endeavors. Help implement strategic plans to attain the goals and objectives set by the Institute Directors and Executive Board. Manage day-to-day operations of Institute. Manage administrative support.

Day to Day Operations: Create and manage Institute calendar of events and marketing/operations timelines for Institute activities. Distribute agenda for Tsai Institute meetings with Directors and students. Manage relationships with both internal partners and affiliated faculty.

Institute Financial Oversight: Help administer Institute budget. Review monthly finance office reports and request journal entries. Direct distributions for vendor payments and direct grant disbursements. Provide regular overall budget updates to Institute Directors.

Event Financial Oversight: Determine event budgets. Negotiate contract terms within SMU's contracting process. Manage reimbursement of travel expenses for speakers and payments to vendors. Track event expenses. Provide regular event budget updates to Institute Directors.

Program Management: Manage Institute events from origination to execution. Obtain RFPs from venues as needed. Serve as main logistical point of contact with event chair, vendors, speakers, and guests. Manage speaker experience, including expense reimbursement, honorarium distribution, local travel, speaker dinners and gifts.

Manage guest experience from inception to conclusion, including registration management, CLE application and attendee records, management of pre-event logistics, and event execution. Direct, oversee, and evaluate student worker and Tsai Scholar event support.

Communications: Manage and execute marketing plan for Institute priorities. Promote Institute events and programs via website, social media, e-mail blasts, event communications, promotional materials, and print media. Distribute correspondence on behalf of the Institute, including an annual newsletter, biannual e‑update, and annual endowment report.

Prepare annual endowment report. Serve as liaison to representatives of Donor as needed. Manage Institute mailing lists. Serve as point of contact with faculty grant recipients.

This position requires occasional evening hours for scheduled Institute events.

This position requires occasional travel for scheduled Institute events.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

A Bachelor’s is required.

A minimum of three (3) years of work experience is required, with a minimum of two (2) years of experience in event planning, marketing, nonprofit management, or financial oversight. Additional experience coordinating events is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Candidate must demonstrate strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate broadly across the University and develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of constituencies. Must also demonstrate strong written communication skills.

Candidate must possess strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify and analyze problems, as well as devise solutions. Must also have strong organizational, planning and time management skills.

Candidate must be able to handle confidential information, exercise good judgment, work collaboratively with different constituencies (e.g., judges, lawyers, vendors, staff, and students), meet deadlines, stay highly organized, and manage competing priorities.

Candidate must possess strong problem‑solving skills and the ability to manage competing priorities. Event planning and management experience is preferred.

Candidate must demonstrate proficiency with Microsoft Office products. Familiarity with social media platforms is preferred.

Physical and Environmental Demands:

• Sit for long periods of time
• Carry/lift 25 lbs.
• Sit for long periods of time
• Handle objects (dexterity)
• Stand
• Push/Pull

Deadline to Apply:

The position is open until filled.

Priority consideration may be given to submissions received by August 26, 2026.

EEO Statement

SMU is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression.

SMU offers staff a broad, competitive array of healthand related benefit s. In addition to traditional benefits such as health, dental, and vision plans, SMU offers a wide range of wellness programs to help attract, support, and retain our employees whose work continues to make SMU an outstanding education and research institution.

SMU is committed to providing an array of retirement programs that benefit and protect you and your family throughout your working years at SMUand, if you meet SMU's retirement eligibility criteria, during your retirement years after you leave SMU.