Director of Campus Events
Kenyon College invites applications for the position of Director of Campus Events. The director of campus events is a new position that will provide strategic leadership, management, guidance, and day-to-day oversight for the introduction, promotion, scheduling, planning and production of campus-based events and conferences. Reporting to the chief of staff, the director will balance competing needs and avoid scheduling conflicts to successfully execute campus events and conferences that reflect the quality and reputation of Kenyon College. The director of campus events will manage staff and student assistants in the events office and will foster a culture of teamwork and shared vision for events at Kenyon. In addition, the director will develop relationships with staff in other divisions to build a network of campus professionals dedicated to designing and executing high-quality events.
The successful candidate will be a highly motivated professional with thorough knowledge and understanding of event planning and public relations, including event design, organization and production. The candidate will have experience in developing, planning and implementing successful events, preferably at a college or university. The candidate will provide exceptional service to all campus constituencies, while guiding the development of new campus policies and procedures. The work of the director and the office will reflect an understanding of, and sensitivity to, campus culture. The candidate will be detail oriented with strong project management skills and an ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously. The Director will work closely with the Office of Diversity Equity & Inclusion to ensure that the College's commitment to diversity is reflected in Events Office programming.
Essential Functions
Administrative/Event Responsibilities
- Develop overall vision and direction for campus and community events;
- Develop and carefully manage departmental and event budgets in accordance with accounting policies and procedures;
- Develop and implement policies and procedures for use of College event services and facilities related to events, including developing and using tools that will help streamline processes;
- Serve as principal authority for addressing conflicting events that arise and ultimately decide whether an event can be scheduled as requested, the appeal authority is the President’s Chief of Staff;
- Serve as primary liaison with the Faculty Lectureships Committee;
- Supervise associate/assistant directors and coordinator who will manage and coordinate all services related to academic programs and events, Common Hour programming, summer conference/community events, ceremonies, campus partner events, and event management system (EMS);
- Cultivate relationships with faculty, staff and students;
- Build working relationships with colleagues in support roles across the campus (safety, facilities, transportation, A/V, communications, etc.);
- Build working relationships with events coordinators and planning clients across all divisions (faculty and staff in the academic division, Admissions, Alumni & Parent Programs, Office for Civil Rights, Kenyon Staff Council, Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion, etc.) and with affiliated organizations, including Gund Gallery, Kenyon Review, Philander Chase Conservancy, Center for the Study of American Democracy, etc.;
- Design and oversee the maintenance of a comprehensive calendar of all campus events in collaboration with the Office of Communications;
- Identify and convene campus committees focused on event management and execution; and,
- Implement a continuous improvement process, including post-mortems, post-event questionnaires for guests, internal staff surveys, etc., whereby events are immediately reviewed for successes and areas of improvement.
Summer Conferences and External Client Events
- Develop and implement sales and marketing strategies in collaboration with the Office of Communications to promote conference services (camps, conferences, meetings, conventions, etc.) to external and internal individuals and groups;
- Establish efficient business practices to appropriately maximize conference revenue generation, including pricing structure and contract/billing/collection procedures, with oversight of scheduling; and,
- Develop accurate conference cost and revenue projections annually in conjunction with the College’s budgeting process with a focus on maximizing revenue.
Public Relations and Communications
- Work with the Office of Communications to develop and execute plans for improved internal and external communication about campus events and ceremonies;
- Develop mechanisms and policies that ensure the use of the College’s online Master Calendar;
- Oversee the Office’s website to ensure consistency in language, tone, and feel, and to ensure content is accurate, current, and informative;
- Develop and execute a summer conferences marketing plan designed to target appropriate audiences and increase department revenue; and,
- Maintain brand integrity and cohesiveness in all events.
Office Management
- Supervise office staff members and volunteers, creating a team approach to managing and executing all events;
- Establish performance goals in collaboration with staff members and conduct regular performance reviews according to established guidelines;
- Apply integrity, dependability, sound judgment and team building skills to promote positive outcomes;
- Set goals and priorities that consider job responsibilities, deadlines and competing requirements;
- Give clear direction and use independent, rational judgment to make decisions;
- Stay informed about potential events; share and delegate/assign related events tasks with staff members; and,
- Develop and standardize hiring practices for student interns.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Success Factors
- Ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships with faculty, staff, and external constituents;
- Professional attitude and demeanor;
- Strong organizational skills with an ability to manage large, time-sensitive projects;
- Excellent judgment and decisiveness, high integrity, enthusiasm, diplomacy, and tact;
- Ability to organize work effectively on multiple projects, conceptualize and prioritize objectives and exercise independent judgement;
- Ability to remain calm under pressure and attend to last minute issues with decisiveness;
- Highly developed interpersonal skills and political acumen;
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively communicate with diverse populations; and,
- Exceptional customer service skills with demonstrated competency in budget management, cost accounting, vendor negotiations, and vendor relationships.
Working Conditions
Work is generally performed in an office environment and requires the ability to operate standard office equipment as well as the ability to sit for long periods of time. The ability to lift boxes or items 30 pounds or less and move tables and chairs when necessary for events is required. The ability to obtain College driver certification is desirable. The employee will be dependable, flexible and willing to attend major events, be on-call, and work a varying schedule that will include evenings, weekends and college breaks.
Minimum Qualifications
- Five years of progressive experience in planning and organizing high-profile, large-scale public events and in small-scale event planning and management;
- Experience managing staff and volunteers with the ability to foster a team environment committed to excellence;
- Ability and willingness to build relationships and work with a broad range of constituents;
- Experience working with diverse populations;
- Demonstrated excellence in oral and written communication;
- Knowledge of best practices and trends in the field of event management;
- Proficient in standard office computer applications;
- Familiarity with database systems, scheduling software and related event management technology; and,
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
Preferred Qualifications
- Knowledge of event management in higher education;
- Knowledge of EMS scheduling software; and,
- Knowledge of crowd management, crowd safety protocols, security and emergency procedures related to small, medium and large scale gatherings.
Kenyon College is a nationally prominent, private liberal arts college where academic excellence goes hand in hand with a strong sense of community and close relationships among students and professors.
Compensation and Benefits