Senior Events Lead – Higher Education & Donor Engagement

The-University-of-Austin-; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Austin is building a new kind of institution — one devoted to the fearless pursuit of truth, open inquiry, and academic excellence. We are seeking an experienced, detail-obsessed Events Manager to design and execute events that bring this mission to life for our students, faculty, donors, and the broader community.

Reporting to the Chief of Staff, the Events Manager owns every event from concept to execution, with particular emphasis on flawless logistics and strong vendor

Qualifications

• Genuine passion for the university mission and intellectual freedom.
• 3–5+ years of progressive experience in events coordination or management.
• Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated strength in vendor and venue relations, pricing, and scope management.
• Strong budget management experience and cost reconciliation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with senior leaders and donors.
• Proficiency with event management, registration, and CRM tools; office software.
• Ability to stay calm, resourceful, and solution-oriented under pressure.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and occasional travel around the event calendar.

Responsibilities

• Own the full lifecycle of events from intimate dinners to large conferences.
• Build and manage relationships with vendors, venues, caterers, AV teams, and partners.
• Develop and maintain detailed event plans, timelines, floor plans, and staffing.
• Manage event budgets end to end, track expenses, and reconcile invoices.
• Coordinate cross-functionally with academic leadership and operations to align events with priorities.
• Oversee guest experience, invitations, RSVPs, registration, seating, and on-site management.
• Lead on-site execution and troubleshoot issues in real time.
• Maintain records, post-event reports, and vendor evaluations; refine playbooks.
• Ensure compliance with venue, safety, and university requirements.
• Travel occasionally and work evenings/weekends as required by the event calendar.

Skills

Attention to detail

Vendor relations

Budget management

Communication skills

Project management

Event planning

Tools

Event management software

CRM tools

Job description

The University of Austin is building a new kind of institution — one devoted to the fearless pursuit of truth, open inquiry, and academic excellence. We are seeking an experienced, detail-obsessed Events Manager to design and execute events that bring this mission to life for our students, faculty, donors, and the broader community.

Reporting to the Chief of Staff, the Events Manager owns every event from concept to execution, with particular emphasis on flawless logistics and strong vendor