Senior Director of University Events

Metropolitan State University of Denver•Denver, CO

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Director of University Events provides strategic and operational leadership for the Office of University Events (OUE), including a multidisciplinary team responsible for event planning and management, communications, audiovisual support, facilities coordination, and financial operations. The role establishes the office’s vision, develops staff, and ensures consistent, high-quality service across its portfolio. As the senior events liaison to the President’s Office and University Communications and Marketing, the Senior Director translates institutional priorities into polished, audience-centered event experiences and advises senior leaders on complex event decisions, competing expectations, and operational feasibility. The position establishes university-wide event protocols and a support infrastructure for campus partners, making OUE the central resource for event strategy, standards, consultation, and professional development. It provides strategic oversight of CAVEA and other assigned university event venues while delegating routine scheduling, production, and day-to-day execution to designated staff. The role oversees budgets, resources, vendors, contracts, acquisitions, venue performance, and service improvement, and represents MSU Denver in relevant event and venue coordination efforts. The position is full-time and in-person, with limited hybrid flexibility. The standard schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with evenings and weekends as needed for events and travel as needed for events. The anticipated hiring range is $93,850–$115,000, and the position is eligible for MSU Denver benefits.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in event strategy, event management, hospitality operations, or a related field.
At least 7 years of experience supervising professional staff, including demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary teams and developing employees at varying career stages.
Demonstrated experience advising or partnering with executives and senior leaders in a complex organization.
Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment, diplomacy, and discretion; manage competing priorities; and navigate complex stakeholder expectations.
Experience developing and implementing protocols, standards, procedures, or service models across teams or an organization.
Experience planning or overseeing high-profile, large-scale, or institutionally significant events.
Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to communicate expectations and recommendations clearly to varied audiences.
Experience managing budgets, vendors, contracts, and acquisitions.
Demonstrated commitment to accessibility, inclusive practices, and exceptional service.
Ability to work evenings and weekends and respond to event-related needs outside standard business hours as required.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in higher education, government, a public institution, or another complex, highly matrixed organization.
Experience working directly with a president, chief executive, cabinet, or senior leadership team.
Experience building or significantly improving a centralized event support model, standards program, or community of practice.
Venue management or rental-program oversight experience.
Working knowledge of event production and audiovisual systems sufficient to guide strategy, staffing, and investment decisions.
Experience using assessment, customer feedback, or performance measures to improve event services.
Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP), or comparable credential.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership and direct management for six full-time employees and student employees across event planning, communications, audiovisual services, facilities coordination, and financial operations.
Set the OUE vision, annual priorities, service expectations, decision-making practices, and performance measures aligned with university and University Advancement goals.
Supervise, coach, and develop employees at different career stages; foster leadership capacity, succession readiness, inclusion, collaboration, accountability, service, and continuous improvement.
Align staffing, workflows, roles, escalation paths, and resources across the office, including during high-volume or complex periods.
Oversee the OUE budget, revenue and expense accounts, vendor relationships, contracts, acquisitions, equipment, and operational resources.
Assess office performance using feedback, operational data, and event outcomes, and communicate results and improvement priorities to university leadership.
Serve as the primary events liaison to the President’s Office and University Communications and Marketing for presidential-level, university-wide, and other high-visibility events.
Translate leadership goals into event strategy, guest experience, messaging, production plans, and operational requirements; advise senior leaders, anticipate needs, resolve competing expectations, and recommend practical solutions.
Lead strategy and executive-level coordination for high-profile events and ceremonies, including Commencement, presidential engagements, signature speaker programs, campaign and donor events, university updates, and selected leadership summits.
Provide senior-level oversight of event concepts, run of show, production, staging, logistics, accessibility, hospitality, communications, contingency planning, and post-event evaluation, while assigning execution to appropriate staff.
Coordinate with campus departments and external partners to clarify and align roles, approvals, timelines, and decisions.
Develop, document, implement, and improve university-wide event protocols, standards, and decision frameworks for consistent attendee experiences.
Set expectations for event intake, planning, approvals, accessibility, brand alignment, safety, security, dignitary and VIP engagement, communications, production, hospitality, risk management, and post-event assessment.
Partner with university and campus stakeholders to align event protocols with university policies, brand standards, and operational requirements.
Serve as the university’s senior subject-matter resource for event protocol, etiquette, precedent, and complex or sensitive event decisions.
Create tools and quality-control practices that reinforce consistency while allowing appropriate flexibility; update standards and training based on emerging needs and lessons learned.
Design and lead support for campus event partners, including consultation, templates, planning tools, training, office hours, referral pathways, and shared resources.
Lead the Events Coalition as a campus community of practice focused on professional development, coordination, problem solving, knowledge sharing, and consistent standards.
Create differentiated levels of support based on event scope, complexity, audience, risk, and institutional visibility; build relationships with campus event planners and operational partners.
Identify recurring barriers, strengthen cross-campus coordination, provide guidance to campus partners, and maintain appropriate OUE oversight for high-profile, high-risk, or institutionally significant programs.
Support a university-wide event calendar and coordination practices that reduce conflicts and improve institutional planning.
Provide strategic oversight of CAVEA operations, service standards, scheduling priorities, technology, financial performance, and long-term positioning.
Set goals, policies, and accountability measures for internal use and external rentals while delegating routine scheduling, production, and day-to-day execution.
Partner with OUE staff, Facilities, Information Technology, and other stakeholders on venue maintenance, lifecycle planning, equipment, technology, and capital needs.
Review venue utilization, revenue, expenses, customer feedback, and operational risks; set priorities for reinvestment and service improvement.
Represent MSU Denver in relevant Auraria Higher Education Center event and venue coordination efforts and advise on development or renovation of university event spaces.
Work evenings and weekends and respond to event-related needs outside standard business hours as required; travel as needed for events.