Associate Director of Event Experiences

The University Advancement Event Experiences team seeks to hire a highly motivated and innovative senior event planner. The Event Experiences team works to build and sustain lifelong relationships with UVA’s alumni and donors, encouraging individuals and organizations to get involved, stay informed, and invest in UVA.

The Associate Director of Event Experiences will serve as lead event planner and strategist for a robust portfolio of University Advancement events, including events involving the University’s President and senior leadership. This individual will collaborate with key stakeholders to cultivate the annual calendar of events, including board meetings, receptions, tailgates, academic programs, dinners, and webinars. Events will be conceptualized and executed in close partnership with the Senior Director of Event Experiences, colleagues from University Advancement, schools and affiliated units, and often University leadership. 

The incumbent is a strong collaborator and excellent verbal and written communicator who thinks strategically and innovates to achieve individual and departmental, organizational, and institutional objectives and goals. This individual has a high level of attention to detail and thrives in a fast-paced and nuanced organization. The Associate Director is both process- and product- oriented, can refine and iterate on existing protocols, plans, and partnerships to improve outcomes, and works strategically to deliver top quality, concierge-level service to partners, constituents, and donors. The ideal candidate is well-versed in best-in-class protocols and ensures that their colleagues have the tools needed to consistently produce impactful, high caliber events.

This position reports to the Senior Director of Event Experiences.

Key responsibilities:

• Develop event strategy in collaboration with internal partners regarding objectives, preferences, audience, budget, and timelines for high-profile, complex event experiences that may be in-person, virtual, or hybrid.
• Develop event concepts, themes, and proposals that align with University Advancement and partner goals.
• Manage major events for principal giving, development, gift planning, and engagement colleagues.
• Serve as project manager for all logistical arrangements, including but not limited to, vendor relations, space allocation, rentals, event collateral, catering, and event décor.
• Coordinate and negotiate contracts with vendors and manage contract approvals within university procurement, ensuring adherence to event budgets.
• Coordinate with digital engagement and communication team to create event promotion strategies through appropriate marketing channels, print, email, web, text, and social media.
• Establish, develop, and maintain relationships with university departments, vendors, and event management partners, maintaining clear and effective communication and addressing inquiries and concerns promptly.
• Utilize specialized technology, including UVA’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM), event management and communications platforms, and reporting systems.  
• Prepare event briefing materials for leadership in collaboration with the Senior Director of Event Experiences.
• Oversee and establish agendas for events teams of coordinators, program leads and working groups.
• Provide on-site management of events, ensuring smooth execution, coordination of on-site staffing, transportation, accommodations, and troubleshooting as necessary.
• Advise on and resolve sensitive issues and requests, consulting leaders to resolve issues with staff or guests.
• Ensure a high-level guest experience, including registration, hospitality, and assistance as necessary.
• Conceptualize, implement, assess, and continually improve event management procedures to enhance participants' experiences.
• Monitor evolving University policies, rules, and regulations and ensure events comply.
• Serve as a resource for colleagues across Grounds on best practices for event planning.
• Participate in University Advancement Community of Practices, working groups and committees as applicable to work.
• In addition to the above job responsibilities, other duties may be assigned. 

Required Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree
• Experience: At least four years of experience. Additional experience may be considered in lieu of degree.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in higher education.
• Experience working with the C-suite level of an organization.
• The ability to interact with executive level administrators, government officials, donors/prospects, alumni, and development staff, with an understanding of protocol, political environment and implications, and confidentiality. 
• Proven critical thinking and decision-making skills with ability to adjust and adapt when unforeseen situations arise.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Exemplary interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Ability to thrive in a collaborative and nuanced environment.
• Ability to work flexible hours, including evening and weekends and the ability to travel to destinations outside of Charlottesville, Virginia.

UVA Advancement offers a flexible and hybrid workplace, and UVA offers an onsite workspace in Charlottesville, VA. All team members who opt for a hybrid work arrangement must have access to and maintain a secure home office environment with high-speed internet service and work collaboratively with others using a variety of technologies and tools. While working hybrid, employees devote their full attention during a typical 40-hour work week and personal activities, consulting, or other jobs must not disrupt or interfere with the employee's performance. This position requires you to work intermittently in a shared office space in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the incumbent must live within driving distance of Charlottesville.

For additional information about the position, please contact April Sibiski, at [email protected].

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, University Advancement honors your experiences, perspectives, and unique identity. Together, we strive to create and maintain working environments that are inclusive, equitable, and welcoming so we can best achieve our mission of supporting our broadly diverse partners, schools, and networks of engaged alumni, parents, and friends of the University.

This position will remain open until filled.  This is an Exempt level, benefited position. This position is a restricted position and is dependent upon project need, availability of funding and performance. This position will not sponsor for Visas. The anticipated Hiring Range: $70,000 - $75,000 and will be commensurate with education and experience.  The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment. 

How to Apply:

Upload all materials into the resume submission field, multiple documents can be submitted into this one field. Alternatively, merge all documents into one PDF for submission. Applications that do not contain all required documents will not receive full consideration.

Process for External Applicants: Please apply here . Complete an application online and attach a cover letter, CV/resume, and contact information for three references (name, email address, telephone number, and address).

Process for Internal UVA Applicants: Please apply through your Workday Home page, search “Find Jobs,” and search for ‘R0058308.’ Complete an application online and attach a cover letter, CV/resume, and contact information for three references (name, email address, telephone number, and address). 

References will be completed via UVA’s standardized process Skill Survey. A total of five references will be requested via SkillSurvey during the final phase of the interview process.

For more information about UVA and the Charlottesville community please see http://www.virginia.edu/life/charlottesville and https://embarkcva.com/.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Education: Bachelor's degree
Experience: Four years of experience. Additional experience may be considered in lieu of degree.
Licensure: None.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS
This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

The University of Virginia, i ncluding the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician’s Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff.  We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences.  We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.