Associate Director of Alumni Events

Founded in 1892 by the first graduating class, the Stanford Alumni Association (SAA) has a mission to reach, serve and engage all Stanford alumni and students; to foster a lifelong intellectual and emotional connection between the university and its graduates; and to provide the university with goodwill and support. SAA believes that diversity and excellence go hand-in-hand and hires individuals with a commitment to working effectively with colleagues and alumni from diverse backgrounds.

POSITION SUMMARY:

Provide leadership and direction for new and current event programs and projects for Alumni Events, a department of the Stanford Alumni Association. Contribute to the development of strategic plans and long-term objectives in collaboration with the Director of Alumni Events. Communicate organizational mission to staff, including student workers and volunteers, to maximize effectiveness and university exposure. Develop and mentor staff, providing opportunities for professional growth and ensuring the efficient operation of events.

This position will manage project teams and is responsible for delegating both routine and important tasks and decisions, while collaborating with the Director on final decisions, and assuming final responsibility for event logistics through effective team management.

The successful candidate will have superior project and event management skills and have demonstrated the ability to manage multiple projects, complex budgets, and timelines while leading a team of volunteer staff to execute the events onsite. Dependent upon the event calendar, the Associate Director may be required to travel up to 10% throughout the year.

CORE DUTIES*:

Manage staff in the day-to-day operations for functional area(s) of responsibility. Responsible for hiring and retaining staff, career coaching, personal development for direct reports and accountable for the performance of employees. Ensure work completion within schedule and constraints.

• Provide strategic leadership for the creation, development, and execution of events.
• Build effective and focused event planning teams; create strong morale and team spirit.
• Oversee the management of event teams and/or production consultants to produce quality, multi-faceted events and productions.
• Work cross-departmentally to prepare and manage complex program budgets and ROI proposals.
• Delegate both routine and important tasks and decisions, while assuming final responsibility for event logistics through effective team management.
• Frequently interact with subordinate supervisors, customers, and/or functional peer group managers, normally involving matters between functional areas or other schools, departments/units.
• Analyze successes and failures and implement improvements; marshal resources to accomplish goals.
• Scope the length and difficulty of tasks, projects, and events; help team break down work into process steps. Identify opportunities for synergy and integration.
• Develop on-going relationships with internal and external partners.

* Other duties may also be assigned.

ADDITIONAL DUTIES*:

• Serve as Project Manager and Lead Event Manager for Reunion Homecoming. This includes (but not limited to): Coordination of all campus partner events, affiliate events, marketing liaison (for all print, digital, and email).
• Serve as the budget lead for Reunion Homecoming program. Oversee RH budget in collaboration with organizational leaders from ASCO, Accounting, Alumni Events, and Cabinet members.  Responsible for creating annual budgets and monitoring monthly variances.
• Partner with Reunion Homecoming project team for events during the weekend. Oversee all class tent events (class lunches, tailgates), negotiate catering contracts, manage vendor relationships. 
• Oversee registration operations: strategy, pricing, data capture, etc.
• Serve as project leader on several other SAA events as needed. Collaborate with SAA colleagues that plan, implement, and manage all aspects of events.
• Supervisor of (3) direct reports: Event Manager, Assistant Event Manager, and Event Coordinator.

* Other duties may also be assigned.