Senior Events Manager

The Events Manager at the University of Austin owns the full lifecycle of events, from intimate faculty dinners and donor salons to large-scale conferences and public forums. Reporting to the Chief of Staff, this hands-on role focuses on flawless logistics, vendor relationships, budget management, and on-site execution to bring the university's mission to life. The role requires coordinating cross-functionally with academic leadership and other departments, ensuring every event reflects the institution's standards of excellence.

Responsibilities

• Own the full lifecycle of UATX events — from intimate faculty dinners and donor salons to large-scale conferences, convocations, and public forums — ensuring every detail reflects the university's standards of excellence.
• Build and manage strong relationships with vendors, venues, caterers, AV teams, and production partners; negotiate contracts, hold partners accountable to scope and budget, and serve as the primary point of contact through delivery.
• Develop and maintain detailed event plans, run-of-show documents, timelines, floor plans, and staffing assignments, anticipating logistical needs and contingencies well in advance.
• Manage event budgets end to end, tracking expenses, reconciling invoices, and identifying opportunities to deliver more impact per dollar.
• Coordinate cross-functionally with academic leadership, advancement, admissions, marketing, and operations to align each event with institutional priorities and messaging.
• Oversee guest experience and hospitality, including invitations, RSVPs, registration, seating, signage, and on-site guest management for VIPs, faculty, families, and dignitaries.
• Lead on-site execution — directing setup, managing vendors and volunteers, and troubleshooting issues in real time so events run flawlessly.
• Maintain meticulous records, post-event reports, and vendor evaluations; capture lessons learned and continuously refine playbooks and processes.
• Ensure compliance with venue, safety, insurance, and university requirements for every event.
• Travel occasionally and work evenings and weekends as required by the event calendar (approximately 10–20% of the role, concentrated around key events).

Requirements

• A genuine passion for the UATX mission — the fearless pursuit of truth, open inquiry, and the founding of a new university dedicated to intellectual freedom and academic excellence.
• 3–5+ years of progressive experience in events coordination or management, ideally within higher education, nonprofit, advancement, or hospitality settings.
• Exceptional attention to detail and organizational skills, with a proven ability to manage many moving parts simultaneously without letting anything slip.
• Demonstrated strength in vendor and venue relations, including sourcing, negotiating contracts, and managing partners to budget and quality standards.
• Strong budget management experience, with fluency in tracking costs and reconciling event finances.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the poise to interface with senior leaders, donors, faculty, and external partners.
• Proficiency with event management, registration, and CRM tools, along with standard office and project-management software.
• Ability to remain calm, resourceful, and solutions-oriented under pressure and tight timelines.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and occasional travel around the event calendar.