Strategic Events Manager

Details•San Diego, CA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Under direction from the Senior Director of Marketing and Communications, the Strategic Events Manager oversees the Knauss School of Business schoolwide events portfolio, including events hosted by the Dean, administrative departments and Centers of Distinction. The Manager ensures strategic alignment of all events occurring within the Knauss School with the School’s strategic plan and priorities. The position plans, coordinates, and executes end to end delivery of flagship public programs, academic events, student and faculty events, donor and VIP engagements, and internal engagements. The role develops event concepts and engagement plans, prepares budgets, manages vendors and contracts, and directs on-site production to ensure high-quality experiences. The Manager provides oversight to Centers/Institutes within the Knauss School that have events-related positions and provides oversight and support to those roles to ensure alignment with School event strategies and best practices. The incumbent works collaboratively with faculty and staff partners, exercises sound judgment, and maintains excellent service standards in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. Creativity, diplomacy, and operational excellence are essential to success. This role requires a working knowledge of the Knauss School of Business and may require occasional work on nights and/or weekends.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with preference given to Business, Marketing and/or related field of study
3 years of work experience in event marketing, product marketing, email marketing, campaign planning, digital marketing, messaging, positioning, copywriting, project management, and/or related field
Computers and software (including MS Word, Excel, Internet, Web, etc.)
Anticipating, identifying and resolving technical software issues
Excellent skill in using business software systems in the completion of work assignments; i.e. Word and Excel, PowerPoint, and customer relations management (CRM) software
Ability to integrate communications, marketing, and donor engagement goals into cohesive event plans.
Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including comfort engaging with senior leaders, donors, and public figures.
Event promotion and marketing
Interacting with the professional business community
Demonstrated knowledge of event strategy, design, and execution for academic or nonprofit institutions.
Developing and managing event budgets, contracts, and vendor relationships effectively.
Exercising self-initiative and creativity
Be able to function with a high degree of autonomy
Demonstrated capacity for developing and understanding strategy
Operation of personal computer equipment and web management
Time management and organization of multi-tasking work requirements
Communicating effectively both verbally and in writing
Ability to use mature judgment
Ability to form productive working relationships with faculty, staff and administration
Working with diverse personalities
Being flexible and versatile in coping with evolving work situations
Ability to focus on technical details in an environment with many distractions
Ability to handle the stress of last-minute deadlines and changes
Ability to assume responsibility and effectively resolve problems by exercising independent judgement

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college of university in Business, Marketing or a related field
3+ years of progressively responsible event marketing experience including product marketing, email marketing, digital marketing, messaging, copywriting and/or project management
Experience working in higher education

Responsibilities

Reviews all proposed events within the Knauss School, including those within Centers of Distinction, to ensure alignment with School strategic priorities and goals
Aligns event objectives with School strategy to elevate reputation and advance engagement goals.
Ensures events across the School are scheduled in a manner that avoids overlap and increases opportunity for positive brand exposure amongst campus and community audiences
Leads the design, calendar, and end-to-end production of major Knauss School events
Coordinates with the Dean, Dean Team, Center Directors, Critical Operating Directors, and Advancement to use events for cultivation, stewardship, and alumni/community engagement.
Implements pre- and post-event touchpoints (briefing notes, seating charts, talking points, follow-up communications).
Tracks interactions and outcomes in the University’s CRM to inform next-step strategies.
Establishes success metrics (attendance, satisfaction, pipeline/activity generation, etc.) and conducts post-event assessments for continuous improvement.
Ensures compliance with University policies, accessibility standards, and risk management protocols.
Works with the Knauss School Finance and Administration Team to ensure proper contract execution and vendor payments are processed in adherence with University policies and guidelines
Partners with the Knauss School Marketing and Communications team to deliver cohesive, on-brand event campaigns across the web, email, social media, and print.
Synchronize event objectives with marketing channel leads, to drive pre-event registration, as applicable, and architect post-event visibility strategies that convert event momentum into sustained brand equity; via work direction of the supervised Event Marketing Coordinator, and/or liaising with the Content Marketing staff in the broader MarComm team, as applicable.
Oversees creative briefs, invitations, run-of-show content, web pages/registrations, and media coordination.
Maintains editorial and visual standards; monitors campaign performance and optimizes reach and conversion.
Manages event budgets, contracts, and vendor performance for Knauss School events, including the securing and oversight of any vendors during the events themselves; negotiates terms to ensure quality, value, and fiscal stewardship.
Directs logistics (venue, AV, catering, security, accessibility, travel/hosting, etc.) and on-site production.
Develops standard operating procedures, timelines, and checklists
Leads after-event reviews to drive efficiencies
Provides best practice and training to units engaging in events including but not limited to Centers of Distinction
Provides supervision, training and support to the Strategic Events Coordinator
Serves as liaison to University departments and external partners to align calendars, resources, and priorities.
Supports select School-wide or University events and special projects, as assigned.
Other duties as assigned