SUMMARY: 

The Director of Events and Support Services is responsible for all aspects of campus event management and support services. The Director exercises leadership and management skills to provide innovative and efficient services, ensure excellence, and maintain high levels of satisfaction for students, faculty, staff, and guests with exemplary customer service and sound financial practices.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Leadership 

Provides senior leadership, supervision, and management of event and support services to the University community.

• Develops and documents best practices to ensure efficiency and consistency in department operations and customer service.
• Establishes procedures and practices to ensure maximum use and effectiveness of the Event Management System. Ensures compliance with University and departmental policies. Provides oversight for EMS.
• Develops effective marketing and strategic plans to increase wedding and columbarium business on a local level to increase sources of revenue and profit.
• Identifies new opportunities, revenue streams, and technologies within the industry.
• Creates an environment which encourages maximum productivity, positive employee morale, teamwork, engagement, and open communication. Develops staff training and programs for teams and individuals.
• Represents and promotes the interest of the university and the department with a strategic perspective.

Operational Management

Oversees the conceptualization, planning, and implementation of events and support services to support the academic and operational needs of the university.

• Participates in departmental, cross-departmental, and divisional committees.
• Manages applicable contracts.
• Coordinates and leads special projects for the department, as assigned.
• Serves as member of the Emergency and Risk Management team. Ensures systems are in place to follow safety guidelines. Monitors physical safety of assigned building areas.

Financial Management 

Manages the financial operations of Events and Support Services, including developing and monitoring departmental budgets, managing revenues and expenditures to meet established goals, and overseeing accounting responsibilities.

• Ensures compliance with established financial and procurement processes.
• Prepares, executes, and monitors budgets and financial data to control costs and ensure financial goals are achieved and operations meet budgetary parameters.
• Develops reports and annual budgets, and monitors monthly financial statements. Ensures that revenues and expenses are efficiently managed to reach key financial goals.
• Analyzes benchmarking data and ensures standards are at satisfactory levels or above.
• Maintains responsibility for all financial assets of the department, including all physical inventory and petty cash. 

Customer Service 

• Establishes and maintains high quality standards for customer service, event planning, support service logistics. Responds to changing needs and institutional priorities.
• Promotes a positive relationship with all internal and external customers.
• Develops evaluation mechanisms and metrics data. Analyzes anecdotal and performance metrics data to continually improve programs and services. 
• Collaborates with service providers in Campus Operations, Information Technology, University Police, Parking Services and other departments to assess and continuously improve systems, processes and technology.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Understanding of higher education infrastructure, missions, and operations with the ability to communicate and establish relationships across a spectrum of faculty, staff, and students.
• Demonstrates high ethical standards, tact and diplomacy to work with the University’s hierarchy; maintains confidentiality. Capacity to recognize public relations matters in relation to the standards of the president and the trustees’ philosophy.
• Ability to apply critical thinking, exercise flexibility, and work calmly and efficiently under pressure.
• Effective communication, interpersonal and conflict resolution skills.
• Effective management of diverse human resource needs. Training and delegation skills.
• Excellent fiscal management skills.
• In depth knowledge of all aspects of event and conference planning, execution, and management. Thorough knowledge of best practices in event management.
• Contract writing, negotiation and enforcement skills.
• Ability to learn and use current technologies. Knowledgeable in the use of business and conference related computer software.
• Valid driver’s license and acceptable driving record.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in hotel, hospitality, or event management, or related field, or combination of equivalent experience and training.
• Five or more years in a higher education setting preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years’ experience in conferences and event planning.
• Minimum of 3 years’ supervisory experience.
• Event Management System software experience, preferred.

WORK HOURS:

• Full-time, exempt position
• Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; 7.75 hrs./day; 38.75 hrs./week 
• Designated as essential personnel. Busy environment with high level of contact with others. Provides support to operations, including weekend and evenings as needed.

SALARY STRUCTURE:
Pay Grade 8 (Hiring Range $62,345.00 to $82,600.00 annually)

COVID-19:
The University of Richmond requires COVID-19 vaccinations for all students, faculty, and staff. The University allows exemptions to this requirement for religious, medical and strong personal conviction reasons. All newly hired employees must report their status within the first two weeks of employment.

ABOUT UR:

At the University of Richmond, we’re creative, inclusive, and determined. We’re Spiders, and our mission is to create positive change in the UR community and beyond. Located minutes from downtown Richmond, Virginia, the University of Richmond (www.richmond.edu) blends the intimacy of a small college with exceptional academic, research, and cultural opportunities usually found only at large institutions. There’s only one place like Richmond.

UR is committed to developing a diverse faculty, staff and student body, and to modeling an inclusive campus community which values the expression of differences in ways that promote excellence in teaching, learning, personal development and institutional success. In keeping with this commitment, our academic community welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds and candidates who support diversity. EOE