Outreach Events Specialist

University of Waterloo•Waterloo, ON

10d•CA$56,494 - CA$70,618•Onsite

About The Position

The Centre for Education in Mathematics & Computing (CEMC) is Canada’s largest and most recognized outreach organization for promoting and creating activities and materials in mathematics and computer science and is housed within the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo. Our mission is to increase interest, enjoyment, confidence, and ability in mathematics and computer science among learners and educators in Canada and internationally. We do that through a commitment to our core values: future readiness, access, community, and impact. As such, the CEMC is the first point of contact at Waterloo for a significant percentage of our future undergraduate and graduate students and their parents. Through outreach activities, the CEMC has perhaps the largest set of external points of contact amongst any unit on campus. The Outreach Events Specialist reports to the Operations Manager, CEMC and is accountable for managing all facets of CEMC events, including event administration strategy, planning and implementation, logistics, inventory, budgeting and evaluation and provides a central point of contact for a myriad of internal and external stakeholders, to advance the CEMC’s mission, image, profile and reputation as a world-class leader in Mathematics and Computing education to local, national and global audiences. These activities include contest creation and marking events, student workshops, teacher conferences, CEMC Visits Schools program and many other face-to-face and virtual outreach activities as well as providing operational support for the 12 Mathematics and 3 Computer Science contests. The Outreach Events Specialist collaborates with the design, production and distribution of CEMC marketing materials while maintaining brand cohesion, including various posters, flyers, brochures, swag, gifts and prizes. They also provide administrative support for the CEMC’s undergraduate Mathematics/Teaching program.

Requirements

University degree in event management, public relations or hospitality, or equivalent post-secondary education or equivalent education and/or work experience.
5+ years of deep experience and expertise in managing and promoting large scale and high-profile events, including production, partnership building and community engagement
Previous experience as event facilitator as well as an accomplished project manager who can envision and articulate the goals and objectives of the project, create clear project plans, manage cross-functional teams who contribute to the project, and collaborate with multiple project participants to ensure a successful outcome
Experience and a proven aptitude for success in solving problems is required
Disciplined approach to planning and project execution with exceptional attention to accuracy and detail
Independent judgment in areas of time management, task prioritization and decision-making
Proven ability to multi-task, manage a large work volume, conflicting priorities, and deadlines
Exceptional verbal and written communications skills
Proven leadership and volunteer management experience
Experience developing, monitoring, and managing budgets
Experience with technology platforms, specifically Teams, Zoom and other 3rd party event software
Scheduling and coordination expertise with a focus on virtual event logistics and experience deeply rooted in best practices
Reporting expertise for pre- and post-events including registration, attendance, general product metrics and event surveys
The incumbent must be strategic, analytical and insightful, able to assess and interpret the various factors affecting the successful planning and execution of events on campus, within the community and virtual and be experienced in developing event management approaches to address these
Must have a superior understanding of event management and best practices
Ability to exercise proactive project leadership, communicate effectively to project participants who need to understand progress, and identify risks/mitigating strategies before problems occur
Must have superb planning and organizational skills, be able to work simultaneously on multiple initiatives with demanding deadlines and manage time/resources accordingly
Proven ability to manage high volumes of activity, multiple tasks and constant change while demonstrating the ability to maintain confidentiality, ensuring sensitivity to the needs and interests of a variety of stakeholders and support the functioning of diverse teams
Proven ability for delivering quality events in a high-performance environment, with multiple projects, stakeholders and competing deadlines
Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills
Exceptional attention to detail is essential
Excellent written and verbal communication skills under very tight deadlines is required
A high level of independence is required requiring excellent judgment in areas of time management, task prioritization and decision-making
Demonstrated ability to thrive in, and contribute to, an integrated and collaborative team environment and to apply a calm, positive team approach to working with colleagues
Outstanding political acumen, negotiating skills, conflict management and the ability to influence others is essential
Collaborative team player who is comfortable providing and taking constructive input from multiple sources
Intermediate to advanced skills in MS Word and Excel
A valid driver’s license is required
Obtaining and maintaining a clear Vulnerable Sector police check is a condition of ongoing employment.

