Associate Director of University Ceremonies and Events

Job Description

The Associate Director of University Ceremonies and Events is a key member within the Office of the Chancellor’s University Ceremonies and Events team at Vanderbilt University, reporting directly to the Director of University Ceremonies and Events. The role is responsible for managing a team of event coordinators and overseeing the daily operations of the team. The Associate Director will be an integral leader in event execution, serving as a player-coach who actively contributes to making events successful. This position involves directing the planning, coordination, and execution of university-wide ceremonial and special events, including major annual events such as Founders Walk, Family Weekend, Reunion, and Commencement, in addition to 40+ smaller-scale events. This is a full-time, on-campus, benefits-eligible position that requires a dedicated individual who thrives in a collaborative and dynamic work environment.

The Office of the Chancellor at Vanderbilt University is committed to upholding the university's vision by excelling in management, strategic initiatives, and operational success. The University Ceremonies and Events team, which is part of the Office of the Chancellor, leads and executes key Vanderbilt ceremonies and events such as Founders Walk, Family Weekend, Reunion, Commencement, and other mission-critical programming. The UCE team also provides event expertise to partner offices across campus. This dynamic team is "proud but never satisfied," continually building on success to deliver higher impact events.

Duties and Responsibilities
• Lead a team of event coordinators in planning and executing major university ceremonies such as Founders Walk, Family Weekend, Reunion, and Commencement.
• Oversee the coordination of 40+ smaller scale events annually, ensuring all events are delivered to a high standard.
• Conduct short- and long-term planning and management for events, ensuring alignment with the university’s mission and goals.
• Work with the Director to develop, recommend, and manage event budgets, ensuring all activities are conducted within approved financial plans.

•Maintain and analyze event metrics to continuously improve planning and execution processes.
• Build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including university leadership, faculty, staff, students, alumni, donors, and vendors.
• Develop and implement standards and protocols for university events, including invitations, attendance estimation, VIP stewardship, venue selection, site walkthroughs, catering, and program schedules.
• Stay current with trends and best practices in event planning and continuously seek opportunities for professional and team development.
• Communicate effectively with diverse audiences and demonstrate a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritizing and re-prioritizing tasks as needed.
• Exhibit exceptional judgment, discretion, and the ability to operate with strict confidentiality.
• Work outside regular business hours as needed to fulfill event-related responsibilities.
• Provide additional support as needed for department priorities.

Qualifications

Supervisory Relationships:
This position does have supervisory responsibility; this position reports administratively and functionally to the Director of University Ceremonies and Events.

Education and Certifications
• A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education is necessary.
• A Master’s degree is preferred.

Experience and Skills:
• At least 10 years of experience in event planning, experiential marketing, or a related field is strongly preferred.
• At least 5 years of experience in people/team leadership is necessary.
• Experience in non-profit or higher education organizations is preferred.
• Strong budgeting experience and proficiency is necessary.
• Fluency in all Office suite products and web conferencing tools (Zoom, Teams) is strongly preferred.