Senior Director of University Events

Metropolitan State University of Denver • Denver, CO

4d • $93,850 - $115,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director of University Events provides strategic and operational leadership for the Office of University Events (OUE), overseeing a multidisciplinary team responsible for event planning and management, communications, audiovisual support, and coordination of MSU Denver-owned facilities. The role sets the office’s vision, develops staff at different career stages, 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. The position advises senior leaders, navigates complex expectations and competing priorities, and maintains trusted relationships while protecting operational feasibility and institutional standards.

The Senior Director establishes university-wide event protocols and a support infrastructure for campus partners, positioning OUE as the central resource for event strategy, standards, consultation, and professional development. The role also retains strategic oversight of CAVEA and other assigned university event venues, delegating routine deployment and day-to-day execution to designated staff.

The position supervises six full-time employees and student employees, oversees the OUE budget and operational resources, and leads strategy and executive-level coordination for high-profile events and ceremonies. It develops event standards, campus-partner support, and a community of practice; oversees venue goals and performance; and works with university and external stakeholders to support event quality, accessibility, and institutional reputation.

This is a full-time, exempt, in-person position with limited hybrid flexibility. The standard schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; evening and weekend work and travel may be required 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 sound judgment, diplomacy, and discretion; ability to 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 communicating 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 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 office vision, annual priorities, service expectations, decision-making practices, and performance measures in alignment with university and University Advancement goals.
• Supervise, coach, and develop employees at different career stages; build team leadership capacity and succession readiness.
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative, accountable culture focused on service, creativity, operational excellence, communication, and continuous improvement.
• Align staffing, workflows, and resources; clarify roles and escalation paths; coordinate delivery during high-volume or complex periods.
• Oversee the OUE budget, revenue and expense accounts, vendors, contracts, acquisitions, equipment, and other operational resources.
• Assess service delivery and office performance using feedback, operational data, and event outcomes; 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, university-wide, and other high-visibility events.
• Translate leadership goals into event strategy, guest experience, messaging, production plans, and operational requirements.
• Advise senior leaders with discretion and diplomacy, anticipate needs, address 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; assign execution to appropriate staff.
• Coordinate with campus departments and external partners to establish clear roles, approvals, timelines, and decisions.
• Develop, document, implement, and improve university-wide event protocols, standards, and decision frameworks.
• Establish expectations for event intake, planning, approvals, accessibility, brand alignment, safety, security, 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 promote consistency while allowing appropriate flexibility for different audiences and objectives.
• Monitor emerging needs and lessons learned, updating standards and training to strengthen the university’s reputation and reduce institutional risk.
• Design and lead consultation, templates, planning tools, training, office hours, referral pathways, and shared resources for campus partners who plan or sponsor events.
• Lead the Events Coalition as a campus community of practice focused on professional development, coordination, problem solving, knowledge sharing, and consistent standards.
• Create differentiated support levels based on event scope, complexity, audience, risk, and institutional visibility.
• Build relationships with campus event planners and operational partners, identify recurring barriers, and strengthen cross-campus coordination.
• Guide campus partners in producing effective events while maintaining appropriate OUE oversight for high-profile, high-risk, or institutionally significant programs.
• Support an intentional university-wide event calendar and coordination practices to reduce conflicts and improve institutional planning.
• Provide strategic oversight for 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.
• Champion CADRE values-based leadership, establish expectations, elicit feedback, coach across departments, promote accountability, and manage conflict.
• Align operations across teams, optimize resources, maintain compliance, and empower leaders to deliver measurable outcomes.
• Translate university strategy into coordinated action, guide decision-making, prioritize initiatives, and adjust plans to support long-term progress.
• Build cross-functional partnerships, share information, and facilitate dialogue to advance university goals.
• Foster belonging through equitable leadership and talent processes, feedback, and accountability.
• Drive innovation by aligning initiatives with university priorities, anticipating change, and empowering sustainable improvements.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package, including medical, vision, and dental insurance.
• Free RTD pass.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Life and supplemental insurance plans.
• Retirement plans.
• Access to a long-term disability (LTD) plan and other programs.

What This Job Offers

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