Director, Event and Conference Services

Department:

Location:

Shelby Campus

Time Type:

Full time

Worker Type:

Regular

Job Req ID:

R109066

Minimum Requirements:

Bachelor's degree in a related field and eight (8) years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Grade 9 (Salaried)

Position Description:

The Event and Conference Services team in the Department of Delphi Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Louisville is seeking a Director to provide overall leadership of the Shelby Campus Conference Center. The Director sets the vision, establishes strategic direction, develops operational goals and plans, and provides day-to-day leadership for successful operation of the unit, including conference center operations, sales and marketing, leasing management, and stewardship of Shelby Campus. The Director is responsible for building strong relationships within the university and the community, developing and maintaining excellent business practices, establishing high standards of quality in all aspects of service delivery, and selling and promoting services in order to achieve a financially self-supporting operation and to promote a positive impression of the university through all interactions.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Unit Leadership – 20%

• Hire, train, supervise, coach and evaluate staff to meet the needs of the business and ensure their continued professional development. Establish and maintain a healthy, inclusive and positive work environment. Communicate university and Delphi Center policies and processes and ensure compliance.

• Develop/optimize unit policies, procedures, and systems to support continuous improvement of efficiency, effectiveness, productivity and profitability. Consult with university business operations, procurement office, University Counsel and other leaders to ensure all aspects of operations are in compliance with university policies.

• As a member of the Delphi Leadership Team, participate in meetings and activities in support of division-wide initiatives and efforts as needed. 

Finance and Operations – 20%

• Develop and manage the financial budget for the unit. Collaborate with the Delphi Center business office to monitor and update financial performance and establish, enhance and utilize Momentus and other tools to enable forecasting and data analysis to guide financial decision making. Provide monthly and year-end financial reporting to Vice Provost.

• Oversee and manage all leasing operations including sales, contract development and execution for new and renewing tenants. Serve as primary point of contact with tenants. Continuously seek ways to maximize revenue potential through leasing unused or underutilized space.

• Serve as university liaison for the security, maintenance, and good stewardship of the Shelby Campus buildings and grounds. Collaborate with university departments such as physical plant, UPDC and campus police as well as external partners such as NTS. 

Sales – 60%

• Formulate a multi-faceted sales and business development plan to maximize conference center occupancy and meet or exceed revenue and profitability goals.  Collaborate with the Delphi Center marketing department on communications, promotions and social media. Execute day-to-day sales operations including responding to sales inquiries, using continuous follow-up to convert prospects to bookings, conducting tours, writing and managing proposals, booking events in Momentus and overseeing contract development. Work closely with the rest of the unit to ensure a seamless transition from sales to execution. Provide an outstanding level of customer service to ensure client satisfaction and increase repeat bookings.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Professional experience in the hospitality industry, particularly in venue management, with at least two years in a leadership/supervisory role.  Experience in a higher education venue is a plus.

• Thorough understanding of sales strategies and tactics with demonstrated success in sales and business development practices

• Thorough knowledge of event planning and catering best practices

• Experience with budgeting and financial management of a program or department

• High degree of competence using Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Adobe Acrobat. Experience with Visio a plus.

• Experience/competence using customer relationship management software. Experience with Momentus (formerly Ungerboeck) a plus

• Experience/competence using social media platforms for business development

• Knowledge of and established relationships in the local business community a plus

Competencies:

• Leadership – able to inspire and lead the team toward a common vision, establish strategic goals and plans, provide a strong example of professionalism and integrity, formulate and articulate sound policies, use good judgement and make decisions in the best interest of the institution, the unit and the team.

• Analysis & problem solving – able to gather, maintain, analyze and evaluate data and information to inform business decisions; able to keep calm, think creatively and react effectively to identify, generate, evaluate and select solutions to overcome challenges.

• Interpersonal and communication skills – able to build effective, strong working relationships with staff, colleagues, leadership, other university departments and external vendors through consistency and credibility. Able to provide clear, accurate, and timely communication and to interact professionally and effectively with people at all levels.

• Supervisory skills – able to effectively communicate expectations and information, delegate tasks, provide training and mentoring, resolve conflicts, and provide effective and timely performance feedback.

• Organization and project management – able to manage their own and the department’s time and resources effectively; able to juggle multiple projects and switch gears quickly as need demands; able to delegate and follow up to see projects to completion; Goal-oriented with strong motivation to set and meet targets. Able to lead with vision while also managing a large volume of detailed day-to-day tasks.

Work Hours and Location

This is a full-time position with a 37.5-hour regular workweek. Flexible hours may be considered between 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM (ET), Monday through Friday, with business needs in mind. Possible evening and weekend hours may be needed on rare occasions. This position’s office is located on the Shelby Campus.

The Delphi Center for Teaching and Learning:

The Delphi Center for Teaching and Learning seeks candidates who value teamwork, customer service and excellence. As a teaching and learning center, the Delphi Center provides direct feedback on a regular basis to all employees through the lens of a growth mindset. The Delphi Center is driven by data, sound processes, and excellence, and is always seeking and giving feedback on one another’s work.

The Delphi Center is committed to creating campus environments that support the success of all students and employees. We believe that employees who feel valued and respected will create policies, programs, practices, research agendas, and services that effectively meet the needs and exceed the expectations of our customers. The Delphi Center encourages candidates to apply who have demonstrated the capacity to create supportive work environments, collaborate effectively on teams, and serve our customers.

Please include a cover letter and three professional references with your resume, combined

as one PDF document.

Targeted Salary $94,000

Compensation will be commensurate to candidate experience.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Louisville is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. The University strives to provide equal employment opportunity on the basis of merit and without unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, veteran status, marital status, or pregnancy. In accordance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam Era Veteran Readjustment Act of 1974, the University prohibits job discrimination of individuals with disabilities, Vietnam era veterans, qualified special disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, and other protected veterans. The University acknowledges its obligations to ensure affirmative steps are taken to ensure equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment. It is the policy of the University that no employee or applicant for employment be subject to unlawful discrimination in terms of recruitment, hiring, promotion, contract, contract renewal, tenure, compensation, benefits, and/or working conditions. No employee or applicant for employment is required to endorse or condemn a specific ideology, political viewpoint, or social viewpoint to be eligible for hiring, contract renewal, tenure, or promotion.

Consistent with applicable law, demographic information is collected for aggregate reporting requirements. Demographic information provided through this application is not available to hiring managers/committees and is not considered in hiring or employment decisions.

Assistance and Accommodations

Computers are available for application submission at the Human Resources Department located at 2315 South First Street Walk, Room 02C - Louisville, Kentucky 40292.

If you require assistance or accommodation with our online application process, please contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone 502-852-6258.