Director for Conference and Event Planning Vacancy #: 921207 Recruitment Range: $70,000 - $75,000 Closing Date: Open Until Filled
Organizational Unit Overview
The Division of Student Affairs actively supports the University’s missions of education, research, and service by providing comprehensive programs and services to assist each student in developing intellectually, socially, morally, and culturally. The Division anticipates students’ developmental needs throughout their collegiate experiences and promotes students development by fostering a community of learning, which encourages individual student involvement and participation. The Division of Student Affairs provides a broad range of support services, activities, and programs that seek to:
Assist students in developing respect and appreciation for individual differences, interpersonal civility, and human rights.
Enhance the learning environment, facilitate retention, and optimize the student experience.
Accommodate the diverse needs of all students.
Support a community environment that is welcoming, safe, and secure.
Assist students in meeting their basic needs for housing, nutrition, and physical and emotional well-being.
Provide the means for students to become active participants and leaders in their own learning.
Assist students in developing logical thought processes and sound decision-making skills.
Assist students in developing an appreciation of the arts.
Moreover, the division seeks to contribute to the development of the whole individual by fostering in each student a deeper appreciation of the importance of life-long learning, individual responsibility, and human diversity. Through collaboration, the division provides programs and services that are grounded in theory, assessment, and sound practice.
The Department of Student Involvement and Leadership is a major component of East Carolina University’s Division of Student Affairs, which serves the university community as a whole through its’ programs and services. Student Involvement and Leadership is committed to enhance the educational experience for all students and to help build a sense of campus community through a wide variety of programs and services for individuals and for student groups.
Through a broad range of co-curricular, cultural, educational, recreational, and social programs, Student Involvement and Leadership supports the university in achieving its mission of being the cultural center for the region. This department is committed to complementing the academic programs which enhance the educational experiences of student; facilities, which serve as laboratories where theoretical and experiential experiences are integrated, and the guidance of a professional staff member to aid students in further developing their intellectual capabilities, creative potential, and citizenship skills. Student Involvement and Leadership seeks to serve all segments of the university as a unifier in the life of East Carolina University, cultivating enduring regard for and loyalty to the University.
The Department of Student Involvement and Leadership is the primary contact point for students through the Center for Student Leadership, the Office of Student Involvement & Activities, the Student Organization Center, the Student Government Association, the Volunteer and Service-Learning Center, the Ledonia Wright Cultural Center and the Office of Greek Life. Additionally, the department provides services for the ECU community through the Central Ticket Office, the Office of Event Planning and Conference Services, Office of Finance & Administration, Mendenhall Student Center Operations, and Production Services.
Job Duties The primary purpose of this position is to provide oversight and strategic direction for planning, implementing, and coordinating on-site management of over 20,000 highly complex meetings and conferences on both Main Campus and the Health Sciences Campus by managing the utilization of campus resources. The CRO manages approximately 70% of all reservable space on both Main and Health Sciences campuses. The Central Reservations Office has become a benchmark and are the experts in space, resource and event management, event planning and implementing and enforcing university event policies and procedures. The CRO has become essential to both campuses in maintaining the appropriate use of campus resources and space utilization for both academic and non-academic events. The Director will host practicum students each semester from the College of Human Ecology Hospitality Leadership program. These students will be given the opportunity to work in a professional environment while gaining the skills and knowledge of dealing with customers and the logistics of their chosen degree program. Interpersonal skills will be required for interaction with students, Faculty, staff, upper administration, and the outside community. This position may require evening and weekend work, to foster a more comprehensive event for the facility users.
This is a professional position with responsibilities having a direct impact on the quality of students’ educational experiences and interaction with their peers, as well as the campus community at large. Additionally, in the performance of duties, this position will utilize a strong knowledge of university budgetary practices, risk management, policy development, problem-solving skills, personnel management, facility management and contract negotiation; independent decision-making and critical thinking skills are necessary.
