Job Posting Title:

Executive Director of University Events

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Hiring Department:

University Development Office

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt from FLSA

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Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue

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Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

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Job Details:

General Notes

Purpose

The Executive Director of University Events leads the team responsible for planning and producing many of The University of Texas at Austin’s most visible and high-profile events, including presidential, ceremonial, development, student experience and campus-wide programs.

This role requires deep event expertise and strong people leadership. The Executive Director leads experienced event professionals, sets priorities and standards, manages workloads and performance, reviews event plans, identifies problems early and keeps work moving.

The right candidate is an accomplished event professional who understands the full event lifecycle, from creative concept and design through production, operations and logistics. They must have the experience and judgment to look at an event plan, know what is missing, ask the right questions and raise the quality of the work.

They must also be an excellent manager who can give clear direction and feedback, develop people, address performance issues and get results through others.

The Executive Director reports to the Chief Experience Officer and leads the Event Management function within University Events & Experience.

Usual office environment with evening, weekend, and extended hours as required by the event calendar.

Responsibilities

• Lead the team responsible for planning and producing a broad portfolio of high-profile university events.

• Manage and develop experienced event professionals, including project managers, producers, coordinators and production and operations staff.

• Set priorities, expectations and standards for the team.

• Review event plans and determine whether the creative, production, operations, logistics, staffing, timelines and budgets, contracts, vendors and resources.

• Work directly with university leaders and campus partners on complex and high-profile events.

• Put practical processes and tools in place that help the team plan well, communicate clearly and stay ahead of deadlines.

• Review event and team performance and make changes when something is not working.

• Additional duties as assigned.

Salary

OPEN

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Minimum 12 years of progressively responsible professional event experience, including significant experience personally leading complex, high-profile events.

• Minimum seven years of progressive people-management experience, including hiring, coaching, performance management and employee development.

• Experience leading professional event teams and managing work through others.

• Significant experience across the full event lifecycle, including creative development, design, production, operations and logistics.

• Experience revieing the work of other event professionals, identifying gaps and determining whether plans are ready for execution.

• Experience reviewing the work of other professionals, identifying gaps and determining whether plans are ready for execution.

• Experience managing multiple complex events at the same time.

• Experience working directly with senior leaders and high-profile guests.

• Experience managing significant event budgets, vendors, contracts, staffing and production schedules.

• Strong judgment and the ability to make decisions when circumstances change.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to work evenings, weekends and extended hours as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience across a range of event types and settings, including executive or VIP events, ceremonial events, donor experiences, large-scale events, travel or destination experiences, conferences, athletics-related events or other complex live experiences.

• Experience leading managers, producers, project managers and other professional event staff.

• Experience taking over an existing team, identifying where improvement is needed and raising performance.

• Experience in higher education, live event production, experiential events, advancement, hospitality, agency or another complex event environment.

• Experience working with senior executives, donors, board members, elected officials or other high-profile guests.

• Knowledge of protocol, risk management, accessibility, contracting, procurement and public safety coordination.

Working Conditions

• This is an on-site position (40 hours per week) and the schedule will vary based on university and department schedules, and with the types of events scheduled and operational functions.

• Work late evenings and some weekends for scheduled events. Hours are subject to change.

• Works in standard office conditions, in a shared office environment, with repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation.

• May work in all weather conditions.

• Regular and consistent attendance is required in this job.

• Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. The University Development Office does not sponsor work visas for this position.

• This position is based in Austin, Texas.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV

• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

• Letter of interest

Importantfor applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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