Conference-Event Planner III

University of Florida • Gainesville, FL

5d • $55,000 - $65,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The College of Pharmacy is recruiting for a Conference & Event Planner III to serve as a full-service event professional responsible for planning, coordinating, executing, evaluating, and continuously improving conferences, meetings, ceremonies, symposia, donor engagement events, alumni events, student programming, faculty and staff recognition events, and special initiatives in support of the University of Florida College of Pharmacy. This position serves as a strategic partner to college stakeholders by delivering exceptional event experiences, maintaining strong operational standards, and utilizing data-driven practices to evaluate event outcomes and identify opportunities for continuous improvement. The Conference & Event Planner III works collaboratively with college leadership, faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, vendors, and institutional partners to ensure events support the mission and strategic priorities of the college. The position operates in a highly dynamic environment requiring flexibility, responsiveness, independent decision-making, and excellent stakeholder relationship management.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in an appropriate area of specialization and three years of appropriate experience; or a high school diploma and seven years of appropriate experience.
• Appropriate college course work may substitute at an equivalent rate for the required experience.
• A valid driver's license is required.

Nice To Haves

• Higher education event management experience
• Experience managing conferences, meetings, special events, and symposia
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills
• Smartsheet experience
• Dashboard development and reporting experience
• Experience administering surveys and analyzing results
• Experience with event registration platforms (i.e., Cvent)
• Budget and financial management experience
• Project management experience
• Knowledge of process improvement methodologies
• Canva and event communication design experience
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Responsibilities

• Manager assigned events through the full event lifecycle
• Conduct stakeholder intake meetings and planning consultations
• Coordinate venue selection, catering, hotel contracts, transportation, registration, security, audiovisual support, parking, signage, and event logistics
• Utilize Smartsheet to manage event planning workspaces and stakeholder collaboration
• Oversees and directs on-site execution including set-up and break-down
• Participate in planning meetings and provide recommendations regarding event strategy and implementation
• Ensure event compliance with UF policies and ADA requirements
• Develop event-specific communication and execution plans
• Serve as on-site lead or support planner during assigned events
• Coordinate event setup, execution and breakdown activities
• Manage vendors, volunteers, speakers, attendees, and event logistics
• Troubleshoot operational issues in real time
• Ensure professional and consistent delivery of the attendee experience
• Participant in post-event closeout activities
• Serve as primary point of contact for assigned stakeholders
• Collaboration with Conference/Event Manager to create and disburse marketing and communication materials for all College of Pharmacy Events with utilization of basic graphic design software, such as Canva
• Facilitate planning meetings and prepare meeting agendas, action items and summaries
• Process event contracts by working with the UF Procurement office
• Maintain regular communication throughout the event lifecycle
• Establish and maintain vendor communications and relationships
• Collaborate with Communications, Development, Alumni Affairs, Student Affairs, Academic Departments and Dean’s Office stakeholders
• Provide insight and recommendations on maintaining and updating the operations and procedure manual for the events office, which will align with the policies of all operating partners such as the COP Fiscal Office, UF Procurement Office, UF Physical Plant Office, UF Transportation and Parking Services, UF Business Affairs, and UF Police Department
• Coordinate event marketing materials, invitations, and registration communications
• Administer event stakeholder surveys and collect feedback
• Analyze post-event survey results
• Participate in annual event portfolio reviews
• Document lessons learned and recommendations
• Identify opportunities to improve event planning processes and stakeholder experiences
• Support development of event performance dashboards and reports
• Maintain event records and planning documentation within Smartsheet
• Support development and maintenance of event dashboards
• Manage event registration data and reporting
• Maintain event templates, planning checklists and standard operating procedures
• Ensure event information and records and organized and accessible
• Coordinate purchasing and procurement requests
• Process contracts, invoices, and fiscal documentation
• Track event budgets and expenditures
• Ensure compliance with UF financial policies and procedures
• Maintain event files and records in accordance with college requirement
• Maintain events calendar and shared email inbox for ease of access to relevant event information

Benefits

• Health Insurance: UF participates in state- and university-sponsored benefits programs for individuals, families and domestic partners, and offers voluntary insurance that includes vision, dental, long-term disability and more.
• Retirement Options: Attractive options include Florida Retirement System Pension Plan, State University System Optional Retirement Program, Florida Retirement System Investment Plan, and Voluntary Retirement Savings Plan.
• Leave: UF Faculty and Staff enjoy a generous paid leave plan as well as access to a sick-leave pool, maternity/paternity leave, and leave payouts.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level