Director, Special Event Planning

Cuyahoga Community College•Cleveland, OH

9d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director, Special Event Planning provides event-planning guidance, support, and problem-solving for College and campus events, advocating for clients and overseeing day-to-day operations of the Special Events department within Campus Services and Business Operations. The role focuses on facility setup and event execution, client satisfaction, consistent service delivery, revenue goals, and compliance with contractual standards and performance targets. The Director manages relationships with clients and contractors, oversees designated College events and catering services, and directs special projects across several College district sites. The position provides overall management of event operations at the Jerry Sue Thornton Center, including coordination of facility operations, hospitality, janitorial, catering, and IT staff. It manages client events from planning through delivery, supervises the Concierge Service, oversees catering performance and standards, and manages the College’s Special Event budget. The Director also supports College-wide events and community outreach, works with students on event opportunities, collaborates with Marketing and Communications, and conducts post-event evaluations. The position is based at the Jerry Sue Thornton Center. Work is performed in a professional office environment during standard business hours, with occasional morning, evening, and weekend hours based on client and business demands. The target starting salary range is $75,000 to $85,000. If hired, the employee must reside in Ohio and be within commuting distance of the work location to respond to onsite work demands.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a related field; significant related experience may substitute for education.
Six years of related experience in the hospitality management industry, focusing on event or project planning management.
Conference center management or event-planning experience in a venue with a budget or scale of over $2 million.
Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) designation, or an equivalent certificate in event planning for meetings and conferences.
Ability to understand clients’ strategic business plans, organizational management practices, information systems, operations, culture, and other critical factors and offer creative solutions.
Attention to detail and client needs.
Time-management skills, service orientation, and follow-through.
Ability to prioritize responsibilities independently and identify staffing requirements.
Excellent communication and organizational skills.
Proficiency with computer systems and Microsoft Office Suite products.
Ability to perform banquet operations positions to supervise, direct, and train banquet personnel.
Knowledge of food production and service.
Ability to develop and maintain relationships with key contacts to improve workflow and service quality.
Persuasive, influential, and accurate presentation skills.
Ability to work effectively in a dynamic and changing environment requiring flexibility, discretionary effort, and teamwork.
Ability to network in the community and build business relationships.
Knowledge of sales techniques, including negotiation and closing skills.
Sensitivity to the needs of students and the community.
Ability to reside in Ohio and be within commuting distance of the work location to respond to onsite work demands.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in a related field.
Conference center management or event-planning experience in a venue with a budget or scale of over $5 million.

Responsibilities

Provide overall direction, management, coordination, and ongoing evaluation of event operations at the Jerry Sue Thornton Center.
Prepare facility operations, hospitality, janitorial, catering, and IT staff for upcoming weekly event schedules, and plan room layouts and setups.
Develop client relationships, respond to inquiries, meet expectations, and manage client relationships through event development, production, and delivery.
Oversee events and motivate a cross-functional team of student employees, staff, and vendors.
Document event requirements with clients and College contacts and prepare banquet event orders (BEOs) for client review and approval.
Consult with clients about special service, program, and meeting needs and arrange appropriate accommodations.
Facilitate weekly BEO meetings with staff and vendors to prepare them for upcoming events.
Enforce payment deadlines and College procedures, including vendor ACH setup and timely billing and collection of facility rental revenue.
Finalize event delivery cost information, bill clients, and collect balances according to contracts.
Maximize revenue and control expenses for College events within budget guidelines.
Supervise the Concierge Service at the Jerry Sue Thornton Center and coordinate special events in the Ford Room and building.
Manage the College’s Special Event budget and provide detailed College-wide event budget information to the Vice President of Campus Services and Business Operations.
Manage and coordinate client events onsite using event scheduling sheets and coordinating with staff.
Maintain relationships with catering contractors to support College and client satisfaction and fiscal goals.
Oversee catering operations, including menus, pricing, product availability, service packages, and event execution.
Establish and evaluate catering standards for food quality, presentation, timeliness, staff professionalism, customer experience, and operational compliance.
Use event observations, performance metrics, and customer feedback to identify catering trends and improvement opportunities.
Partner with dining service leadership to resolve service concerns, develop corrective action plans, implement best practices, and advance catering guidelines, training, service standards, and customer communications.
Provide College leadership with analysis and recommendations on catering performance, customer satisfaction, service recovery, and program effectiveness.
Ensure compliance with insurance, legal, health, and safety obligations under College policies and procedures.
Arrange parking, traffic control, and security for events as needed.
Maintain an onsite presence to respond to requests and ensure events run smoothly and efficiently.
Develop community outreach relationships through programs promoting the College and the use of College facilities and programs.
Assist with College-wide events and special projects, including internal seminars, Convocation, Commencement, Campus Day, and offsite accommodations for external events.
Work with students in planning and participating in College-wide events and provide experience opportunities for Hospitality Management students, interns, and Event Planning program students.
Collaborate with Marketing and Communications to identify event marketing opportunities through College communication channels.
Conduct post-event evaluations with clients and staff, including thank-you letters, follow-up conversations, and surveys.
Perform other related duties as assigned.