Executive Director, Donor Experiences & VIP Events

Vanderbilt; Nashville (TN); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanderbilt University seeks an Executive Director for Events to provide enterprise-level leadership for donor, prospect, and VIP events, delivering an unparalleled guest experience rooted in hospitality. You will lead a team of event professionals and collaborate with university partners to strengthen alumni and donor engagement.

The role emphasizes budgeting, vendor management, and the creation of standardized processes, templates, and dashboards to measure impact across all events.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent required.
• 10+ years leadership in event planning and donor relations.
• Experience managing budgets and vendor relationships.
• Ability to lead change and standardize operations.

Responsibilities

• Design and lead DAR Event Strategy and Operating Model.
• Oversee a portfolio of events for execution.
• Create shared templates, checklists, and protocols for guest experience.
• Institute post-event evaluation including dashboards and CRM practices.
• Lead cross-team collaboration with Alumni and Parent Engagement, Development, and university partners.
• Execute Top Donor and Prospect Events with a hospitality-focused approach.
• Manage budgets, vendor relations, and cost controls with transparency.

Skills

Leadership

Donor relations

Event planning

Budget management

Vendor management

Hospitality

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Wrike

Job description

Vanderbilt University seeks an Executive Director for Events to provide enterprise-level leadership for donor, prospect, and VIP events, delivering an unparalleled guest experience rooted in hospitality. You will lead a team of event professionals and collaborate with university partners to strengthen alumni and donor engagement.

The role emphasizes budgeting, vendor management, and the creation of standardized processes, templates, and dashboards to measure impact across all events.