Events Manager

First Nations Jobs Online; Palm Desert (CA); On-site; USD 101,000 - 146,000; Full time

Job summary

College of the Desert, part of the Desert Community College District, seeks an Events Manager to centralize and coordinate all events within district facilities and maximize revenue from external rentals.

Responsibilities include leading a team, implementing marketing strategies, and managing billing and risk management for diverse campus events and programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Event Management, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in event planning or facility management.
• Knowledge of Civic Center Act, ADA, and insurance considerations for events.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary contact for rental of district facilities across campuses.
• Develop marketing strategies to promote facility use to external partners.
• Regularly evaluate and update the facility fee schedule for market competitiveness.
• Manage invoicing, income tracking, and staffing cost calculations; oversee fee waiver approvals.
• Coordinate event resources, equipment, and cross‑department collaboration for on‑campus events.

Skills

Event coordination

Budgeting

Public relations

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management

Bachelor’s degree in Event Management

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration

Job description

Events Manager

Salary: $100,572.84 – $145,644.48 Annually
Location: Palm Desert, CA
Job Type: FULL TIME
Job Number: 2600278
Division: Administrative Services
Department: Auxiliary Services
Opening Date: 08/18/2026
Closing Date: 9/20/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
Bargaining Unit: N/A

Description

About College of the Desert
The College of the Desert, Desert Community College District enrolls approximately 20,000 students each academic year with steady enrollment growth each year. College of the Desert embraces diversity in all forms and the right of all people to have access to quality higher education in a safe learning environment. Designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI), College of the Desert administers an array of student programs specifically focused on student support and helping students achieve their educational and career goals. As a two-year college, we offer Associates Degree for Transfer, both in Art and Sciences, Associates Degrees, and Certificates across a wide range of disciplines.

College of the Desert is a district that consists of leadership, staff, and faculty who are committed to enhancing our community through supporting the academic success of all of our students including racially and ethnically diverse students, students with disabilities, students who are first generation to college, veterans, students of all ages, students with diverse socio-economic backgrounds, “dreamers”, and students of diverse sexual orientation and gender expression.

When you join College of the Desert you can expect to be part of a diverse, inclusive, and collaborative community. We provide students with a rich and dynamic learning experience that embraces differences, emphasizes collaboration, and engages students in and out of the classroom. We are committed to ensuring that College of the Desert is a welcoming place for the success of all students.

Interested in learning more about College of the Desert and the Coachella Valley? Visit the links below.

– https://www.collegeofthedesert.edu/faculty-staff/human-resources/career/community.php
– https://www.collegeofthedesert.edu/faculty-staff/human-resources/career/college-information.php

Who We Want

College of the Desert is seeking individuals from a broad range of cultural heritages, socioeconomic backgrounds, genders, abilities, and orientations. As such, we prioritize individuals who fully demonstrate their understanding of the community we serve, the benefits of diversity in a professional and educational setting, and values creating a culture that brings people together. A successful candidate will value working in a collegial, collaborative environment that is guided by a commitment to inclusion, student education, and equity. An equity-minded individual is a person who already does or has demonstrated the desire to:

– Understand the importance of holding ourselves accountable as faculty, staff and leadership for closing equity gaps and engaging in equitable practices;
– Reframe inequities as a problem of practice and view the elimination of inequities as an individual and collective responsibility;
– Encourage positive race‑consciousness and embrace human difference;
– Reflect on institutional and teaching practices and aim to make them more culturally responsive; and
– Strategically build buy‑in and participation among colleagues for equity‑related initiatives.

BASIC FUNCTION

The Events Manager is a pivotal role responsible for centralizing, coordinating, and managing all events within District facilities, with a strong emphasis on maximizing revenue generation through external facility rentals. This position will serve as the District’s primary point of contact for both internal and external groups seeking to utilize college spaces, ensuring seamless event execution, compliance with college policies, and efficient resource allocation. The Events Manager will lead a team of event setup staff and foster collaborative relationships across various college departments.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED

Receives direct supervision from the Vice President of Administrative Services or designee. Exercises supervision over assigned personnel.

