Assistant Director of Events, College of Natural Sciences

University of Texas at Austin•Austin, TX

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The College of Natural Sciences at UT Austin is seeking an Assistant Director of Events to provide strategic leadership and oversight for event planning, production, and execution. This role will set the strategic direction for the college’s signature events, oversee the delivery of high-caliber events and event processes, and personally lead select events. The Assistant Director will also lead and develop a team, partner with the Dean’s Office on signature events, support the Texas Science Festival, and provide flexible planning support and consultation to other areas across the college.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
At least five years of progressively responsible experience in event planning and management.
Experience leading, training, and developing staff.
Demonstrated ability to independently plan, coordinate, and execute a diverse portfolio of high-profile events, including donor-facing and executive-level engagements.
Proven ability to develop and manage event budgets, negotiate and manage vendor contracts, and ensure fiscal accountability.
Ability to work effectively, strategically, and flexibly in a dynamic environment while managing multiple, concurrent projects and competing priorities to meet goals, objectives, and deadlines.
Ability to lead and develop a team of established, high-performing individual contributors and newcomers to event planning alike.
Excellent follow-through, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Passion for science and education, with the ability to understand event objectives and design events that support the mission and needs of the institution.
Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills with the ability to interact with a variety of constituents, including college leadership, faculty, staff, students, and donors.
Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Canva.
Ability to work overtime during peak event seasons, including some evenings and weekends.
Ability to lift up to 40 lbs. and work on your feet for long periods of time.
Extremely detail-oriented, highly organized, and able to think strategically, creatively, collaboratively, and tactically.
Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.
Must be authorized to work in the United States for any employer now and in the future without sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

Experience in higher education event management.
Experience with Smartsheet or similar project management software.
Extensive knowledge of UT Austin policies and procedures.
Experience managing direct reports and building team capacity.

Responsibilities

Oversee the planning, execution, and evaluation of high-profile college events and special projects, including college-wide faculty/staff/student awards celebrations, donor-facing and high-level stakeholder events, public events taking place during the annual Texas Science Festival, and emerging special projects and academic events.
Guide the events team’s approach to event design, guest experience, production planning, operational execution, risk management, and service delivery to ensure events align with the college’s mission and priorities and that event needs are met with professionalism.
Serve as the lead planner and primary point of contact for specific events assigned directly to this role, with full ownership of planning, execution, and post-event follow-up, particularly for dean-hosted events, providing logistical and planning support from concept through completion.
Direct all phases of event planning and execution for select events, including vendor selection and negotiation, venue logistics, production schedules, catering, décor, and guest experience components.
Develop and manage event budgets, monitor expenditures, process financial documentation, and ensure fiscal accountability and compliance with university policies throughout the planning lifecycle.
Assume ownership of production schedules and resolve complex operational issues, providing decision-making support before, during, and after events.
Manage, train, mentor, and provide day-to-day direction to the events team, including seasoned professionals, newcomers, and student workers, by assigning work, establishing priorities, monitoring progress, and supporting professional development.
Work alongside team members, including in a supporting role on events led by other staff, and foster a collaborative, service-oriented culture that promotes accountability, quality, and continuous improvement.
Develop and maintain organizational systems, tools, templates, and best practices that improve efficiency, consistency, and quality across the events function, including vendor and contract management, purchase orders and certificates of insurance, invitation and RSVP tracking, event signage/collateral/swag, inventory management for the events lending library and CNS store, metrics reporting, and voucher processing.
Evaluate event outcomes and recommend improvements to operational practices and service delivery standards.
Coordinate efforts among college leadership, faculty, staff, students, campus partners, vendors, and external organizations across assigned events.
Provide flexible support and oversight for events led by other areas within the Dean’s Office that have their own dedicated events staff — ranging from directly coordinating the event, to assigning an events team member to assist, to serving in a consultative role — depending on the area’s needs.
Build and maintain strong relationships with campus departments, service providers, and event partners to ensure effective collaboration and successful outcomes.
Oversee communication of event information through social media and web calendars.
Perform other duties as assigned, including supporting the evolution of the Texas Science Festival and special projects in a dynamic environment where new opportunities to contribute to the mission emerge.