Event Manager

Virginia Tech, Pamplin College of Business; Blacksburg (VA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Virginia Tech's Pamplin College of Business seeks an Event Manager to lead planning, coordination, and execution of college-wide and advancement events. You will guide the full event lifecycle, ensure alignment with strategic goals, and elevate the college’s brand. Collaboration with HTM and other units is essential.

The role emphasizes stakeholder engagement, budget oversight, and continuous improvement to deliver professional, seamless experiences for donors, staff, and students.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in event management, hospitality, business, or related field; or significant experience in event management.
• Experience planning and executing events, meetings, programs, or related activities from planning to assessment.
• Experience coordinating multiple logistical components (venues, catering, tech, registration, staffing, transportation, on-site operations) for events.
• Experience managing event budgets, financial reconciliation, purchasing, and resource allocation.
• Strong project management skills to lead multiple concurrent initiatives and meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning and execution of ~25 events annually across a range of attendance levels and types.
• Develop event timelines, budgets, logistics, and staffing, coordinating venues, vendors, catering, technology, and on-site operations.
• Collaborate with college leadership, Advancement, and academic units to ensure events align with priorities and branding.
• Evaluate event outcomes and implement continuous improvement.
• Serve as the college-wide resource for event planning, providing consultation, tools, and best practices to ensure high-quality, mission-aligned experiences.

Skills

Project mgmt

Event planning

Communication

Budgeting

Vendor relations

Education

Bachelor's degree in event management, hospitality, business

Tools

Cvent

Microsoft 365

Job description

The Event Manager serves as the primary point of contact and key resource for event planning, coordination, consultation, and guidance in support of college-wide and advancement-related events within the Pamplin College of Business. This position is responsible for delivering high-quality, strategically aligned events that strengthen stakeholder engagement, advance institutional priorities, and elevate the college’s brand. The Event Manager also provides expertise and guidance across the college to promote a consistent approach to events, ensuring they are thoughtfully planned, well-coordinated, and aligned with the college’s mission and strategic goals.

For events under the Event Manager’s direct responsibility, the position oversees the full event lifecycle, including event design, project management, budget coordination, vendor and contract management, marketing coordination, event technology, assessment, and continuous improvement.

This role will also collaborate closely with internal stakeholders, external partners, and student teams, particularly from the Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) program, to deliver innovative, professional, and seamless event experiences.

Key responsibilities for this role will include:

Event Planning and Execution

• Lead the planning and execution of approximately 25 events annually across a range of attendance levels, including new employee events, college-wide meetings, kickoffs, intimate dinners, tailgates, receptions, and awards celebrations. These events would focus on donor engagement and stewardship, leadership engagement, employee experience, community building, recognition, and relationship development.
• Develop event timelines, budgets, logistics, and staffing plans while coordinating venues, vendors, catering, technology, and on-site operations.
• Partner with college leadership, Advancement, and academic units to deliver high-quality events that align with the college’s strategic priorities and branding.
• Evaluate event outcomes and implement continuous improvements.

Operational Coordination and Logistics

• Serve as the college-wide resource for event planning within the Pamplin College of Business, providing consultation, tools, best practices, and strategic guidance to support consistent, high-quality, and mission-aligned event experiences.
• Manage vendor relationships, contracts, and event procedures while ensuring compliance with university policies, procedures, and budget guidelines.

Student Engagement and Supervision

• Coordinate student involvement in event planning and experiential learning opportunities.
• Supervise and mentor student employees and project teams.

Budget and Resource Management

• Develop and manage event budgets, monitor expenditures, and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and maximize resources for events within the Pamplin College of Business.

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

The position requires the ability to perform the essential functions of the job. Responsibilities may include moving, lifting, and transporting event materials, supplies, and equipment weighing up to 30 pounds; navigating event venues and campus locations; and performing event-related activities for extended periods during setup, execution, and breakdown. Some travel is required, including travel to the Innovation Campus in Alexandria, Virginia and other event locations. Occasional evening and weekend work is required based on event schedules and operational needs.

Work Location & Flexibility

This position will be based at Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg Campus and will report directly to the Chief of Staff and Associate Dean for Operations within the Pamplin College of Business. To ensure comprehensive training and integration into our college culture, the position will be fully on-site for the first six months. After this period, the role may shift to a hybrid schedule with up to one day of telework per week, subject to departmental needs.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in event management, hospitality, business administration, communications, or related field and/or significant experience in event management.
• Demonstrated experience planning and executing events, meetings, programs, or comparable activities from initial planning through event assessment or closeout.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating multiple logistical components, such as venues, catering, technology, registration, staffing, transportation, or on-site operations, for events or programs of varying size and complexity.
• Demonstrated experience managing event budgets, financial reconciliation, purchasing processes and resource allocation.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to lead multiple concurrent initiatives, meet deadlines, and manage competing priorities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing and managing comprehensive event plans, project timelines, run-of-show documents, and event operations from concept through assessment.
• Experience in higher education, advancement, or nonprofit event planning.
• Demonstrated experience managing large-scale, high-visibility events involving multiple stakeholders, executive leadership and cross-functional planning teams.
• Proven proficiency with event registration and management platforms (e.g., Cvent or similar systems), including registration workflows, reporting, communications, and data management.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications, including Outlook, Teams, Excel, PowerPoint, Forms, and SharePoint.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with student teams or experiential learning programs.
• Experience negotiating and managing vendor relationships, contracts, and service agreements.
• Knowledge of hospitality or event management best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze data and utilize assessment findings to inform decision-making and continuous improvement efforts.