Senior Events and Reservations Manager

Job Posting Title:

Senior Events and Reservations Manager

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Hiring Department:

Texas Student Experience

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Position Open To:

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

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FLSA Status:

Exempt from FLSA

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Earliest Start Date:

Oct 19, 2026

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Position Duration:

Expected to Continue

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Location:

UT MAIN CAMPUS

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Job Details:

Purpose

The Senior Events and Reservations Manager serves as the centralized point of intake, review, and decision-making for event and space reservation requests across Texas Student Experience (TSE) units. This position collects reservation requests from all TSE units and reviews them against established policy. The coordinator keeps the Vice President informed of reservation activity and trends, manages follow-through on every decision, and evaluates opportunities to streamline and consolidate reservation management into a single, unified system. In addition, the coordinator maintains visibility into high-profile and politically sensitive events, convenes cross-unit partners as needed, and ensures the Vice President can respond quickly and accurately to leadership inquiries about event status.

Responsibilities

Centralized Reservations Intake, Review and Approval

• Collect and consolidate event and space reservation requests from all Texas Student Experience units into a single intake process.
• Review reservation requests for completeness, policy compliance, and operational feasibility.
• Forward all reservation requests to the Vice President for review, providing the information needed for an informed decision; transition over time, as agreed with the Vice President, toward independently approving or denying standard requests under established policies and procedures.
• Escalate urgent, high-visibility, or high-touch requests to the Vice President for direct review and approval, based on jointly established criteria, once independent review and approval authority is in place.
• Communicate approval, denial, or conditional-approval decisions to the requesting unit in a timely manner.
• Complete follow-through on all decisions: confirm details with the requesting unit, finalize the reservation in the applicable system, and notify relevant stakeholders.
• Maintain a comprehensive log of all reservation activity: approved, denied, pending, and escalated, and provide regular summaries to the Vice President.

Reservation System Oversight, Process Improvement and Consolidation

• Evaluate current reservation systems and workflows across units (e.g., Mazevo, EMS, and outdoor space reservation processes) to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Research options for consolidating reservation management into a single, unified system across Texas Student Experience units, and develop recommendations for the Vice President's consideration.
• Support planning and implementation if a system consolidation or migration is approved, including coordinating with affected units and vendors.
• Identify and recommend improvements to the reservation, review, and follow-through workflow based on operational experience and unit feedback.
• Track and report progress on process improvement initiatives to the Vice President.

Policy Administration and Customer Support

• Maintain and update policies, procedures, and guidelines related to event registration, reservation review, and space use.
• Develop and maintain, in consultation with the Vice President's office, clear criteria for identifying urgent or high-touch requests that require direct Vice Presidential review.
• Interpret and communicate university regulations, building policies, and facility use requirements to internal and external clients.
• Develop training materials, user guides, and standing briefing templates that support consistent use of the reservation and review process across units.
• Provide consultation and customer support to students, university departments, and external event sponsors regarding event planning and reservation requirements.

Event Coordination and Campus Partnerships

• Serve as the central point of contact for event-related coordination among TSE units and campus partners.
• Collaborate with Facilities Services, University Unions, Fire Prevention Services, Risk Management, UTPD, Parking and Transportation Services, Emergency Management, and University Communications.
• Convene relevant stakeholders quickly for events flagged as high-visibility, ensuring safety, communications, and operational plans are coordinated across units.
• Coordinate resolution of scheduling conflicts, operational concerns, and event logistics issues.

High-Visibility Event Monitoring and Executive Briefing

• Serve as the Vice President's office's primary point of contact for status updates on any TSE-affiliated event.
• Maintain a standing readiness checklist for flagged events confirming that security, communications, and operational plans are documented and complete ahead of the event.
• Prepare concise briefing materials for the Vice President, and university leadership as needed, summarizing event status, risks, and open items.
• Monitor developments affecting flagged events and proactively alert the Vice President's office to material changes.

Event Stewardship and Assessment

• Monitor event readiness and ensure compliance with university policies, safety requirements, and operational standards.
• Conduct post-event debriefs for high-visibility events, documenting lessons learned and sharing them with the Vice President's office and relevant units.
• Assess customer feedback and operational outcomes to identify opportunities for process improvement.
• Participate in special projects and perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• Three years of experience in event management, conference services, facility reservations, student activities, hospitality management, space administration, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise independent judgment in reviewing and approving or denying requests within established policies and procedures.
• Experience managing intake or approval workflows requiring follow-through across multiple stakeholders.
• Experience coordinating multiple projects and managing competing priorities under time pressure.
• Experience administering or using reservation, scheduling, or event management systems.
• Demonstrated ability to identify process inefficiencies and recommend improvements.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret policies and procedures and communicate requirements to a variety of audiences, including senior leadership.
• Experience preparing concise written or verbal briefings or recommendations for a supervisor or leadership audience.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, including under short timelines.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in higher education, student affairs, campus operations, conference services, or venue management.
• Experience evaluating, selecting, or implementing reservation, scheduling, or event management software, including system migrations or consolidations.
• Experience coordinating with law enforcement, emergency management, or risk management functions for large-scale or high-profile events.
• Experience developing training materials, business processes, or operational documentation.
• Experience utilizing data and reporting tools to evaluate operations and improve services.
• Experience working with student organizations, external clients, elected officials, or other high-profile stakeholders.
• Experience building trust with senior leadership while managing delegated decision-making authority.
• Project management experience or certification.

Key Competencies

• Independent Judgment and Decision-Making
• Customer Service Excellence
• Project and Event Management
• Policy Interpretation and Compliance
• Process Improvement and Systems Thinking
• Cross-Unit Collaboration and Convening
• Communication and Executive Briefing
• Operational Planning and Coordination

Salary Range

$72,000 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• Typical office environment with frequent interaction with students, university staff, faculty, external clients, and university leadership.
• Regular evening and weekend work to support events and operational needs, including high-visibility events.
• Availability for time-sensitive requests outside standard business hours when a flagged or high-touch event requires it.
• Occasional travel between campus locations.
• Ability to move between event venues and meeting locations across campus.

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.