Executive Director for Event Management

About The University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin, founded in 1883, ranks among the best universities in the world. With 76 programs ranked in the top 10, UT Austin is the #1 public university in Texas and the #7 public university in the nation. Like the state it calls home, The University of Texas at Austin is a bold, ambitious leader supporting more than 55,000 students, 4,750 faculty, 15,000 staff and top national programs across 18 colleges and schools.

Why Join Texas Development?

The University of Texas at Austin is a thriving hub of learning and discovery that anchors our city and enables excellence and innovation on the highest level. And it’s only possible because generous supporters believe in the power and promise of our state’s flagship university to change the world. With more than $6 billion raised in the What Starts Here campaign, Texas Development is quickly becoming one of the best fundraising programs in public higher education.

Benefits

The University provides a competitive benefits package that includes insurance and retirement benefits in addition to other programs and services. Texas Development supports growth by offering professional development opportunities that help every team member accomplish their goals, enrich their skillset and deepen their engagement with UT.

Purpose

The Executive Director for Event Management leads the team responsible for planning and executing the university’s most visible events, including presidential, ceremonial, development, student experience, and campus-wide programs. This position oversees project management, production staff, and event operations and is responsible for ensuring work moves forward, priorities remain clear, deadlines are met, and events are delivered at a high level.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee a portfolio of high-profile university events, ensuring projects are well planned, well executed, and aligned with institutional priorities.
• Provide direct leadership for project managers, coordinators, production staff, and event operations personnel. Set expectations, monitor progress, provide feedback, and address performance issues when necessary.
• Ensure projects remain on schedule, decisions are made in a timely manner, risks are identified early, and teams are consistently working ahead, rather than reacting to deadlines.
• Review project progress regularly and challenge assumptions, timelines, and recommendations to ensure work is advancing at the pace and quality expected by the department.
• Balance workloads, staffing assignments, and departmental resources to support successful execution across the event portfolio.
• Remove barriers, solve problems, and make decisions that keep projects moving forward.
• Oversee event planning, logistics, production, staffing, inventory, safety and security coordination, and on-site execution.
• Develop and maintain planning processes, operational standards, tools, and procedures that improve consistency, efficiency, and quality.
• Work closely with university partners, vendors, and stakeholders to coordinate planning, communication, approvals, and execution.
• Oversee budgets, vendor relationships, contracts, purchasing activity, and resource decisions with a focus on responsible stewardship of university resources.
• Evaluate event outcomes, team performance, and stakeholder feedback to identify improvements and strengthen future planning efforts.
• Represent University Events & Experience with professionalism, sound judgment, and composure during planning meetings, executive briefings, rehearsals, and live events.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ten years of progressively responsible experience in event management, event operations, hospitality, advancement events, project management, or a related field.
• Five years of supervisory experience leading professional staff, including coaching, performance management, accountability, workload planning, and employee development.
• Experience leading complex, high-visibility events involving executive leadership, multiple stakeholders, competing priorities, and significant operational complexity.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams, establish expectations, hold people accountable, and achieve results through others.
• Experience managing budgets, staffing plans, vendors, production schedules, and event operations.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and ensure follow-through.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to solve problems, make sound decisions, and lead effectively in fast-paced and changing environments.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, and extended hours as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Leadership experience in higher education, hospitality, nonprofit, advancement, government, or similarly complex organizations.
• Experience leading managers, project managers, coordinators, production teams, temporary staff, students, volunteers, and vendors.
• Experience producing presidential events, commencement ceremonies, donor and alumni events, student programs, protocol-driven events, conferences, or other large-scale public events.
• Demonstrated success improving team performance, strengthening accountability, and implementing operational processes that improve efficiency and consistency.
• Experience working directly with senior executives, donors, board members, elected officials, or other high-profile stakeholders.
• Knowledge of university operations, protocol, risk management, accessibility requirements, procurement, contracting, and public safety coordination.

Working Conditions

This is an on-site position (40 hours per week) and the schedule will vary based on university and department schedules, and with the types of events scheduled and operational functions. Work late evenings and some weekends for scheduled events. Hours are subject to change. Works in standard office conditions, in a shared office environment, with repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation. May work in all weather conditions. Regular and consistent attendance is required in this job.