Associate Director, Institutional Events and Commencement

Emerson College; Massachusetts; Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 91,000; Full time

Job summary

Emerson College is seeking an Associate Director of Institutional Events & Commencement to lead the planning and execution of major ceremonies and events. This role oversees multi-day commencements, VIP platforms, and signature institutional events, while collaborating across Marketing, Student Life, and Procurement.

The position emphasizes strategic project management, vendor oversight, and post-event analysis within a hybrid Boston campus environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and minimum related experience.
• Proven ability to manage multi-faceted, high-volume ceremonial milestones.
• Experience leveraging AI tools to enhance operations preferred.
• Experience in higher education or matrixed environments is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end execution of commencement ceremonies and related events.
• Develop master plans, timelines, budgets, and run-of-show documents.
• Coordinate communications with students, families, faculty, and leadership.
• Manage vendor contracts, registrations, and on-site coordination.
• Support Open Houses and Admitted Student Days initiatives.

Skills

Project management

Event production

Public speaking

Relationship building

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Production or related field

Tools

Project management software

Google Sheets / Excel

Layout software

Job description

Join our community and experience Emerson College!

The Associate Director, Institutional Events & Commencement reports to the Director, Advancement Events on the Advancement Communications & Institutional Events team within the Office of Institutional Advancement. Serving as a central pillar of the College's experiential brand identity, the Associate Director is an organized, thoughtful, and strategically minded project manager. Beyond executing a flawless Commencement season, the Associate Director actively manages and supports a portfolio of other signature events within Emerson's comprehensive Institutional Events portfolio. Operating under the leadership of the Events Directors, the Associate Director will be assigned select events to manage completely, while providing matrixed support for major enrollment, presidential, and advancement milestones.

Position Summary

The Associate Director, Institutional Events & Commencement reports to the Director, Advancement Events on the Advancement Communications & Institutional Events team within the Office of Institutional Advancement. Serving as a central pillar of the College's experiential brand identity, the Associate Director is an organized, thoughtful, and strategically minded project manager. Beyond executing a flawless Commencement season, the Associate Director actively manages and supports a portfolio of other signature events within Emerson's comprehensive Institutional Events portfolio. Operating under the leadership of the Events Directors, the Associate Director will be assigned select events to manage completely, while providing matrixed support for major enrollment, presidential, and advancement milestones.