Nice To Haves

Experience with project management and workflow software, such as Asana and/or Jira an asset
Experience with event management software an asset
Knowledge of communications planning, creative brief development, event marketing and advertising, media relations, and social media are an asset to this role
Knowledge of University policies and procedures considered an asset
Valid Standard First Aid & CPR- C is an asset

Responsibilities

Accountable for planning, ongoing management, delivering, evaluating and reporting on CEMC in-person and virtual events, including but not limited to: student workshops, teacher conferences, student awards and recognition banquets, contest creation committee meetings and contest marking events
Manages the logistics of all events, which include booking accommodations, travel, parking, catering, room bookings, A/V, printing events materials, dress events sites, set-up, take-down and transport all boxes, banners and events related materials
Collaboratively creates engaging, authentic, informative and fun events with CEMC faculty coordinators, CEMC and Waterloo staff, faculty, co-ops, casual support and volunteers
Recruits and manages employees and volunteers to support and collaborate in the delivery of events
Proactively identifies best practices and process improvements in event coordination and management
Establishes measurement targets to monitor and assess the effectiveness of engagement initiatives, including but not limited to web analytics, event attendance, surveys, etc. and providing reports to senior leadership and faculty events leads
Implements project management strategies to prepare detailed schedules, identifying critical milestones and deadlines to ensure that events are managed on time and within scope
Maintains a database and filing system for vendors, suppliers, and venues with up-to-date details of annual Service Level Agreements (SLAs), contact information, etc.
Adheres to all applicable health and safety procedures, instructions, and directives
Supports the Operations Manager and Financial Coordinator in the development and monitoring of the CEMC annual budget as it relates to planned events and supporting activities
Manages events within defined budgets (i.e. $10,000 to $50,000 per event)
Acts as the subject matter expert on University policies and procedures as they relate to events, specifically Policy 31 and corresponding Hospitality expense guidelines, ensuring pre-approvals are granted for exceptions to the Policy
Reviews all events webpage content on a regular basis to ensure up-to-date information is accurate and available for the CEMC global client base
Collaborates with the Contest Administration Specialist to develop and execute an on-going training plan to provide support, and full-back-up, for events and CEMC Visits Schools management, including inventory management
Manages the administration and logistics of the CEMC Visits Schools program. This involves liaising with contacts in schools to plan and organize the program logistics for local, domestic and international visits as well as the virtual visit program. This encompasses both responding to school requests and soliciting visits to targeted schools directly
Supports colleagues in Undergraduate Admissions and Outreach group and faculty program leads with the execution of their strategic goals and objectives for both outreach and Waterloo recruitment and admissions
Collaborates with CEMC leadership to assign visits, support travel, accommodations, and any other logistical and administrative needs that they may have
Maintains visit records for end-of-year school visit reporting for funding
Develops client survey instrument tools and reports on feedback to enhance program experience
Ensures the technical components of virtual visits including technical equipment and software platforms are secured and/or tested
Reviews CEMC Visits Schools webpage content on a regular basis to ensure up-to-date information is accurate and available for the CEMC global client base
Provides administrative support to Director, Mathematics/Teaching
Is responsible for all records, data analytics, and management of students in the program (intent to graduate, add/drop courses, grade change requests, program changes, transfers, modifications, sequence change, etc.)
Monitors and responds to all prospective and current students, acting as the first point of contact for all program enquiries, interprets, applies, and assists students in comprehending program
Supports the coordination of the co-operative component of the Mathematics/Teaching plan. This includes, but is not limited to, liaising with co-op employers to support administrative needs, books placement interviews, maintaining records of placement locations, details and associated administrative support
In collaboration with the Integrated Communications Specialist, supports the development and implementation of an integrated communications plan for the promotion of events, using both print and electronic media and materials
Acts as the first point of contact with internal and external stakeholders to provide knowledgeable and timely communication to ensure the delivery of successful events
Maintains ongoing positive relationships with colleagues, partners, vendors and CEMC stakeholders to ensure consistent engagement with outreach activities and resources
Ensures consistency, accuracy and excellence in quality and content of messaging
Ensures that all unit initiatives and participation in events align with CEMC brand, guidelines, and standards
Manages and monitors web-based communication for promotion, registration, waitlists, travel, general enquiries, post-event feedback, etc.
Collaborates with the Information Systems team and faculty events leads on the development, management, and maintenance of the online events registration system
Supports the administrative logistics and execution of 12 Mathematics and three Computer Science contests offered by the CEMC
Other duties as assigned by the Operations Manager
Manages annual events and CEMC Visits Schools materials, supplies and swag supply inventory, tracking materials usage
Creates or supports the design of swag materials, engaging vendors, determining items that align with CEMC brand and style guides, receiving product and submitting quotes and final invoices for approval
Using available year-over-year participant data and future engagement projections, pro-actively anticipates supply demands to ensure inventory is available to meet client needs, meets established order placement and shipping deadlines and accurately anticipates volume increases
Prepares to be highly flexible and adaptable to changes in inventory management and product availability under tight time constraints, being aware of the cost/benefit and implications adjustments have to other events leads, team members, suppliers and participants
Exercises fiscal responsibility related to procurement
Purchases required products on unit purchasing card (P-card) in accordance with relevant budget and project plans, reconciling monthly statements using established University and CEMC guidelines, procedures and processing requirements.