Events Manager

College of the Desert (CA); Palm Desert (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

College of the Desert seeks an Events Manager to centralize and coordinate all campus events, prioritizing revenue generation through external facility rentals. You will guide a team of event setup staff and collaborate with multiple departments to ensure compliant, smooth event execution across Palm Desert campuses.

The role requires a Bachelor's degree in a related field and at least three years of progressive event planning or facility management experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Event Management, Business Administration, or related field.
• 3 years of progressive experience in event planning, facility management, or related field.
• Knowledge of budgeting, billing, invoicing, and cost-recovery concepts.
• Familiarity with public event logistics and risk management requirements.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary contact for rental of District facilities (gyms, fields, meeting rooms, outdoor areas).
• Develop and execute marketing strategies to promote facility use and maximize revenue.
• Manage the full lifecycle of event billing including invoicing and cost tracking.
• Coordinate cross-departmental service delivery with M&O, IT, and Campus Safety to support campus events.
• Supervise event setup staff and schedule coverage for evenings and weekends.

Skills

Event coordination

Budgeting & invoicing

Public relations

Customer service

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management

Bachelor's degree in Event Management

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration

Tools

Event scheduling software

Office productivity software

Job description

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.

Duties

• 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.

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 & 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 and responsiveness.

Salary Placement

Salary placement is contingent on education, experience, and department budget.

• Retirement System: CalPERS (upon meeting eligibility criteria).
• This is a grant-funded position. Continued employment is contingent upon the availability of Grant funds.

Schedule & Location

• This position is scheduled 40 hours per week, 12 months per year. Requires some evening and weekend responsibility, and to be available on-call to respond to emergency situations.
• The primary location is Palm Desert Campus but may travel to other campuses if needed.
• The schedule and location are subject to change based on District need.

Working Conditions

Environment: District office environment; subject to constant interruptions and frequent interaction with others; sitting for long periods at a time (up to 2-3 hours); repetitive use of upper extremities including hand coordination activities; requires some holiday, evening, and weekend responsibility; occasional travel to other locations to attend meetings or conduct work. The ability to type, use phone, stand intermittently, walk, bend and stoop, occasionally lift (up to 20 pounds), carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects of light to moderate weight, work at a computer, including sitting and viewing a monitor for various lengths of time, repetitive use of keyboard, mouse or other control device, dexterity of hands and fingers to operate keyboard, ability to communicate and provide information to others.

Timelines

• For consideration, please apply by Sunday, September 20, 2026. Late submissions will not be accepted.
• Interviews are tentatively scheduled in-person on the last week of October 2026.
• Tentative schedule is subject to change based on District need.