Conference Manager

Engineering a world of possibilities

Join Mines as our Summer Conference Manager!

The Summer Conference Manager coordinates and manages on-campus residential, dining, and meeting activities related to summer conferences. The Summer Conference Manager supervises 10-15 summer conference assistants. The person in this role is responsible for coordinating summer youth and adult conference groups in up to 1200 residence hall beds. The Summer Conference Manager manages the summer conference calendar and sets procedures with key campus partners, including Residence Life, Facilities Management, Mines Dining, and Access Services.

The Summer Conference Manager ensures excellent customer service and outstanding programs for organizers and participants of conferences and meetings, as well as for faculty, staff, students, and campus visitors. This position reports to the Assistant Director of Conferences, within the division of Finance, Administration, and Operations.

This is a full time, 12-month professional exempt position. The work in this position takes place primarily on campus in Golden, Colorado.

Primary Responsibilities

 

Management of Summer Conference Programs

• Coordinate reservations, room assignments, check-in and check-out, guest services, access cards and room keys, evaluation activities, and money collection processes for all summer conferences.
• Develop detailed plans for the specific needs of each conference, and coordinate housing, meals, athletics and recreational space, classrooms, meeting space, supplies, audio visual, HVAC scheduling and custodial support.
• Schedule and conduct planning meetings with internal and external clients to ensure clear understanding of all arrangements.
• Coordinate requirements of conferences and events with clients, catering, Mines Dining, campus card manager, custodial and facilities management staff.
• Prepare and negotiate detailed conference contracts describing facilities and services, client expectations, and projected costs.
• Communicate and enforce applicable policies, regulations and procedures related to conferences
• Keep systematic, detailed, and chronological records of all correspondence and planning details for each conference through effective use of technology.
• Manage the summer conference schedule in coordination with preventative maintenance, custodial schedules, renovations, and residence hall turn-over needs of Residence Life, Facilities Management and Design & Construction departments.
• Work with key campus partners to develop and maintain a system for managing occupancy and dining projections
• Coordinate the opening and closing of buildings for internal and external clients.
• Respond to summer conference needs including technology troubleshooting and  event set up
• Manage assignment of personnel and resources to summer conference operation
• Monitor meal periods in campus dining venues during summer conferences
• Monitor, assess, and provide feedback to Mines Dining on menu, customer service, food quality and presentation, and client satisfaction in catering and conference dining
• Provide after-hours on-call response to urgent matters in summer conference locations while summer conferences are in session
• Assess conference guest satisfaction through quantitative and qualitative methods.

 

Financial & Business Administration

 

• Prepare and negotiate detailed external rental contracts describing facilities and services, client expectations, and projected costs.
• Communicate and enforce applicable policies, regulations and procedures related to  summer conferences.
• Maintain and monitor annual budgets and accounting of expenses and revenues, forecast revenue projections, and create reports
• Assist with responding to billing questions
• Contribute to the department annual report, including accomplishments, challenges, initiatives and future directions
• Determine operation policies and procedures for summer conference operations
• Develop and maintain highly professional standard and procedures of events in keeping with the image and reputation of Mines

 

Supervision and Student Staff Development

• Supervise student Main Contacts assigned to summer conferences during conference season
• Supervise 10-15 student staff during summer conferences
• Provide supervision and on-call support for student staff over the summer, including evenings, holidays, and weekends as needed
• Develop, update, and maintain job descriptions, coordinate and determine staffing requirements for all summer conference areas
• Coordinate on-campus living arrangements with Residence Life for lead and on-call student staff through the summer
• Lead student development initiatives for the department by assessing skills and training needs of student employees to develop and conduct pre-service and on-going training
• Recruit, select, train, supervise, and evaluate student employees, including Summer Assistants and Main Contacts.
• Develop, update, and maintain content in student employee manual

 

Client Relations

• Conduct site tours of conference and guest facilities with potential clients.
• Provide professional guidance to clients, make recommendations and advising clients on the conference/event resources, AV set-up, facilities, and services available, in order to best match client needs and expectations
• Review and approve conference proposals
• Develop and implement strategies for generating and marketing for internal and external conferences, events, programs and camps
• Serve as a resource for information on internal and external services and facilities, and recreational, cultural, and educational opportunities available in the area

 

Minimum Qualifications:                                                                                                     

 

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution of higher education (demonstrated and progressive experience in event management can be substituted for degree). Preference given to experience with event management in a university setting
• 2 years or more of event planning/management experience
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to remain calm and flexible during busy work times
• Experience working in a customer service environment

Preferred Experience

 

• A Master’s degree in business, tourism, or higher education administration or related field
• Extensive experience in event planning and management of various size events with a wide array of clientele, managing large-scale events.
• Experience working with housing or hotels
• 3+ years of event planning/management experience
• Previous student supervision experience

Salary and Benefits

$66,050 - $73,175 anticipated annual salary

Mines takes into consideration a combination of candidate’s education, training and experience as well as the position’s scope and complexity, the discretion and latitude required in the role, work location, and external market and internal value when determining a salary level for potential new employees.

