Senior Events Manager

Job Summary

The University of Austin is building a new kind of institution — one devoted to the fearless pursuit of truth, open inquiry, and academic excellence. We are seeking an experienced, detail-obsessed Events Manager to design and execute events that bring this mission to life for our students, faculty, donors, and the broader community.

Reporting to the Chief of Staff, the Events Manager owns every event from concept to execution, with particular emphasis on flawless logistics and strong vendor relationships. This is a hands-on role for someone who takes pride in getting the details exactly right and who is genuinely energized by what UATX is working to build.

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). 

Qualifications

• 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.