Associate Director, Event and Venue Operations - Wharton San Francisco

Trustees of University of Pennsylvania; United States; On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Pennsylvania (Wharton San Francisco) is seeking an Associate Director, Event and Venue Operations to develop and execute comprehensive event strategies across multiple venues. The role oversees planning, production, client relations, and on-site execution, coordinating vendors, space readiness, and budgets to ensure high‑quality Wharton events.

The position requires hands-on leadership, strong communication, and the ability to balance long-term planning with detailed on-site

Qualifications

• Experience in planning and delivering large-scale events.
• Ability to manage vendors, budgets, and client relations.
• Hands-on operations with a focus on reliable event delivery.

Responsibilities

• Event Strategy Planning and Execution: Under the direction of senior leadership, develop and execute the strategy, planning, production, and delivery of events serving faculty, students, alumni, partners, and external clients.
• Serve as the primary client contact from initial concept through post-event closeout, translating program objectives into detailed timelines, staffing plans, communications, production requirements, and contingency plans.
• Direct space setup, vendor activity, live execution, troubleshooting, teardown, and follow-up. Remain visible and hands-on during events.
• Establish, implement, and monitor event standards that support Whartons academic, research, alumni, student, and professional-development priorities.
• Deliver

Skills

Event planning

Client service

Vendor management

Budget management

On-site execution

Marketing

Revenue generation

Job description

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes

• excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families
• generous retirement benefits
• a wide variety of professional development opportunities
• supportive work and family benefits
• a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources
• and much more

Posted Job Title

Associate Director, Event and Venue Operations - Wharton San Francisco

Job Profile Title

Associate Director D, Arts and Media, Events

Job Description Summary

Founded in 1881 as the world's first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With campuses in both Philadelphia and San Francisco, Wharton has over 850 staff, a faculty population of more than 235 renowned professors, and 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year 13,000 professionals from around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education's individual, company-customized, and online programs. More than 104,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. Wharton is home to a dynamic population of staff, representing a rich array of backgrounds, expertise, and cultures. To learn more, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu.

Wharton San Francisco

Is the West Coast home of the Wharton School and a hub for learning, innovation, industry engagement, and high-impact programs and events. WSF continues to expand its programming, partnerships, facility use, and presence in the Bay Area.

Under the direction of senior leadership, the Associate Director, Event and Venue Operations develops and executes event strategies and oversees the planning, production, and delivery of WSF events.

The role is accountable for event planning, client service, on-site execution, vendor and budget management, marketing, revenue generation, space readiness, and facility utilization. The manager designs and implements event systems, workflows, service standards, vendor relationships, inventory controls, and operating procedures that support consistent, scalable event operations.

The Associate Director will oversee event operations across multiple WSF venues and establish and maintain the systems and operating practices required to support high-quality, scalable event delivery. As WSF transitions to its permanent home at The Cube, this includes coordinating venues with different layouts, equipment, access requirements, vendors, and operating constraints, while establishing the operational foundation for The Cube and maintaining service continuity and a high-quality Wharton experience.

The position partners with WSF leadership, the Senior Client Services Manager, faculty, program teams, students, alumni, external clients, building partners, and vendors. The role requires an experienced, hands-on event operations professional who exercises sound judgment, manages competing priorities, builds scalable operations, and moves between long-range planning and detailed on-site execution.

Job Responsibilities

• Event Strategy Planning and Execution: Under the direction of senior leadership, develop and execute the strategy, planning, production, and delivery of events serving faculty, students, alumni, partners, and external clients.
• Serve as the primary client contact from initial concept through post-event closeout, translating program objectives into detailed timelines, staffing plans, communications, production requirements, and contingency plans.
• Direct space setup, vendor activity, live execution, troubleshooting, teardown, and follow-up. Remain visible and hands-on during events.
• Establish, implement, and monitor event standards that support Wharton's academic, research, alumni, student, and professional-development priorities.
• Deliver