SUMMARY
In support of the university's mission and objectives, the Director of Signature Events & Engagement serves as the university's lead for high-profile institutional events, distinguished speakers, executive guests, donors, and signature campus experiences. Acting as a strategic liaison between university leadership and external partners, this role ensures events are executed with excellence, professionalism, hospitality, and precision. This position ensures oversight of event communication, speaker coordination, executive logistics, run-of-show development, and cross-functional planning for high profile events, commencement activities, major lectures, donor engagements, and other signature university experiences.
Executive Event Management
- Leads the planning and execution support for major university events involving executive leadership, distinguished guests, keynote speakers, donor events, and key stakeholders.
- Develops and manages detailed event timelines, production schedules, and run-of-show documents.
- Coordinates event logistics including itineraries, transportation, lodging, hospitality, backstage operations, green rooms, and executive-level accommodations.
- Ensures all event deliverables, approvals, and communications are completed accurately and on schedule.
Distinguished Guests & Speaker Relations
- Serves as the primary university liaison for speakers, celebrity talent, author representatives, agents, executive assistants, and distinguished guests.
- Coordinates all pre-event communication related to schedules, biographies, introductions, audiovisual needs, security considerations, and hospitality requirements.
- Delivers a high-touch, concierge-level experience for guests from initial outreach through event completion and post-event follow-up.
- Cultivates positive relationships that enhance the university's reputation and supports future engagement opportunities.
Event Production & Communication
- Oversees and coordinates external AV vendor production.
- Creates briefing documents and executive schedules for university leadership.
- Coordinates script development, speaker flow, stage management, and event sequencing.
- Identifies and proactively resolves logistical or communication challenges before they impact the event experience.
- Maintains high standards for professionalism, confidentiality, and institutional representation.
- Collaborates effectively within event production and cross-functional planning environments.
Cross Departmental Collaboration
- Partners closely with the Marketing, Communications, and Public Relations to provide speaker biographies, headshots, schedules, talking points, promotional assets, and event details needed for marketing campaigns, media materials, and public relations initiatives.
- Coordinates with Advancement, the President's Office, Campus Operations, Security, Production, Academic leadership, and other university partners to ensure seamless event planning and execution.
- Facilitates planning meetings and maintains clear communication among stakeholders to ensure alignment on event expectations and timelines, responsibilities, and outcomes.