Event Planner

Responsibilities

• Covers event planning efforts with members of the Center for Career and Professional Development team and/or external community as appropriate.
• Plans, schedules, and monitors logistical activities for special events, including arrangements for registration, meeting facilities, meals, lodging, audiovisual equipment, and operators, transportation, and tours.
• Works with Marketing and Communications Officer to design and prepare various marketing materials, brochures, and flyers for meetings and conferences.
• Serves as primary liaison with internal and external constituencies on all matters relating to program activities; represents the unit with respect to program activities on a local, regional, and/or national basis.
• Oversees and coordinates the activities of volunteers, staff, and students including training, scheduling, work allocation, and problem resolution.
• Evaluates program and event histories, budget considerations, contractual provisions, and planning committee recommendations to determine requirements as to space, facilities, technology, equipment, lodging, catering, and on-site management.
• Participates in budget development for special events.
• Secures bids and negotiates contracts with event sites; monitors and evaluates contract performance.
• Makes sure fiscal event planning adheres to permissible expenditures, oversees billing accuracy from vendors, and coordinates invoice processing with departmental accounting staff.

Qualifications

• Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in communication, marketing, public relations, hospitality management, business management, digital media, or related field, with two years of experience in related positions; or a Master's degree in the fields listed above; or an equivalent combination of related education and experience.
• FLSB1310 Equivalency: 4 years of directly relevant experience may be substituted for bachelor's degree. 6 years of directly relevant experience may be substituted for master's degree.
• This position may be subject to a Level 1 or Level 2 criminal background check.

About the Role

The Center for Career & Professional Development (CCPD), reporting to the Division of Student Success, is the university's centralized career planning and employment assistance service for USF students and alumni. The programs in the CCPD are designed to help students and graduates assess, explore, develop, and implement their career goals, gain employability skills and career-related experiences, prepare for a successful transition into graduate/professional school or the labor market, and connect with employers to obtain part-time jobs, internships, cooperative education, and professional employment.

CCPD holds the values of community, excellence, integrity, service, and well-being at the core of all we do.

Benefits

Working at USF With approximately 16,000 employees, the University of South Florida is one of the largest employers in the Tampa Bay area. We are dedicated to cultivating a talented, engaged and driven workforce that strives to be bold. Employees excel in USF‘s rich academic environment, which fosters their development and advancement. In 2025, Forbes recognized USF as one of Florida’s best large employers, ranked No. 1 among the state’s 12 public universities.

About USF The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and USF Health. USF is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top 50 public university and the best value in Florida. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as the No. 1 medical school in Florida and in the highest tier nationwide. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $738 million in research funding in 2024 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. USF’s Division I athletics teams compete in the American Athletic Conference.

Compliance and Federal Notices This position may be subject to a Level 1 or Level 2 criminal background check. Applicants for USF employment are entitled to request reasonable accommodation(s) in the application process. A request is to be made at least five (5) working days prior to the time the accommodation(s) is needed. Contact the USF ADA Lead (hr-ADARequest@usf.edu) to coordinate your accommodation request.