Guest Engagement Coordinator

American University; United States; Hybrid; USD 37,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

American University in Washington, DC seeks a Guest Engagement Coordinator within the University Conference & Guest Services team. You will be the first point of contact for conference clients, manage communications, and oversee housing logistics for interns and paying guests across summer and academic year.

You will handle EMS and Event Guru/StarRez systems, coordinate scheduling, and supervise 12–15 student staff while ensuring excellent customer service and seamless events in a hybrid

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• 1 - 3 years of relevant experience.
• Experience in event planning, university housing and/or summer conferences.
• Computer experience in database and spreadsheet applications.
• Must prioritize, balance and complete multiple tasks with minimal supervision.
• Excellent customer service skills.

Responsibilities

• Respond to initial inquiries about university conference and events; approve/decline space reservations in EMS for internal clients; assist with marketing information and materials.
• Interpret client needs, track event planner information in CRM and coordinate with interns and paying guests; manage mail services year-round.
• Recruit, select and train summer student staff; supervise year-round 12–15 students.
• Administer UCGS software: Event Guru and Star Rez; train users and ensure data accuracy and audit compliance.
• Supervise 12–15 student staff and one Summer Leadership Student from January to August.

Skills

Communication

Customer Service

Organization

Multitasking

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Master’s degree

Tools

EMS

STAR REZ

Event Guru

Job description

American University is a student-centered research institution located in Washington, DC, with highly-ranked schools and colleges, internationally-renowned faculty, and a reputation for creating meaningful change in the world.

Learn more about American University Department: Business Development Time Type: Full time Job Type: Regular FLSA Status: Non-Exempt Work Modality: Hybrid 01 (On Campus 3-4 Days/Week) Union: Excluded

Job Description: Summary

Th Guest Engagement Coordinator is a member of the University Conference & Guest Services (UCGS) team within the division of Auxiliary Services and Finance. The Guest Engagement Coordinator will be the first point of contact for internal and external conference clients and guests and will manage UCGS communications as the initial point of contact. This person will be responsible for maintaining the UCGS website as well as data input within for the Intern Portal within Star Rez and Event Guru. This person will oversee all Intern housing components as well as other individual paying clients during the summer and will oversee year-round housing for Interns in Clark Hall. This position is also the sub-scheduler in EMS for the UCGS event spaces and will handle systems administration for Event Guru and Star Rez for Intern business.

Essential Functions

1. 1.) Communication Respond to initial inquiries about university conference and events. Approve or decline space reservations of UCGS spaces in EMS for Internal clients. Work with Director and Associate Director in gathering initial marketing information to maintain UCGS internal website, Destination DC and Unique Venues websites as well as other forms of Social Media. Produce informative weekly newsletter during summer months for Summer Student Staff. Assist Associate Director with the design and creation of UCGS marketing materials both on-line and hard copies.
2. 2.) Guest Services Interpret client needs, anticipate potential problems, and determine the best solution for having a successful event. Keep detailed data in a customer relationship management system of all event planner information, as well as prospects gathered through various marketing strategies. Work with approximately 15 Intern and AU Internal Groups as well as 400 individual paying guests in the summer and 2-3 Intern Groups and 30 individual paying guest during the academic year by taking reservations, preparing contract information, working with the finance team with on-line payment and answering questions of each client. Serves as point person for UCGS and mail services to ensure data is prepared and disseminated so that clients may receive mail services year-round. Provide visible, on-site coverage for clients as needed.
3. 3.) Staff Recruitment, Selection, and Training and Supervision Support the University Conference & Guest Services team with summer student staff selection processes and training programs. Supervise (12-15) student staff year-round. Supervise (1) Summer Leadership Student from January to August.
4. 4.) Systems Administration Primary point of contact for administration of UCGS software solutions with Event Guru and Star Rez which are used in planning and preparing for Intern reservations, payment access as well as other services that include electronic access, security, and card production systems. Oversee the training and effective utilization of relevant UCGS software systems to ensure information in all systems is accurate, up-to-date, and audit compliant. Facilitate account access, training and troubleshooting support for all UCGS users when using Event Guru and Star Rez for Intern housing.
5. 5.) Other Duties as Assigned Supervisory Responsibility: Supervises 12-15 students year-round.

Competencies

• Displaying Creativity.
• Prioritizing and Organizing.
• Serving Customers.
• Supporting Coworkers.
• Leading and Inspiring People.
• Making Accurate Judgments and Decisions.
• Building and Supporting Teams.

Position Type / Expected Hours of Work

Full-time. 35 hours per week. Hours are 8am - 4pm or 9am - 5pm. Hybrid work modality (on campus 3 - 4 days per week). Requires some non-traditional hours during peak operational periods.

Salary Range

$27.50 - $29.50 per hour.

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree.
• 1 - 3 years of relevant experience.
• At least one year of experience in event planning, university housing and/or summer conferences required.
• Computer experience, particularly in database and spreadsheet applications, required.
• Must be able to prioritize, balance, and complete multiple tasks with direct but minimal supervision.
• Excellent customer service skills required.
• Requires non-traditional hours during peak operational periods.

Preferred Education and Experience

• Master's degree.
• Knowledge and experience with the following software programs: email, word processing, spreadsheet/data analysis and presentation development software applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, EMS, STAR REZ and Event Guru.
• Supervision of paraprofessional staff.
• Other Duties.

Benefits

AU offers a competitive benefits package.

Other Details

Hiring offers for this position are contingent on successful completion of a background check.

Location

Employees in staff positions at American University must deliver their services to the university from either the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia, or perform work on-site at the university.

Equal Opportunity

American University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution that operates in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, personal appearance, gender identity and expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, source of income, veteran status, an individual’s genetic information or any other bases under federal or local laws (collectively "Protected Bases") in its programs and activities.

Current Employees

Current American University Employees American University current employees must apply through their employee Workday account.

If you are a current employee at American University, please log into Workday and select the Find Jobs report which will take you to our internal career listings.

Contact Us

Contact Us For more information or assistance with the American University careers site, email [e-mail].

American University is a student centered research institution located in Washington, DC, with highly-ranked schools and colleges, internationally-renowned faculty, and a reputation for creating meaningful change in the world.