Director of Events, Law School

Director Of Events

The Director of Events leads and manages the events function of the University of Chicago Law School. Events include, but are not limited to faculty conferences, student programming events, alumni events, monthly staff events, weekly faculty research lunches, student orientation, convocation, etc. The Director partners closely with the Dean's Office, Student Services Offices, External Affairs, Academic and Research Centers, Law School clinics, faculty, and other entities to produce events at the Law School and at offsite locations. The Director plays an integral role in designing, planning, and executing events that highlight the School's mission, engage its stakeholders, and enhance its reputation as a leading law school. The position reports to the Associate Dean for Administration and manages the Events team.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership for the design, planning, and execution of centrally produced Law School in-person, virtual, and hybrid events serving students, faculty, staff, alumni, and external partners and staffs them onsite and at offsite locations.
• Partners with academic and administrative units to translate programmatic goals into thoughtfully designed event experiences that advance institutional priorities and community engagement.
• Leads structured planning consultations to define scope, audience strategy, run-of-show, space utilization, and resource alignment.
• Creates event briefs to outline the scope of each event and develops complex event budgets. Manages and tracks each event's budget to ensure responsible stewardship of funds and alignment with departmental and University guidelines across the whole event and its individual components.
• When necessary, drafts briefs and talking points for the dean and other key stakeholders to prepare them for the event.
• Mentors internal administrators responsible for specific departmental events and provides guidance on coordinating logistics for their events.
• Ensures all event activity complies with University policies, legal requirements, safety standards, and brand guidelines.
• Manages the Law School's master events calendar to optimize scheduling strategy, reduce programmatic conflicts, and maximize community participation.
• Leads the gathering and analysis of post-event feedback to evaluate event performance and proactively identify opportunities for improvement. Recommends and implements enhancements, changes, and solutions to any problem areas.
• Manages the planning and execution of logistics (e.g., facility selection, menu planning, transportation arrangements, and audio/visual equipment) for organization meetings and special events. Occasionally manages high-level events. Manages events staff.
• Manages contract negotiations and the selection of vendors. Works to maintain and improve relationships with vendors and service providers.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree strongly preferred.

Experience:

• A minimum 7 years of progressively responsible experience in event strategy, planning, and operations, preferably within higher education, professional services, or similarly complex institutional environments strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading high-profile events involving senior academic leaders, trustees, donors, public officials, judges, and other distinguished guests, with strong executive presence and discretion.
• Proven success managing complex event portfolios with overlapping priorities, multiple stakeholders, and competing institutional demands.
• Supervising professional staff, including coaching, delegation, and performance management.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• CMP certification or other relevant professional credential.
• Knowledge of university policies, compliance standards, and risk management practices.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and event management platforms such as Cvent, EMS, Qualtrics, Asana, Constant Contact, or similar tools for scheduling and tracking events.

Preferred Competencies

• Strong financial acumen, including developing and managing event budgets, forecasting expenses, and ensuring responsible stewardship of funds.
• Deep understanding of event design principles, guest experience strategy, and current industry standards and trends.
• Professional demeanor, including tact, discretion, and a customer service-oriented approach to interactions with all stakeholders.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with meticulous attention to detail and strong follow-through.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex priorities simultaneously in a fast-paced, high-expectation environment.
• Think and act quickly, make sound decisions under pressure, and navigate unexpected challenges with composure and professionalism.
• Highly organized and proactive, with the capacity to anticipate needs, identify risks in advance, and develop contingency plans.
• Proven ability to execute events within established budget parameters while maintaining high production value and guest experience standards.
• Strong personal accountability, initiative, and work ethic; operate independently while collaborating effectively across departments; builds and maintains positive relationships as a member of working teams.
• Familiarity with the higher education environment; navigate institutional culture and governance structures.

Working Conditions

• This position may be eligible for partially remote work based on the needs of the Law School.
• Travel to locations around the Chicagoland area as needed.
• Work early mornings, evenings, and weekends to meet the needs of event schedules.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Communications

Role Impact

People Manager

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

​FLSA Status

Exempt

​Pay Range

$105,000.00 - $117,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University's good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call View phone number on click.appcast.io or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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