Assistant Director, Strategic Events

About this role

Department ADV Strategic Events 1.3 About the Department The University of Chicago Advancement team cultivates lifelong connections with more than 220,000 alumni, current students, parents, and friends worldwide, building community through intellectual, professional, and other meaningful experiences on campus, around the world and online. Advancement empowers every division, school, department, and institute to thrive, generating support for esteemed faculty, pioneering researchers, visionary practitioners, and ambitious students. During the Chicago Minds campaign, Advancement seeks to raise over $1 billion annually. This unprecedented philanthropic effort is designed to stretch the boundaries of what is possible, fueling bold discovery and amplifying the University’s global impact.

Our work is rooted in the belief that meaningful connection and lasting experiences inspire ambassadorship and enduring commitment. We champion a culture of innovation and excellence, inviting every member of our community to participate in a future defined by creativity, intellectual rigor, and shared purpose. Through collaborative partnerships, strategic stewardship, and investment in talent, Advancement is reimagining alumni and donor engagement while ensuring UChicago remains a catalyst of impact for generations to come.

The Stewardship and Events team oversees and implements best practices in outstanding donor engagement, stewardship, and events, creating exemplary experiences that cultivate lasting relationships with our alumni, donors, and friends. Job Summary This role provides professional support and solves straightforward problems in a broad range of operational business activities in the creation of plans for events programming, marketing, and logistics. With guidance from others, monitors the execution of events. Responsibilities • Assists in the planning, coordination, and execution of Advancement events, in-person, hybrid, and virtual, with the oversight of the Senior Associate Director. • Manages event registration cycle, build registration forms, RSVP reporting, and registration modifications. • Helps develop and propose policies and procedures that relate to registration data management to improve the quality and accuracy of constituent event data. • Helps with the development of event proposal, concept, communications plan, final briefing, and post-event debrief. • Assists with research, including vendor selection and contract negotiation. • With oversight, manages expenses and prepares budget reports. • Produces event prep materials such as nametags and place cards. • Maintains internal and external event calendars. • Maintains inventory, track event office supplies, and maintains office event equipment and technologies. • Keeps up with market research and current event trends and procedures. • Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance including attending webinars, and seminars, and building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions. • Executes day-to-day event logistics, and other moderately complex assignments with some guidance from others. • Assists with research, including vendor selection and contract negotiation. Keeps track of all expenses, prepares reports on costs, using existing procedures to solve moderately complex problems as they arise. • Reviews and finalizes the guest lists, assists with mailing invitations and creates brochures for the event. • Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications Education: Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field. Work Experience: Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline. Certifications: ---

Preferred Qualifications

Education: • Bachelor’s degree. • Coursework in project management, business, communications, marketing, hospitality management, or non-profit management. 

Experience: • Minimum two years of work experience in nonprofit management, development, alumni relations, marketing, public relations, hospitality sector, sales, or similar field. • Background in event, meeting, and conference planning or field. • Background managing complex cross-team projects with multiple stakeholders.

Technical Skills or Knowledge: • Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the internal workings of the University as well as the technology tools available to the Office of Advancement and Development. • Proficient in a Microsoft Windows computer environment, especially Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and the CRM.

Preferred Competencies • Manage confidential information with discretion and tact. • Act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality. • Work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting. • Prioritize multiple projects and independently follow through with detail. • Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills characterized by the ability to listen, speak, and write effectively. • Self-motivated and take initiative.

Working Conditions • This position has a hybrid work schedule which includes weekly in office presence. • Standard office environment. • Travel to campus and/or non-campus locations for University business. • Work evenings and weekends as needed. • This position is located in Hyde Park at 5235 South Harper Court. • This position is not eligible for employer-sponsored employment authorization.

Application Documents • Resume/CV (required) • Cover Letter, addressed to Hiring Committee (preferred)

The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.

When applying, the document(s) MUST  be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family Communications Role Impact Individual Contributor Scheduled Weekly Hours 37.5

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