Director of Hospitality and Premium Experiences

Kansas Athletics, Inc.; Lawrence (KS); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Kansas Athletics, Inc. seeks a Director of Hospitality & Premium Experiences to lead hospitality operations and development communications, overseeing premium spaces and donor environments while ensuring best-in-class guest experiences, particularly on game days.

In this role you will supervise staff including a Development Coordinator, coordinate travel and logistics for donor groups, and drive engagement and operational excellence with the development team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• Minimum two years full-time work experience in a professional office setting, preferably including hospitality, events, or development communications.
• Demonstrated proficiency using the Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Word, etc.).
• Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated organizational skills with the ability to multitask.
• Experience successfully dealing with the public while providing exceptional customer service.
• Prior experience supervising staff, student workers, or graduate assistants.
• Self-starter that takes a proactive approach to work.
• Ability and willingness to travel as needed.
• Ability and willingness to work occasional evenings, weekends, and holidays, as needed.
• Knowledge of and commitment to NCAA rules.

Responsibilities

• Lead all Development hospitality operations and premium experience initiatives;
• Oversee all premium hospitality spaces and donor hospitality environments, ensuring consistent delivery of exceptional guest experiences;
• Lead development communications for donor-facing correspondence, event communications, and coordination of messaging across the development team;
• Supervise and coordinate student workers and graduate assistants (GAs) supporting hospitality and event operations, including scheduling, training, and day-to-day direction;
• Serve as the primary point of contact for K Club items, coordinating logistics and communication for those functions;
• Provide events support for Development signature events and donor functions, assisting with planning, logistics, and on-site execution;
• Partner with the Director of Signature Events & Stewardship to coordinate travel logistics, hotel accommodations, transportation, and hospitality arrangements for donor groups;
• Supervise and provide leadership to one Development Coordinator, including delegation of duties, training, and performance management;
• Oversee the hospitality budget, working with the gift administrator to process payments;
• Recommend and implement strategies to increase donor engagement and operational efficiency;
• Other work-related duties as assigned by the Athletics Director or their designee.

Skills

Hospitality operations

Event planning

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Leadership / supervision

Customer service

Travel coordination

Proactive work approach

NCAA rules knowledge

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Director of Hospitality & Premium Experiences serves as the departmental leader for hospitality operations and development communications. This position oversees all premium hospitality spaces, game-day hospitality operations and staffing while ensuring a best-in-class experience for Kansas Athletics donors and guests.

• Lead all Development hospitality operations and premium experience initiatives;
• Oversee all premium hospitality spaces and donor hospitality environments, ensuring consistent delivery of exceptional guest experiences;
• Lead development communications for donor-facing correspondence, event communications, and coordination of messaging across the development team;
• Supervise and coordinate student workers and graduate assistants (GAs) supporting hospitality and event operations, including scheduling, training, and day-to-day direction;
• Serve as the primary point of contact for K Club items, coordinating logistics and communication for those functions;
• Provide events support for Development signature events and donor functions, assisting with planning, logistics, and on-site execution;
• Partner with the Director of Signature Events & Stewardship to coordinate travel logistics, hotel accommodations, transportation, and hospitality arrangements for donor groups;
• Supervise and provide leadership to one Development Coordinator, including delegation of duties, training, and performance management;
• Oversee the hospitality budget, working with the gift administrator to process payments;
• Recommend and implement strategies to increase donor engagement and operational efficiency;
• Other work-related duties as assigned by the Athletics Director or their designee.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university;
• Minimum two years full-time work experience in a professional office setting, preferably including hospitality, events, or development communications;
• Demonstrated proficiency using the Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Word, etc.);
• Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills;
• Demonstrated organizational skills with the ability to multitask;
• Experience successfully dealing with the public while providing exceptional customer service;
• Prior experience supervising staff, student workers, or graduate assistants;
• Self-starter that takes a proactive approach to work;
• Ability and willingness to travel as needed;
• Ability and willingness to work occasional evenings, weekends, and holidays, as needed;
• Knowledge of and commitment to NCAA rules.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous event and/or hospitality work experience in a collegiate athletics environment;
• Master's degree from an accredited college or university.