Overview

Conference and Event Services (CES) serves as a centralized resource for planning academic year and summer conferences, meetings, and events at Princeton University. CES provides guidance and education on event related policies and compliance, and space scheduling support for the University. The CES team shares a commitment to consistently providing exceptional customer service while cultivating sustainable relationships with internal and external clients. CES is the liaison to external, not-for-profit organizations that are interested in renting University facilities. CES oversees Princeton University’s summer program for internal and external customers including conferences, enrichment programs, workshops, meetings, etc. CES prides itself in being the best at what they do by embracing a comprehensive approach to advising the event planner community on events at Princeton University.   

 

Princeton University, University Services, and Conference and Event Services support a work environment that values diversity, integrity, service excellence and collaboration.

 

Conference and Event Services is guided by the three University Services pillars: service excellence, efficiency and effectiveness, and team and people.

 

The Assistant Director, Internal and External Programs and Events will be responsible for managing the department’s portfolio of internal, University-sponsored, and external client events.  Under the direction of the Deputy Director, this individual is also tasked with establishing CES as the premier resource and advisor for events on campus and a leader for the events planning community at Princeton University. 

 

As a senior leader, the Assistant Director, Internal and External Programs and Events is responsible for developing a blueprint for managing the department’s annual summer portfolio of programs and is tasked with delegating the management and support of all summer programs within the portfolio across the CES team.

 

The incumbent will also manage all aspects (venue selection, catering, transportation arrangements, accommodations, dining arrangements, a/v equipment, event décor and design, event registration and financial management) for planning and executing a varying array of select complex and high-profile events and conferences throughout the year. 

 

The Assistant Director, Internal and External Programs and Events will be responsible for developing, monitoring, and evaluating the work performance of two Program and Event Managers and one Program and Event Coordinator, including delegating and reviewing of specific projects, annual performance appraisals, and merit increase recommendations. 

Responsibilities

Event Management, Advising and Support:

    

Internal Events Management Advising and Support

The Assistant Director, Internal and External Programs and Events is responsible for carrying out CES’s vision to become the premier resource and advisor for internal programs and events on campus.  The Assistant Director will develop a plan for qualifying and managing the intake of requests from academic and administrative departments desiring to utilize CES’s services and resources, as well as develop a framework for assessing specific client needs and determining CES’s capacity to support those needs.  The Assistant Director will work collaboratively with the team to determine the appropriate level of support for each event. The incumbent is also responsible for assessing the bandwidth and skill set of the CES team and managing the division of work amongst two Program and Event Managers and one Program and Event Coordinator. 

    

With support from the team, the Assistant Director will manage all aspects for planning and executing a varying array of high level and complex conferences and events including Nassau Hall events, heads of state visits, and Cabinet Member approved institutional events. The Assistant Director, Internal and External Programs and Events will manage all logistical components associated with these events.  These components include venue selection, catering, transportation arrangements, housing accommodations, dining arrangements, audio/visual equipment, event décor and design, online event registration and, the management of related staff and financial management for each client.

 

The Assistant Director, Internal and External Programs and Events will work closely with the Assistant Director for Outreach and Communications to ensure that the CES Event Planner Toolkit is used to standardize academic and administrative department conferences and programs by providing event planning guidance awareness and education on policies, laws, and protocols. When appropriate, the Assistant Director, Internal and External Programs, along with the team, will connect clients with University resources and vendors to secure hotel rooms, transportation, entertainment, and other outside vendor services.

 

This role develops and maintains an accurate and current knowledge of University policies, priorities, and accomplishments to best represent the University and to best assist campus personnel and external organizations in the planning of their events.  This work will involve interviewing clients to assess their needs, recommending functional room layouts, and coordinating needs for support service from other University departments. 

 

With the support of the team, this role will create and manage online event registration pages for select events and programs.

 

External Event Management and Support

Oversees the development of schedules and coordination of the administrative requirements for a summer portfolio of conferences and programs that brings over 30,000 guests to campus and generates most of the office’s net revenue.  The Assistant Director, Internal and External Programs and Events will work collaboratively with the team to manage the assignment of space and services for each of the 150 groups that meet on campus during the summer. 

 

With support of the team, this role will provide comprehensive event management and support for all external sponsored and non-sponsored programs and events, including budget management, food and beverage, meeting rooms selections, floor plans, and housing. The role will provide guidance on compliance with University policies, protocols, and rules; and ensure alignment of use of University facilities by external clients, with broader institutional mission and priorities.    

 

It is imperative that the Assistant Director, Internal and External Programs and Events develops and maintains an accurate and current knowledge of Princeton University policies, priorities, and accomplishments to best represent the University. They must be able to serve as a resource to the CES team to provide appropriate responses to varying requests to utilize campus facilities from external entities while employing the highest level of professionalism and an understanding of University relationships with external organizations.  This may entail advising individuals that the University is unable to accommodate their request. Further this individual must be able to determine when to seek higher counsel and how to protect the University from reputational risk relative to the use of its facilities.  It is also imperative that they possess appropriate customer service skills to provide knowledgeable and thoughtful explanations as to why some programs cannot be accommodated.

