Events & Venue Manager

The Events & Venue Manager for the BioScience Research Collaborative (BRC) and O'Connor Engineering & Science (OES) buildings serves as the primary point of contact for venue reservations, conferences, educational programs, building-occupant requests, and a wide range of events held within these facilities. Reporting to the Associate Director of Operations and Administration, this position partners with university departments, faculty, staff, researchers, and external stakeholders to deliver comprehensive event and venue management services while ensuring compliance with facility requirements, operational standards, and university policies.

The Events & Venue Manager is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing events from initial inquiry through post-event evaluation. This role oversees venue scheduling and utilization, event logistics, client communications, and operational coordination to support successful events and positive client experiences. The position also manages event management systems, reporting and analytics, and space utilization data to support efficient operations and strategic decision-making across both the BRC and OES buildings.

The ideal candidate is a highly organized, customer-focused professional with strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. They build effective relationships with diverse stakeholders, coordinate complex event logistics, and deliver exceptional event experiences from planning through execution. Experience with event-management systems, scheduling software, project-management tools, and reporting platforms is preferred.

Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

Workplace Requirements

This position is an on-campus role based within the BioScience Research Collaborative (BRC) and O'Connor Engineering & Science (OES) buildings, requiring all essential job duties to be performed in person. The regular work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; however, evening and weekend hours are periodically required to meet business needs and support scheduled events outside of typical working hours.

This role is designated as an Essential Position, and during declared emergencies or crisis events, the incumbent may be required to perform duties remotely to support business continuity, maintain critical operations, and remain accessible to leadership until normal on-site operations resume. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range:

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position with a hiring range of $70,000 - $75,000 annually, depending on qualifications and experience. Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree

• In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience above and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.

• 4+ years of professional experience in event management, project management, hospitality, or operations

Skills:

• Strong customer-service, communication, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse internal and external stakeholders
• Exceptional organizational and project-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Proven analytical, decision-making, and problem-solving abilities, including the capacity to remain composed and effective under pressure
• Ability to collaborate across organizations, influence outcomes through diplomacy and tact, and build consensus among stakeholders
• Advanced event-management, logistics-coordination, and team-leadership skills, supported by proficiency in event-management, scheduling, reporting, and other business-related software applications

Preferences

• Five or more years of event-planning and event-management experience, preferably in higher education
• Experience with project-management and event-management platforms, such as Asana
• Experience with Oracle or similar enterprise systems
• Working knowledge of audiovisual equipment and event technology, including setup and basic troubleshooting
• Familiarity with hybrid and virtual event platforms, such as Zoom Events/Webinars, Microsoft Teams, and YouTube Live

Essential Functions

• Serve as the primary point of contact for venue reservations, conferences, educational programs, and events across the BRC and OES facilities
• Partner with clients and stakeholders to develop event plans that align with facility capabilities, operational requirements, and university policies
• Manage the full event life cycle, including scheduling, logistics, vendor coordination, communications, and day-of-event execution
• Oversee room reservations, conference-room bookings, venue calendars, and space-utilization activities
• Manage a high-volume portfolio of events, ranging from routine meetings to large-scale conferences of up to 500 attendees
• Partner with the Facilities Supervisor and operations teams to coordinate event-support services and ensure event-ready facilities
• Utilize TRIRIGA and other event-management systems to coordinate work requests, track activities, and support venue operations
• Collaborate with campus event teams, vendors, and service providers to ensure seamless event delivery and a consistent client experience
• Represent BRC and OES venue operations in cross-functional meetings and maintain strong relationships with internal and external partners
• Monitor event progress, manage milestones, and support revenue-generating venue activities
• Analyze event metrics, space utilization, and client feedback to recommend improvements and support strategic decision-making
• Prepare and maintain event-related reports, records, and operational data to support planning, performance measurement, and continuous improvement
• Perform all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions

• Develop and support marketing and promotional efforts to increase awareness and utilization of BRC and OES event venues
• Communicate, interpret, and support compliance with university policies, procedures, and facility requirements related to events and venue use
• Collect and analyze event feedback, compile post-event reports, and recommend opportunities for continuous improvement
• Monitor, report, and follow up on facility-related issues affecting venue operations and event execution
• Assist with venue-utilization reporting, event-related billing, and other administrative functions supporting venue operations
• Maintain a responsive, service-oriented approach when supporting clients, stakeholders, and event participants
• Provide backup support and operational coverage for the Building Operations team, as needed, to ensure continuity of services and facility operations

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

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Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University's Human Resources Office via email at facstaffada@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.