Event Manager

Virginia Tech • Blacksburg, VA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Event Manager serves as the primary point of contact and resource for event planning, coordination, consultation, and guidance for college-wide and advancement-related events within the Pamplin College of Business. The role delivers high-quality, strategically aligned events that strengthen stakeholder engagement, advance institutional priorities, elevate the college’s brand, and reflect its mission and strategic goals. For assigned events, the manager oversees the full event lifecycle, including design, project management, budget coordination, vendor and contract management, marketing coordination, event technology, assessment, and continuous improvement. The position collaborates with internal stakeholders, external partners, and student teams, particularly those in the Hospitality and Tourism Management program.

The Event Manager plans and executes approximately 25 events annually, ranging from new employee events, college-wide meetings and kickoffs to dinners, tailgates, receptions, and awards celebrations. Events support donor stewardship, leadership engagement, employee experience, community building, recognition, and relationship development. The manager also provides college-wide consultation and tools for consistent event planning, supervises and mentors student employees and project teams, and manages event budgets and resources.

Based at Virginia Tech’s Blacksburg Campus, the position reports to the Chief of Staff and Associate Dean for Operations within the Pamplin College of Business. It is fully on-site for the first six months; afterward, it may move to a hybrid schedule with up to one telework day per week, subject to departmental needs. The role combines office work with on-site event duties and requires some travel, including to the Innovation Campus in Alexandria, Virginia. Occasional evening and weekend work is required. Physical duties may include moving, lifting, and transporting event materials and equipment weighing up to 30 pounds, navigating venues and campus locations, and remaining active for extended periods during event setup, execution, and breakdown. The role may require frequent computer and event-technology use.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in event management, hospitality, business administration, communications, or a related field and/or significant experience in event management.
• Demonstrated experience planning and executing events, meetings, programs, or comparable activities from initial planning through assessment or closeout.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating multiple logistical components for events or programs of varying size and complexity, such as venues, catering, technology, registration, staffing, transportation, or on-site operations.
• Demonstrated experience managing event budgets, financial reconciliation, purchasing processes, and resource allocation.
• Strong project management skills, including the ability to lead multiple concurrent initiatives, meet deadlines, and manage competing priorities.

Nice To Haves

• Experience developing and managing comprehensive event plans, project timelines, run-of-show documents, and event operations from concept through assessment.
• Experience in higher education, advancement, or nonprofit event planning.
• Demonstrated experience managing large-scale, high-visibility events involving multiple stakeholders, executive leadership, and cross-functional planning teams.
• Proficiency with event registration and management platforms such as Cvent or similar systems, including registration workflows, reporting, communications, and data management.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications, including Outlook, Teams, Excel, PowerPoint, Forms, and SharePoint.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with student teams or experiential learning programs.
• Experience negotiating and managing vendor relationships, contracts, and service agreements.
• Knowledge of hospitality or event management best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze data and use assessment findings to inform decisions and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute approximately 25 events annually across varying attendance levels and formats, supporting donor engagement and stewardship, leadership engagement, employee experience, community building, recognition, and relationship development.
• Develop event timelines, budgets, logistics, and staffing plans; coordinate venues, vendors, catering, technology, registration, transportation, and on-site operations as needed.
• Partner with college leadership, Advancement, academic units, internal stakeholders, and external partners to deliver events aligned with strategic priorities and branding.
• Oversee the full lifecycle of assigned events, including event design, project management, marketing coordination, technology, assessment, and continuous improvement.
• Serve as a college-wide event-planning resource by providing consultation, tools, best practices, and strategic guidance for consistent, high-quality, mission-aligned events.
• Manage vendor relationships, contracts, service arrangements, and event procedures while ensuring compliance with university policies, procedures, and budget guidelines.
• Coordinate student involvement in event planning and experiential learning; supervise and mentor student employees and project teams.
• Develop and manage event budgets, monitor expenditures, and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and maximize event resources.
• Evaluate event outcomes and use assessment findings to guide improvements.

What This Job Offers

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