Essential Job Duties

• Under the direction of the Events Directors, create, produce, and manage the complete execution of the annual multi-day commencement exercises, graduate hooding ceremonies, and associated VIP platform parties, ensuring a dynamic academic event that elevates the guest experience.
• Formulate and track master project plans, detailed timelines, exhaustive checklists, ground plans, budgets, role descriptions, crew assignments, scripts, and definitive minute-by-minute run-of-show documents.
• Research, design, and pivot ceremony formats as needed to deliver highly impactful in-person, hybrid and virtual graduation experiences. Manage event load-in and load-out as needed.
• In partnership with Marketing & Communications and Student Life, coordinate the delivery of clear, consistent, and multi-layered event communications to students, parents, faculty, staff, and leadership via specialized email workflows, direct inquiries and manage regular website updates.
• Evaluate and deploy specialized technical systems to enhance process efficiency and graduate engagement, including electronic guest ticketing, automated graduate messaging architectures, graduate name pronunciation systems, customized slides, professional portraits, and video captures.
• Research, procure, and supervise premier external event vendors, talent, and production houses; issue structured service contracts, and collect compliant insurance certificates, partnering with Procurement.
• Directly manage select high-profile institutional events as assigned by leadership, steering them from inception through budgeting, registration, vendor procurement, onsite coordination, and post-event analysis.
• Provide crucial operational alignment, staff management, and delivery support for high-volume Admissions Open Houses and Admitted Student Days to strengthen the prospective-to-admitted student lifecycle.
• Monitor and reconcile distinct budgets and transaction pipelines using designated enterprise software, ensuring absolute adherence to division fiscal controls.
• Support the execution of select President's Office, Board-level, and faculty & staff signature activities including internal milestone community forums, retreats, and institutional celebrations.
• Proactively build and maintain high-touch, collaborative working relationships with key campus divisions, specifically the Offices of Student Life, the Registrar, Marketing & Communications, Procurement, Risk Management, and the President's Office, to ensure unified messaging and seamless student and executive engagement.
• Coordinate and deliver critical logistical synergy and staffing support for major on-campus Master Classes, alumni events, and the annual multi-day Alumni Weekend, maximizing constituent affinity and strategic engagement.
• Solicit, organize, and conduct rigorous operational training for networks of staff volunteers, institutional stakeholders, and hired student workers required for large-scale event deployment.
• Partners with the Office of Marketing & Communications to design and produce institutional invitations, multi-page programs, credentials, signage, academic flags, banners, and lectern configurations.
• Works closely with the bookstore and regalia vendor to procure student and faculty regalia and maintain the regalia sales platform.
• Support faculty Name Readers by providing customized reports and clear pronunciation media.
• Formulate and enforce strict event safety parameters and comprehensive accessibility measures (including ASL interpreting, physical mobility layouts, and digital captioning) to guarantee equitable access across all institutional activations.
• Perform other miscellaneous duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree in Theatre Production, Event Management, Communications, Public Relations, or a closely related professional field required.
• 5-7 years of progressive, large-scale event production, project management, or ceremony management previous experience required, preferably within a higher education setting or highly matrixed institutional environment required.
• Documented success managing multi-faceted, high-volume ceremonial milestones involving multiple internal and external executive stakeholders required.
• Demonstrated experience leveraging AI tools to enhance operational efficiency across communications, event production, and relationship management, with a proactive commitment to continuous learning and adopting emerging AI advancements, preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Strong organizational and project management acumen and a meticulous attention to detail, with a proven ability to independently follow through on extensive timelines.
• Ability to manage concurrent events amid ambiguity.
• Public speaking skills, and relationship-building skills necessary to coordinate confidently across student, parent, faculty, vendor, and executive leadership networks
• Strong aesthetic sense and high production standards capable of executing impactful, on-brand experiences; proficient with layout utility software, project management software, spreadsheet software (Google Sheets/Excel), and modern event tech tools
• Ability to handle highly confidential or sensitive institutional situations with absolute discretion, maintaining a calm, polished, and solution-oriented focus under tight deadlines.

PHYSICAL ABILITIES

• This position is active in nature, continuous movement is required.
• Ability to have continuous oral and written communication with co-workers and supervisors is essential.
• Repetitive movements, occasional lifting of up to 45 pounds, reaching, lifting, stooping, climbing and the ability to read a computer screen, detect color-coding and read fine print will be expected.
• Occasional domestic travel and weekend work is required.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• General office conditions. Exposed to moderate noise levels
• May occasionally be exposed to inclement weather conditions and extreme temperatures
• This is a hybrid position, requiring both in-person and remote work.

Disclaimer: This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees may be required to follow other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties as requested, subject to all applicable state and federal laws. Certain job duties described herein may be subject to possible modification in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.

IN-OFFICE EXPECTATIONS

This position is primarily a hybrid role with expected days in the office each week.

The hybrid arrangement will be made upon hire. Candidates must reside within a reasonable commuting distance of the Boston campus to ensure operational effectiveness. This arrangement must be approved as outlined in the Remote Work Policy.

Compensation: $74,500.00 - $91,350.00 annually, commensurate with experience.

Grade of Position: 23-09E

Employment Category: Regular

Scheduled Weekly Hours: 36.25

Division of Institutional Advancement

In addition to a competitive salary, Emerson College is committed to the health and well-being of our employees and family members. We offer a generous benefits package to regular staff scheduled to work 20+ hours per week.

Emerson Employment Categories influence work schedules, benefits eligibility, and time off policies. Benefits include outstanding health plans with limited out-of-pocket expenses, dental plans, generous time-off programs, and a 403(b) retirement benefit with a 9% employer contribution once eligible. Additional benefits, such as life and disability coverage and commuter offerings, are available.

Please refer to our benefits website for a full list of benefits and eligibility requirements.