Director, Events and Brand Experience – McDonough School of Business – Georgetown University

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Requirements

Director, Events and Brand Experience – McDonough School of Business – Georgetown University

At Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business (MSB) , our mission is to build global business knowledge and inspire ethical leaders to serve the common good.

Job Overview

The Director of Events and Brand Experience is a member of the Office of Marketing and Communications, which works to develop and elevate the brand and reputation of Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business across all stakeholders. They work across the entire McDonough School of Business and broader university team to enhance the brand experience among our customers.

Successful events that are well-organized affect all constituencies—prospective students and faculty, current students and faculty, and the international, national, and D.C. business communities. Events poorly organized adversely affect our international and national reputation. Impactful relationships and experiences translate to more frequent interactions, stronger engagements, and boosted rankings, affecting recruiting, fundraising, and student, faculty, staff, and alumni satisfaction.

The Director of Events and Brand Experience leads a team responsible for coordinating the school’s signature events, and for ensuring that visitors to the school have a consistent experience with the Georgetown McDonough brand. These duties include managing cross-functional teams to ensure the marketing and communications alignment with the priorities of the school’s Dean’s Office.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Manage multiple graduation ceremonies and receptions, including service as McDonough’s strategic point of contact with Georgetown’s Director of Academic Events and coordinating all McDonough commencement activities; serve on the university’s undergraduate and graduate commencement committees and liaise with McDonough’s senior associate deans on program-specific planning; lead internal planning team, including members from all academic program offices at McDonough, throughout the planning process; and lead and manage a team of 120+ cross-functional McDonough staff members during the One McDonough ceremony. 
• Organize McDonough Board of Advisors meetings (twice a year), with participation in the Dean’s Office planning group to develop content, activities, and programming, in addition to logistics.
• Support planning efforts for affinity board meetings, luncheons, and /or dinners.
• Participate in strategic planning with the leadership of the school’s faculty-led centers/initiatives/institutes around signature event design; and supervise events team members who plan and execute these events with center leadership.
• Partner with McDonough’s Director of Corporate Relations and External Partnerships, to execute the Stanton Distinguished Leaders Series, which is a key component to attracting corporate sponsorship and engagement across all McDonough programs.
• Partner with McDonough’s Director of Alumni Relations to execute successful alumni engagement opportunities, including Graduate Reunion and alumni gatherings around the world.
• Coordinate with the Office of the President and Office of Protocol when there are VIP guests on campus; and partner across campus to ensure a consistent brand experience for all stakeholders.
• Coordinate with the Office of the Dean for internal staff and faculty programming.
• Manage the budget for the aforementioned events, ranging from $50-250k per event; and coordinate with major event vendors and service providers to assure contracts are vetted and university protocols are satisfied, discounts are realized, and, as appropriate, value-in-kind support is received.
• Oversee management of event venues within the McDonough School of Business; and collaborate with the Building Manager and the Academic Planning team to ensure venue reservations are in accordance with the academic mission and curriculum schedule.
• Serve as a member of the McDonough School of Business Salesforce Steering Committee; and implement the technology systems of Salesforce and Linvio (event management software program) to create and market event invitations.
• Design and implement strategies for the execution of high-quality, high-production value hybrid, virtual, and in-person events.

Work Interactions

Reporting to the MSB Associate Dean & Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, the Director of Events and Brand Experience leads, motivates, and supervises the Assistant Director of Events, Events Coordinator, and student employees; and routinely interacts with all levels of the school’s administration, all undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, faculty, and GU administration offices as they relate to events.

They also work extensively with off-campus service providers – such as caterers, equipment suppliers, photographers, and private security for VIPS – via contact that is both formal in planning and informal in the coordination of non-school events in the building.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• An event planner with 5+ years of experience in event planning/management, team leadership, and marketing experience – preference for experience managing high-level donors and VIPs
• Strong customer service skills and attention to detail
• Complex project management experienceExperience with Microsoft Office and spreadsheets
• Familiar with the technology of Salesforce and Linvio, including data management, security, and training

Work Mode: Hybrid. Please note that work mode designations are regularly reviewed in order to meet the evolving needs of the University. Such review may necessitate a change to a position’s mode of work designation. Complete details about Georgetown University’s mode of work designations for staff positions can be found on the Department of Human Resources Mode of Work Designation .

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Submission Guidelines:

Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any position at Georgetown University you must submit a cover letter and resume  for each position of interest for which you believe you are qualified. These documents are not kept on file for future positions.

Need Assistance:

If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please click here  for more information, or contact the Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Affirmative Action (IDEAA) at 202-687-4798 or [email protected] .

Need some assistance with the application process? Please call 202-687-2500. For more information about the suite of benefits, professional development and community involvement opportunities that make up Georgetown’s commitment to its employees, please visit the Georgetown Works website .

EEO Statement:

Georgetown University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer  fully dedicated to achieving a diverse faculty and staff.  All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity and expression, and sexual orientation), disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law .

Benefits:

Georgetown University offers a comprehensive and competitive benefit package that includes medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance, retirement savings, tuition assistance, work-life balance benefits, employee discounts and an array of voluntary insurance options. You can learn more about benefits and eligibility on the Department of Human Resources website .

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements:

The Georgetown University community is committed to our public health approach and the important role that vaccines play in contributing to the safety of our University and our broader communities. Georgetown University requires students, faculty, staff and visitors to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and to have received a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot when eligible, or to have an approved medical or religious exemption. This requirement applies to all faculty and staff, including teleworking employees. Complete details and updates can be found in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Center .