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES

The duties listed are intended to provide examples of the types of work performed and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities. The District reserves the right to modify or assign additional duties consistent with the classification.

The following duties are representative of the essential functions of this position:

1. Serve as the primary institutional point of contact for the rental of District facilities, including but not limited to, gymnasiums, athletic fields, meeting rooms, and specialized external areas across all campuses.
2. Develop and execute marketing strategies to promote facility use to external community partners to optimize rental revenue.
3. Regularly evaluate and update the facility fee schedule to ensure fiscal sustainability and market competitiveness.
4. Manage the full lifecycle of event billing, including invoicing, income tracking, and the calculation of associated costs for staffing (overtime and regular rates). Oversee the facility fee waiver process, ensuring all documentation is prepared for Superintendent/Presidential or designee approval and tracked annually. Implement risk management protocols by ensuring all liability forms and insurance certificates are executed and on file for both internal and external facility users.
5. Facilitate comprehensive logistical support for a diverse range of campus events and programs sponsored by internal departments, student organizations (including ASCOD), administrative units, and other institutional stakeholders. Centralize the management of event resources, including the procurement, inventory, and maintenance of equipment such as tents, tables, chairs, and audiovisual assets. Coordinate directly with Maintenance & Operations (M&O), Campus Safety, and Information Technology to ensure seamless service delivery for on campus activities.
6. Serve as the system administrator for the District’s event scheduling software to track assets and facilitate District-wide communication. Maintain a centralized college events calendar in coordination with the Public Relations Office to ensure broad notification via the website, email, and VIP alerts. Chair regular event stakeholder meetings and coordinate annual scheduling with external partners, such as the McCallum Theatre, to prevent facility conflicts.
7. Supervise, train, and evaluate the performance of assigned event setup and support staff. Manage staff schedules to ensure adequate coverage for evening and weekend events while monitoring departmental labor costs and efficiency.

Other Duties:

8. Attend workshops or conferences related to event management, safety, or California Education Code compliance regarding facility use (Civic Center Act).
9. Participate in District-wide committees as assigned by the supervisor.
10. Perform other related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education & Experience
Any combination equivalent to: Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Event Management, Business Administration, or a related field, AND three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in event planning, facility management, or a related field.

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of:

• Comprehensive principles and practices of event coordination, site logistics, and execution for both small-scale meetings and large-scale public events.
• Principles of budgeting, billing, and invoicing; methods for tracking expenses and revenue; and basic cost-recovery modeling.
• Applicable Federal, State, and District laws and regulations, including the Civic Center Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as they pertain to physical access and event accommodations.
• Understanding of basic insurance requirements (including Certificates of Insurance), hold harmless agreements, and safety protocols for public gatherings.
• Modern event scheduling software, centralized calendar management, and standard office productivity applications.
• Effective methods for managing equipment inventory and coordinating multi‑departmental service requests involving Maintenance & Operations (M&O), Information Technology (IT), and Campus Safety.
• Basic principles of public relations and promotional strategies to drive facility rental interest and revenue.
• Customer service best practices and effective communication techniques for engaging with a diverse campus population and external community partners.

Ability to:

• Demonstrate sensitivity to and an understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students and staff.
• Plan and coordinate events from start to finish, ensuring they are accessible, inclusive, and responsive to a diverse community.
• Manage multiple priorities, stay organized, and meet deadlines in a fast‑paced environment.
• Monitor budgets and support fiscally responsible decision‑making.
• Communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing, with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Build and maintain respectful, collaborative relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
• Lead, supervise, train, and motivate staff and event support teams to achieve operational goals and deliver high-quality services.
• Identify issues proactively and implement practical, timely solutions with sound judgment and minimal supervision.
• Apply policies and procedures consistently and fairly.
• Provide a high level of customer service while maintaining professionalism