Assistant Director, Events

Department

Harris School Events

About the Department

Policy with real impact doesn’t evolve from ideology or intuition, or even experience. At the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy developing effective public policy is a science, based on data and measurable impact.

Addressing today’s interconnected, global challenges requires rigorous inquiry. It also requires innovative people who will face the facts, gather data, and understand why current policies exist to improve them.

For more than thirty years, the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy has been steadfastly committed to serving society by advancing analysis- and evidence-informed policy. Guided by this exacting mission, our community of 60 tenure-track scholars, more than 1,200 students, and more than 6,000 alumni from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors are taking on the world’s most important problems by using the latest tools of social science.

The second-largest professional school at the University of Chicago and home to one of its largest undergraduate majors, Harris Public Policy offers a full range of degree and executive education programs that empower serious-minded and aspiring leaders from more than 40 countries each year. Harris is the academic home to 20 research centers, institutes, and labs that study and engage with the public on areas such as conflict, democracy and effective government, economic and political development, education, energy and environment, health, municipal finance, public safety, social policy, and urban policy.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Senior Director, Events, the Assistant Director, Events will serve as an integral member of the Office of Public Affairs on a variety of events hosted by Harris, its research centers and initiatives, and other events produced by Harris or the University that involve public policy interests.

Responsibilities

• Manages large-scale, traditional programming such as Harris Policy Innovation Challenge, Admitted Student Day, New Student Orientation, Convocation, and a portfolio of other unit-lifted events.
• Leads in the planning and coordination of meetings, visiting lecturers or speaker events, key student events, and other special activities hosted by Harris, its research centers and partners.
• Serves as the super-user for the event registration platform, Cvent, and communicates regularly with users of the platform across the school. Develops and maintains standards and templates in service of integration with other systems. Serves as the point of contact with the Harris Cvent representative.
• Leads vendor selection by negotiating contracts and coordinating vendor services, including, but not limited to: catering, entertainment, audio/visual, facilities services, transportation, photo/videographer, etc., to ensure all event needs are met on time and on budget.
• Oversees onsite logistical preparations and post-event wrap-up.
• Supports Senior Director in logistical planning for large-scale events.
• Creates event overviews, briefings, and other relevant event documents.
• Helps resolve any issues in logistics during planning and production of the event.
• Maintains resources and tools that help streamline the event planning process; ensures all events exhibit high-level quality in planning and execution to meet and exceed expectations associated with the Harris brand.
• Identifies needs of proposed events and develops the tools and resources necessary to ensure efficient and effective execution of the event.
• Researches and proposes event and/or speaker ideas that further the Harris brand and meet the strategic goals of Harris.
• Corresponds with key guest event attendees, such as panelists, guest speakers, etc.
• Utilizes templates and specific event plans and timelines for assigned events to ensure all necessary tasks and logistics are completed within the appropriate time frame.
• Promotes the mission and high standards of the Office of Public Affairs to other Harris colleagues.
• Develops and maintains solid relationships with external client organizations and other stakeholders.
• Creates reports from Harris systems as needed.
• Establishes efficiency in business processes, procedures, and other daily operations.
• Ensures professional, courteous, and proactive client and guest services.
• Proactively contributes to overall team success by presenting ideas, identifying problems, anticipating needs, and researching solutions.
• Creates and proposes budgets as outlined by project needs and objectives. Monitors revenue and expense performance; ensures adherence to determined budget requirements.
• Reviews and finalizes the guest lists, assists with mailing invitations and creates brochures for the event.
• Works to implement ideas for improvement as they are identified in addition to providing post-event feedback on turnout and vendor performance with direction from others.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree.

Experience:

• Four years of progressively responsible experience in event planning and meeting management.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Skilled in email campaign programs, such as HubSpot or similar event software.
• Previous experience using Cvent for event registrations.
• Experience with project management platforms, such as Monday.com or Asana.
• Expertise in website content management.
• Proficient with Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office Suite, the internet, and email, with proficiency in working with major social media platforms and web tools.

Preferred Competencies

• Strong marketing and event management skills.
• Skilled in client relationship management systems, such as Salesforce
• Proven ability to problem-solve with minimal direction.
• Exercise good judgment in key-decision making moments.
• Deliver high-quality work under pressure in complex situations.
• Extensive project management and analytical skills.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills.
• Ability to quickly learn new systems.
• Work on multiple projects and manage day-to-day tasks effectively and professionally.
• Professional demeanor, including tact, discretion, and a customer service-oriented approach to the job.
• Attention to detail, ability to work in complex environments, familiarity with data management tools a plus.
• Strong verbal and writing skills, high attention to detail and follow-up, and excellent organizational skills.
• Ability to work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting.
• Willingness to work some evenings and weekends required.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)
• 3 References Contact Information (required)

Job Family

Communications

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$58,000.00 - $68,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

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