Director of Campus Events
Kenyon College

Job no: 493098
Work type: Exempt Staff
Location: Gambier, OH
Categories:

Kenyon College is conducting a search for a qualified candidate to fill the position of Director of Campus Events. The Director of Campus Events provides strategic leadership, management, guidance, and day-to-day oversight for the introduction, promotion, scheduling, planning, and production of campus-based events and conferences. The Director will also balance competing needs and seek to avoid scheduling conflicts across all campus constituents to successfully execute events and conferences that reflect the quality and reputation of Kenyon College. The Office of Campus Events is situated in the president's division, and the director will be responsible, in collaboration with their team, for executing presidential events, including small, intimate gatherings and formal institutional events. The successful candidate will be a highly motivated professional with a thorough knowledge and understanding of event planning, including budgeting, event design, organization, and production. The candidate will have experience developing, planning, and implementing successful events, preferably at a college or university. The candidate will provide exceptional service to all campus constituencies while guiding the development of new campus policies and procedures. The work of the director and the office will reflect an understanding of and sensitivity to campus culture as well as discretion and confidentiality in working with the president and their family. The candidate will be detail-oriented with strong project management skills and an ability to handle multiple projects and diverse clients.Essential FunctionsOffice and Team Management

Supervise office staff members and volunteers, creating a team approach to managing and executing all events.Establish performance goals in collaboration with staff members and conduct regular performance reviews according to established guidelines.Utilize integrity, dependability, sound judgment, and team-building skills to promote positive outcomes.Set priorities that take into consideration job responsibilities, deadlines, capacity/staffing of campus partners, and competing requirements.Ensure clear, consistent, and collaborative communication between and among critical campus offices .Give clear directives and use independent, rational judgment to make optimal decisions.Stay informed about potential events.Share and delegate/assign related events tasks with staff members.

Administrative Responsibilities

Develop overall vision and direction for campus and community events.Develop and carefully manage departmental and event budgets.Develop and implement policies and procedures for the use of College event services and facilities related to events, including developing and using tools that will help streamline processes.Serve as the principal authority for addressing conflicting events that arise and ultimately decide whether an event can be scheduled as requested.Cultivate relationships with faculty, staff, and students.Build working relationships with colleagues in support roles across the campus.Build working relationships with event coordinators across all divisions and with affiliated organizations.Design and oversee the maintenance of a comprehensive calendar of all campus events.Implement a continuous improvement process, including postmortems, post-event questionnaires for guests, internal staff surveys, etc., whereby events are immediately reviewed for successes and areas of improvement.

Event Execution

Oversee planning and execution of major presidential and community events.Plan and execute receptions, dinners, and informal gatherings on behalf of the president, especially those held in Cromwell Cottage.Plan and execute major community events such as Community Feast and MLK Day of Dialogue, etc.Other duties as assigned.

Summer Conferences and External Client Events

Establish efficient business practices to appropriately maximize conference revenue generation, including pricing structure and contract/billing/collection procedures, with oversight of scheduling.Develop accurate conference cost and revenue projections annually in conjunction with the College's budgeting process with a focus on maximizing revenue.Coordinate with campus partners to work around the campus pressures of summer including, construction, competing housing needs, evolving campus priorities, etc.Support staff in the Office of Campus Events and the Office of Communications in developing and implementing sales and marketing strategies to promote services to external and internal individuals and groups.Supervise and support staff with the execution of all summer conferences and external client events.

Academic Ceremonies

Supervise and support staff with the planning of academic ceremonies and assist with lead-up and day-of responsibilities.Coordinate policy/format changes with the Office of Campus Events and the Office of the President.

Room Reservations and Service Requests

Supervise and support staff in day-to-day work regarding EMS, including room reservation requests, event furniture requests, A/V services, etc. Coordinate policy/procedure changes with the Office of Campus Events and the Office of the President.

Public Relations and Communications

Work with the Office of Communications to develop and execute plans for improved internal and external communication about campus events and ceremonies.Develop mechanisms and policies that ensure the use of the College's online Master Calendar.Oversee the Office's website to ensure consistency in language, tone, and feel, and to ensure content is accurate, current, and informative.Maintain brand integrity and cohesiveness throughout all event interaction points, including translating the marketing messaging and communications within events. Identify opportunities for synergy and integration.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Success Factors

Ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships with faculty, staff, and external constituents.Professional attitude and demeanor.Strong organizational skills with an ability to manage large, time-sensitive projects.Excellent judgment and decisiveness, high integrity, enthusiasm, diplomacy, and tact.Ability to organize work effectively on multiple projects, conceptualize and prioritize objectives, and exercise independent judgment.Ability to remain calm under pressure and attend to last-minute issues with decisiveness.Highly developed interpersonal skills and political acumen.Excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively communicate with diverse populations.Exceptional customer service skills with demonstrated competency in budget management, cost accounting, vendor negotiations, and vendor relationships.

Working ConditionsWork is generally performed in an office environment and requires the ability to operate standard office equipment as well as the ability to sit for long periods. The ability to lift boxes or items 30 pounds or less and move tables and chairs when necessary for events is required. The ability to obtain College driver certification is desirable. The employee will be dependable, flexible, and willing to attend major events, be on call, and work a varying schedule that will include evenings, weekends, and college breaks.Minimum Qualifications

Five years of progressive experience in planning and organizing high-profile, large-scale public events and in small-scale event planning and management.Experience managing staff and volunteers with the ability to foster a team environment committed to excellence.Ability and willingness to build relationships and work with a broad range of constituents.Experience working with diverse populations.Demonstrated excellence in oral and written communication.Knowledge of best practices and trends in the field of event management.Familiarity with database systems, scheduling software, and related event management technology.Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Knowledge of event management in higher education.Knowledge of EMS scheduling software.Knowledge of crowd management, crowd safety protocols, security, and emergency procedures related to small, medium, and large-scale gatherings.

Compensation and Benefits

Salaries at Kenyon are competitive and commensurate with experience. In addition to an attractive salary, Kenyon offers benefits for employees and their family members. Children of employees are eligible for 100% tuition waivers at Kenyon, and through the Great Lakes Colleges Association, children of employees are eligible for 90% tuition waivers at eighteen other of the nation's finest liberal arts colleges.

We also offer health, dental and vision insurance, TIAA retirement, and many other benefits, including provisions for a spouse, families, and domestic partners. Details about benefits as well as conditions of employment are described more fully in our Staff Handbook.

Kenyon is a unique place to live and work. To discover why it should be your next home, click here.

Kenyon College is an equal opportunity employer and applications from members of all underrepresented groups are encouraged. It is the College's policy to evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, physical and/or mental disability, age, religion, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by institutional policy or state, local, or federal law. Kenyon College has a strong commitment to supporting diversity, equity and inclusion. Please visit our Diversity at Kenyon website.

Advertised: 05 Jun 2024 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: Open until filled

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