 

Summer Portfolio Management

This role will work with the Director, Deputy Director, and Senior Administration from Office of the Provost, Dean of Faculty, and Office of the Dean of the College to think strategically about institutional priorities around the use of campus space and resources. The role will develop a strategic framework for supporting access programs, research, and academic conferences that are in alignment with the University’s mission, during the summer.  

 

This role will develop a comprehensive and customer service focused plan for managing the undergraduate research summer housing portfolio, while working collaboratively with Housing and Real Estate Services and the Service Point to implement and support this initiative.

 

This role will work collaboratively with campus partners including Facilities, Office of Capital Projects (OCP), Office of Information Technology (OIT), Building Services, and Housing to provide input and support for the University’s summer facilities calendar for building maintenance and upgrade projects. The role will manage and maintain a master summer schedule of all summer programs and projects occurring in University facilities and communicate changes to appropriate departments. 

 

This role will collaborate with the Department of Athletics to secure housing and meeting facilities for summer sports camps.

 

With support from the team, the Assistant Director will lead the development of a guidebook for summer programs, which details the services offered, emergency preparedness guidelines, and rules and policies that govern Princeton University’s summer operation. This role will incorporate the recommendations of the Summer Review Process and outline changes in all related documents including but not limited to the Summer Guide. In conjunction with the Director and Business and Compliance Manager, the Assistant Director will monitor best practices for hosting minors on campus and adjust on an as needed basis.

 

Administrative:

 

Financial

Along with the team, this role will work with the CES Business and Compliance Manager to provide accurate estimates of costs associated with University services for clients for each program/event; establish and manage budgets for each program; monitor the income and expenses for each project; prepare profit and loss statements at the conclusion of each event or conference, and reconcile uncollected funds or write off when appropriate.

 

Management

The Assistant Director, Internal and External Programs and Events is responsible for developing, monitoring, and evaluating the work performance of two Program and Event Managers and one Program and Event Coordinator, including delegation and review of specific projects, annual performance appraisals, and merit increase recommendations. 

 

During events managed by CES, the Assistant Director and team are responsible for working with Princeton University service department employees including, but not limited to, Building Services, Campus Dining, Public Safety, Maintenance, etc.

 

The Assistant Director mentors, supervises, and manages a summer staff of 20-25 students.  These students serve as a direct liaison between the Conference Office and the clients of the summer program.

 

Technology

The Assistant Director, Internal and External Programs and Events will oversee the team’s use of the department’s conference management and space scheduling systems to support events.

 

Special Projects

Fundraising – The Assistant Director tracks all fundraising requests (both accepted and denied) received from external organizations; vets them through the Office of Community and Regional Affairs; and maintains the database that would serve as the central resource for the University’s one event in five-year rule.

 

Sponsorship – The Assistant Director will develop sponsorship guidelines for internal departments or faculty members wishing to host external organizations, including the development of a contract for all internal and academic year programs, which clearly define the roles, and responsibilities for both the client and CES.

 

Complete other duties at the discretion of the Director and Deputy Director.

 

Essential Operational Contacts:

Strong relationships between the Assistant Director, Internal and External Programs and Events and individuals across campus are vital to the success of any event.  The Assistant Director, Internal and External Programs and Events will interact with faculty; academic and administrative managers; frontline staff in Facilities, Campus Dining, OIT, HRES, The Service Point and the Department of Public Safety.  The Assistant Director, Internal and External Programs and Events also works with external vendors and members of the community on events hosted on campus.

Qualifications

Essential Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 7-10 years of work experience in conference and event management, preferably in a university setting
• Demonstrated ability to manage, develop and mentor a team to maximize performance.
• Ability to communicate with senior level administrators to ascertain and support institutional priorities and goals relative to the use of campus space
• Ability to think critically and strategically and about managing event volume and allocating work to the team
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a diverse environment
• Ability to work in a fast paced, team centered environment with competing demands
• Demonstrated experience with providing excellent customer service
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple, on-going projects while maintaining the highest quality of professionalism
• Demonstrated ability to supervise and delegate tasks to colleagues in departments outside of CES
• Work effectively across departmental lines to assure a standard of excellence in all conferences and events
• Must be able to independently troubleshoot and make decisions based on the needs of the event/conference while ensuring compliance with University policies and striving to provide a level of excellence to the client
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; diplomacy and discretion are essential
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint); must have the ability to learn new computer programs and applications quickly
• Must be able to work a flexible schedule including evenings and weekends
• Valid Driver’s License

 

Preferred Qualifications:

• Working knowledge of laws and regulations supporting programs for a youth population
• Demonstrated financial acumen
• Demonstrated ability in the use of technology and systems (EMS, Iris, Zoom, etc.)
• Familiarity with Princeton University

 

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Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. EEO IS THE LAW

Standard Weekly Hours36.25Eligible for OvertimeNoBenefits EligibleYesProbationary Period180 daysEssential Services Personnel (see policy for detail)NoPhysical Capacity Exam RequiredNoValid Driver’s License RequiredYes Experience LevelMid-Senior Level#LI-ST1