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Event Specialist, School of Public Policy

Job ID: 30974
Location: Main Campus
Updated November 19, 2024

This job posting is no longer active.

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We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta.
The City of Calgary is also home to Métis Nation of Alberta, Districts 5 and 6.

Position Overview

The School of Public Policy invites applications for an Event Specialist. This Full-time Fixed Term position is for approximately 12 months (based on length of grant funding), with the possibility of extension.

Reporting to the Director, Community Strategic Engagement, the Event Specialist is part of a team executing the School of Public Policy's events. This position will focus the majority of their time in support of The Simpson Centre. The Simpson Centre is an academic policy institute that supports Canadian agri-food and agriculture. The Event Specialist operates in a fast-paced, collaborative environment requiring professional judgment, time management and relationship building. They are responsible for delivering events from start to finish, with minimal supervision. There is a high volume of work, with peak times and high stress factors driven by constant deadlines, high impact of error, competing priorities. Early morning, evening and weekend hours is required, with the possibility of domestic and international travel. There is also a degree of physicality to the position, including event set up, tear down and equipment transportation.

Position Description

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

Event Planning 

  • Working independently within a team environment to concurrently manage multiple, often complex events per year as part of the School's larger portfolio of executive program and outreach activities.
  • Act as a resource on issues pertaining to event planning and execution, and provide advice about organizing and delivering the event.
  • Demonstrating adaptability by anticipating requirements, multi-tasking and managing priorities.
  • Responsible for informing and making decisions to ensure the success of individual events and programs, by exercising professional judgement and own discretion to guide them to successful completion.
  • Responsible for developing event timelines (using critical path processes), and service standards related to project delivery from conception to post production.
  • Building and communicating event production schedules and providing onsite leadership during events.
  • Determining speaker schedules, travel bookings, and accommodation, as well as processing expense claims, speaker fees and honorariums.
  • Sourcing and negotiating contracts with external vendors (venue, a/v, transportation etc) in accordance with University of Calgary policies and budget constraints.
  • Develops event budgets based on approved spending envelopes, and is accountable to ensure that event spending remains within the constrains set out; adheres to budget processes when costs change.
  • Working in collaboration with the Development team, ensure donor/sponsor requirements are delivered upon.
  • Recognizing and understanding local nuances in diverse North American markets.
  • Instituting appropriate risk management techniques and plans to mitigate complex and stressful situations involving large groups of people.
  • Provide feedback and make recommendations for improvements to future events, and participate in post-event debriefs.
  • Oversees post-event activities, creates post-event surveys, collects and submits invoices, and ensures reimbursement of expenses.

Communications and Digital Content 

  • Manage updates to the Simpson Centre website.
  • Manage Simpson Centre event recordings and prepare video clips for use by our Social Media and Communications team.
  •  Prepare stakeholder surveys and report on results.
  • Work closely with SPP Communications team to coordinate Simpson Centre invitation wording, social media and paper release timelines.

Qualifications / Requirements:

  • A minimum of three years of event management experience is required. Previous experience working in a fundraising or post-secondary educational setting is considered a strong asset.
  • Digital content experience in video editing and website content management.
  • Strong internal and external communications skills and the ability to gain consensus while working with stakeholders.
  • Expertise in running webinars, including Zoom, breakout rooms, polling and hybrid events.
  • Strong project management skills, adhering to timelines and budgets.
  • Experience in Marketo, Zoom, Teams and LiveWhale would be an asset.
  •  Demonstrated organizational and problem solving skills.
  • Excellent listening and interpretive skills, with the ability to remain positive and confident under pressure.
  • Demonstrated professionalism, tact and maturity in handling confidential information ethically and with discretion.
  • Ability to work both independently and as part of a team and to work effectively in a large, complex, dynamic organization.
  • Experience building and following event budgets.
  •  Experience communicating with senior level executives, donors, and internal and external stakeholders with tact, diplomacy and professionalism.
  • Proven ability to work in a fast-paced environment, on multiple projects concurrently, while adhering to tight deadlines and maintaining relationships with stakeholders.
     

Application Deadline: February 8, 2024

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

Additional Information

This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the Specialist / Advisor Job Family, Phase 2.

For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada’s entrepreneurial university, located in Canada’s most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada’s leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy  committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion ([email protected]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources ([email protected]).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities , and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role. 

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.

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