Colorado School of Mines offers a robust portfolio of benefits for all employees. For this role, that includes:

• Flexible health and dental care options
• Generous sick/vacation time: 13 paid holidays per year – including a week-long winter break for entire campus.
• Fully vested retirement plan on first day of employment, with generous employer contribution
• Tuition benefits (6 credits per year for employees, 50 percent discount for dependents)
• Free RTD Ecopass

All Mines employees also have access to discount programs through the State of Colorado and free tickets for Mines Athletics home games, as well as access to the state of the art Recreation Center (fitness classes and training, swimming pool and more) and equipment rentals through the Outdoor Rec Center. We are proud to have recently opened an on campus daycare center. For more details about benefits at Mines, visit mines.edu/human-resources/benefits.

How to Apply

Complete an online application (personal information, demographic information, veteran status)

• Upload a resume or CV
• Upload a cover letter

Candidates must be currently authorized to work in the United States. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position now nor in the future.

This posting may be used to fill more than one vacancy based on business needs.

References will not be contacted until later in the selection process and you will be informed before that contact is made.

Application review will begin November 9, 2026. This posting will remain open until filled and may close without notice. For best consideration, apply by November 8, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. as applications received after that date may not be reviewed.

Successful completion of a background investigation is required for this position.

About Mines & Golden, CO

When the world looks for answers, the world looks to Mines.

Colorado School of Mines is a top-ranked public university solving the grand challenges facing our society, particularly those related to the Earth, energy and the environment. Founded in 1874 with specialties in mining and metallurgy, Mines’ scope and mission have continually expanded to meet the needs of industry and society. Today, we are the No. 36 public university in the nation, recognized for our innovation and undergraduate teaching in science, technology engineering and math (U.S. News and World Report, 2025).

Mines graduates are change makers, boundary breakers and problem solvers. Since our earliest days, a Mines education has been and continues to be a transformational opportunity, with one of the strongest returns on investment out there for talented STEM students of all backgrounds.

At the same time, Mines faculty members are pushing their fields in new directions, whether that’s manufacturing, space resources, quantum engineering, carbon capture or more. Mines was recently classified as a R1 “Very High Activity” research institution by Carnegie, a notable feat for any university but particularly one of our size.

That size – roughly 8,200 undergraduate and graduate students – also translates to a close-knit campus community, where employees have opportunities to get involved in multiple ways, continued professional learning is valued and everyone can make an impact.

Community Alliance groups bring together employees for professional development, networking, and community involvement, and all Mines employees also have access to the wealth of activities happening every day on campus – nationally-renowned speakers, special events and Mines traditions like Engineering Days, just to name a few.

And don’t get us started on our hometown. We are located in the heart of Golden, Colorado --with its charming historic downtown and nearby hiking trails – and in close proximity to all that Denver and the Rocky Mountains have to offer. That includes the sunny, high-altitude climate and outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities that make the Denver area an ideal place to live, work and play.

Are you looking for an inspiring, mission-driven workplace where you can contribute to solving the world’s problems and educating the next generation of change makers? Are you an individual who values a community where our individual perspectives and experiences enrich the educational and work experience?

Look to Mines.

 

 

 

Additional Information and Reasonable Accommodation Requests
It is the intent of Mines to comply with the applicable requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008, and their implementation rules and regulations, in support of equal opportunities for qualified applicants with disabilities. To meet this goal, Mines will make reasonable accommodations during the employment selection process and within our working environment.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to access job openings or apply for a job on our site as a result of your disability. You can request a reasonable accommodation by contacting our Human Resources team at [email protected] or 303.273.3250 for assistance.

Successful completion of a background investigation may be required for this position.

Equal Opportunity

Colorado School of Mines is committed to equal opportunity for all persons. Mines does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, gender (including gender identity and gender expression), ancestry, creed, marital status, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status or current military service. Further, Mines does not retaliate against community members for filing complaints regarding or implicating any of these protected statuses.

Mines’ commitment to nondiscrimination, equal opportunity and equal access is reflected in the administration of its policies, procedures, programs and activities and in its efforts to achieve a talented student body and workforce.

Through its policies, procedures and resources, Mines complies with federal law, Colorado state law, administrative regulations, executive orders and other legal requirements to prevent discrimination (including harassment or retaliation) within the Mines campus community and to address potential allegations of inequality or concerns for safety.

Colorado's premier engineering and applied science university for 150 years and counting