Position Duties:
Supervision (20%)
Manages the Central Reservations Office;
Which consists of three (3) separate areas: the main CRO office, Event Assistance (set up/break down) and Productions Services (technology) on two campuses;
Which includes oversight of two (2) Associate Directors, two (2) Assistant Directors, an Event Coordinator, three (3) Production Services staff, a Business Officer, eight (8) housekeepers, a Graduate Assistant and over 150 student workers;
Which approves reservations for all events and meetings scheduled in all Student Involvement and Leadership managed facilities, including Main Campus Student Center, Hendrix Theatre, Wright Auditorium, College Hill Field, Brickyard, Brody School of Medicine, Health Sciences Student Center, East Carolina Heart Institute, Laupus Lake, Rivers Plaza, the Designated Public Forum, all outdoor locations, all academic buildings on Main campus and indoor spaces for Campus Recreation and Wellness;
Which manages all event logistics in these facilities, including setups/breakdowns, audio-visual equipment, custodial, and staffing, as well as working closely with campus resource partners which includes putting inappropriate work orders, coordinating campus security, if needed, providing accurate information to the OneCard office to have buildings open at designated times, consulting with EH&S, Facilities, and DSS to ensure safety is a priority for participants and ADA guidelines have been met.
Direct supervision of 5 CRO staff members (2 Associate, 2 Assistant, Event Coordinator)
Administration (20%)
Prepare regular reports (annual, fiscal, usage reports) for the Director of Student Centers and Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Involvement and Leadership.
Review all contracts for space rental and other charges.
Responsible for setting and achieving monetary goals for the Central Reservations Office including, but not limited to: generating revenue via, facility rentals, and outdoor venues.
Conduct weekly logistical meetings with Conference and Event planning staff, operations staff, technical services staff, and custodial staff to ensure the accuracy of the upcoming scheduled events.
Chair the Central Reservations Advisory Board which includes other space schedulers on campus and campus resource partners to inform them of any updates or changes to university policies.
Relationships & Collaboration 10%
Provide support to all other space schedulers on campus in regard to university event policies and procedures.
Work with campus Resource Partners to develop a plan to increase the efficiency of campus resources in collaboration with facilities department.
Collaborate with Registrar’s Office to ensure appropriate space utilization procedures for non-academic events in academic spaces.
Assessment & Continuous Improvement 5%
Conduct assessment projects that relate to customer satisfaction, facility usage, technical needs, correct setup of events
Interpret and apply administrative policies and make recommendations for changes to these policies as needed for the university and space utilization.
Customer Service & Event Planning 15%
The CRO staff also provides event planning assistance to student organizations, campus departments and external clients.
Serve as primary contact for all Executive Administration events including, but not limited to, all Student Involvement and Leadership offices, Student Government Association, Student Activities Board, the Chancellor’s Special Events Office, and Student Affairs Administration.
Provide on-site supervision for all large-scale events occurring in Student Involvement and Leadership managed facilities.
Advises and assists administration in planning, directing, and reporting program activity.
Develops and implements procedures for the Central Reservation Office.
Training 5%
Conduct all training for campus departments and resource partners in how to utilize the workflow within the space management and event software to effectively communicate with others across campus.
Budget 5%
Responsible for financial management in an organization funded by student fee funding sources that includes an income generation component.
Requires an understanding of accounting and budgeting practices in order to submit operating budgets and prepare project/capital expense requests.
Provide expertise on intersection of financial matters with reservations.
Establish long-range financial objectives to meet strategic goals of a multifaceted organization.
Contributes to budgetary planning and forecasting.
Technology 5%
Point of contact for contracts and connections with technology companies used for event planning coordination such as 25Live, Allseated and 7Points.
Administrator for software for 25Live, Allseated and 7Points.
Administrator for CRO website.
Other Responsibilities: 5%
Attend departmental monthly student center operations staff meetings.
Represent the department and /or university at professional conferences and workshops, including ACUI, ACCED-I, NASPA, but not limited to, and serving on division or campus committees.
Attend and participate in monthly Space Planning meetings.
Sit on other committees and search committees as needed.
Minimum Education/Experience
Master’s degree required in Event Management, Communications, Hospitality Management or related field of study.
Minimum of three years of successful experience in conference or event planning.
Preferred Experience, Skills, Training/Education
Demonstrated experience and skills in the following areas: contract negotiation and review; budget development and management; event planning and on-site coordination.
Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication and public relations skills, including computer competencies.
Ability to foster and develop working relationships with numerous students, Faculty/staff, the ECU Community and outside the University Community.
Additional Instructions to Applicant
In order to be considered for this position, applicants must complete a candidate profile online via the PeopleAdmin system and submit any requested documents. Additionally, applicants that possess the preferred education and experience must also possess the minimum education/experience, if applicable.
Application Types Accepted
Applications will be considered until position is filled. Please submit an online ECU application for vacancy #921207 to ECU Human Resources at http://jobs.ecu.edu.
Eligibility for Employment
Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. ECU participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.
ECU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
