Director of Events, Law School

University of Chicago • Chicago, IL

1d • $105,000 - $117,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Events leads and manages the events function of the University of Chicago Law School. Events include, but are not limited to faculty conferences, student programming events, alumni events, monthly staff events, weekly faculty research lunches, student orientation, convocation, etc. The Director partners closely with the Dean’s Office, Student Services Offices, External Affairs, Academic and Research Centers, Law School clinics, faculty, and other entities to produce events at the Law School and at offsite locations. The Director plays an integral role in designing, planning, and executing events that highlight the School’s mission, engage its stakeholders, and enhance its reputation as a leading law school. The position reports to the Associate Dean for Administration and manages the Events team.

Requirements

• Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
• Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree strongly preferred.
• A minimum 7 years of progressively responsible experience in event strategy, planning, and operations, preferably within higher education, professional services, or similarly complex institutional environments strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading high-profile events involving senior academic leaders, trustees, donors, public officials, judges, and other distinguished guests, with strong executive presence and discretion.
• Proven success managing complex event portfolios with overlapping priorities, multiple stakeholders, and competing institutional demands.
• Supervising professional staff, including coaching, delegation, and performance management.
• CMP certification or other relevant professional credential.
• Knowledge of university policies, compliance standards, and risk management practices.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and event management platforms such as Cvent, EMS, Qualtrics, Asana, Constant Contact, or similar tools for scheduling and tracking events.
• Strong financial acumen, including developing and managing event budgets, forecasting expenses, and ensuring responsible stewardship of funds.
• Deep understanding of event design principles, guest experience strategy, and current industry standards and trends.
• Professional demeanor, including tact, discretion, and a customer service-oriented approach to interactions with all stakeholders.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with meticulous attention to detail and strong follow-through.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced, high-expectation environment.
• Think and act quickly, make sound decisions under pressure, and navigate unexpected challenges with composure and professionalism.
• Highly organized and proactive, with the capacity to anticipate needs, identify risks in advance, and develop contingency plans.
• Proven ability to execute events within established budget parameters while maintaining high production value and guest experience standards.
• Strong personal accountability, initiative, and work ethic; operate independently while collaborating effectively across departments; builds and maintains positive relationships as a member of working teams.
• Familiarity with the higher education environment; navigate institutional culture and governance structures.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership for the design, planning, and execution of centrally produced Law School in-person, virtual, and hybrid events serving students, faculty, staff, alumni, and external partners and staffs them onsite and at offsite locations.
• Partners with academic and administrative units to translate programmatic goals into thoughtfully designed event experiences that advance institutional priorities and community engagement.
• Leads structured planning consultations to define scope, audience strategy, run-of-show, space utilization, and resource alignment.
• Creates event briefs to outline the scope of each event and develops complex event budgets.
• Manages and tracks each event’s budget to ensure responsible stewardship of funds and alignment with departmental and University guidelines across the whole event and its individual components.
• When necessary, drafts briefs and talking points for the dean and other key stakeholders to prepare them for the event.
• Mentors internal administrators responsible for specific departmental events and provides guidance on coordinating logistics for their events.
• Ensures all event activity complies with University policies, legal requirements, safety standards, and brand guidelines.
• Manages the Law School’s master events calendar to optimize scheduling strategy, reduce programmatic conflicts, and maximize community participation.
• Leads the gathering and analysis of post-event feedback to evaluate event performance and proactively identify opportunities for improvement.
• Recommends and implements enhancements, changes, and solutions to any problem areas.
• Manages the planning and execution of logistics (e.g., facility selection, menu planning, transportation arrangements, and audio/visual equipment) for organization meetings and special events.
• Occasionally manages high-level events.
• Manages events staff.
• Manages contract negotiations and the selection of vendors.
• Works to maintain and improve relationships with vendors and service providers.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Benefits

• The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off.
• Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees