Lead University Event Strategist

The California State University; California (MO); On-site; USD 80,954 - 82,572; Full time

Job summary

The California State University’s San José State University campus seeks a Senior Event Planner to manage diverse events from concept to completion. You will oversee planning, budgeting, vendor management, and on-site execution while aligning with branding and university priorities.

You will collaborate with campus partners, leadership, and external stakeholders to deliver high-quality experiences, including commencement support, and continuously improve event operations and guest experiences.

Qualifications

• Equivalent to a bachelor's degree in a related area.
• Four years of relevant experience. Additional experience may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis.
• An advanced degree in a related field may be substituted on a year-for-year basis.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of university events of varying size and complexity.
• Develop comprehensive event plans, timelines, production schedules, run-of-show documents, and logistical plans.
• Collaborate with university departments to understand event objectives and develop strategies that support institutional priorities.
• Manage event budgets, contracts, vendor relationships, and purchasing processes.
• Ensure events reflect branding, hospitality standards, accessibility requirements, and risk management practices.
• Provide on-site event leadership, including setup, execution, troubleshooting, and breakdown.
• Evaluate event outcomes and recommend improvements for future programs.
• Build and maintain relationships with campus departments, leadership, faculty, staff, students, volunteers, sponsors, donors, alumni, and external partners.
• Coordinate planning meetings and communicate timelines, responsibilities, and expectations.
• Work with Strategic Communications and Marketing to support event communications and promotions.
• Serve as liaison between stakeholders and service providers for successful execution.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and customer service.

Skills

Event planning

Project management

Logistics

Hospitality

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Advanced degree substitution acceptable

Tools

Event management software

CRM systems

Ticketing platforms (Ticketmaster, Paciolan)

Job description

The California State University’s San José State University campus seeks a Senior Event Planner to manage diverse events from concept to completion. You will oversee planning, budgeting, vendor management, and on-site execution while aligning with branding and university priorities.

You will collaborate with campus partners, leadership, and external stakeholders to deliver high-quality experiences, including commencement support, and continuously improve event operations and guest experiences.