The School of Humanities and Sciences (H&S) is the foundation of a liberal arts education at Stanford. The school encompasses 24 departments and 24 interdisciplinary programs. H&S is home to fundamental and applied research, where free, open, and critical inquiry is pursued across disciplines. As the university’s largest school, H&S serves as the foundation of a Stanford undergraduate education no matter which discipline students pursue as a major. Graduate students work alongside world-renowned faculty to pursue and shape foundational research that leads to breakthroughs and discoveries that shed new light on the past, influence the present, and shape the future. Together, faculty and students in H&S engage in inspirational teaching, learning, and research every day.
Department/Program Description: The McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society at Stanford University is home to a diverse and growing portfolio of initiatives that reach audiences across campus and beyond. These initiatives include an undergraduate honors program, ethics-focused classes, fellowships on and off campus, research collaborations, curricular endeavors, and public events with renowned speakers. Through these efforts, the Center is committed to bringing ethical reflection to bear on important social problems through research, teaching, and public engagement. Our motto is “world first” – meaning our work asks, “What do we see around us now that is affecting real human beings – or that will change humanity’s future?’ Our current areas of focus emphasize three of the defining issues of our time: climate change, civil dialogue, and the ethics of artificial intelligence.
Position Summary: The McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society is seeking an experienced, resourceful, and skilled Events Manager. This position will work under the general supervision of the Director of Finance and Administration and with the Center’s leadership to plan and execute a wide range of events for the Center—from smaller workshops, seminars, and lecture series to larger conferences and public events with renowned speakers. Each event supports the mission and values of the Center, aiming to foster ethical reflection and dialogue on significant social issues.
The Events Manager will handle all event logistics with precision and creativity, ensuring each event is impactful, inclusive, and engaging. This role demands a high level of judgment, strong decision-making skills, polished written and oral communication, attention to detail, and careful attention to relationships with external partners and invited guests. The Events Manager will help shape and deliver events that further the Center’s goal of inspiring ethical reflection on pressing societal challenges through research, teaching, and public engagement.
We are a small but growing staff that works together to support each other in a collaborative, congenial work environment. We make every effort to ensure that we each have access to the tools and experiences we need to be successful in our current roles as well as with an eye towards individual growth.
If you believe that this opportunity is a match for your knowledge, skills, and abilities, we encourage you to apply. To be considered, please submit a cover letter and a resume. Thank you for considering employment opportunities with the School of Humanities and Sciences.
CORE DUTIES:
- Design, plan, implement, and coordinate customized events.
- Evaluate and select vendors and providers of services considering stakeholder requests and requirements.
- Serve as a member of the Center team, and contribute in a wide variety of functional areas including decisions around event budget allocation, event logistics, and facilities.
- Consult with stakeholders to determine objectives and requirements.
- Inspect event facilities to ensure they conform to the event needs.
- Manage accounting operations relating to registration, including daily accounting procedures and reports, final monetary summaries, and/or account transfers.
- May serve as project leader on smaller scale events, coordinating teams that plan, implement, and manage all aspects of events or manage program elements of larger scale events.
- Utilize and/or maintain complex databases. May use specialized event planning software.
- May inspect event facilities for maintenance, janitorial and fire safety issues.
- Other duties may also be assigned.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:
- Associate degree and three years of relevant experience or combination of education and relevant experience.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
- Demonstrated success in planning events.
- Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
- Ability to establish priorities, manage shifting priorities, and handle numerous time-sensitive projects with multiple deadlines.
- Demonstrated creativity, problem-solving skills, taking initiative, judgment, and decision-making skills.
- Ability to accomplish goals working through formal and informal channels, with diplomacy and tactfulness.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication, time management, and customer service skills. Must be well-organized and detail-oriented.
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office suite and other online documents, such as Google Docs. Familiarity with Eventbrite, Canva, and Asana is a plus.
- Ability to interact and successfully collaborate with a broad spectrum of contributing groups and customers.
Certifications and Licenses:
- Valid Non-Commercial Class California Driver’s License.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS*:
- Frequently stand/walk, sit, perform desk-based computer tasks, and use a telephone.
- Occasionally kneel/crawl, twist/bend/stoop/squat, grasp lightly/fine manipulation, and grasp forcefully, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh 21-40 pounds.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a California Non-commercial Class license and drive day or night.
WORKING CONDITIONS:
- May require some travel and working evenings and weekends.
WORK STANDARDS:
- When conducting university business, must comply with the California Vehicle Code and Stanford University driving requirements.
- Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates the ability to work well with Stanford colleagues and clients and with external organizations.
- Promote Culture of Safety: Demonstrates commitment to personal responsibility and value for safety; communicates safety concerns; uses and promotes safe behaviors based on training and lessons learned.
- Subject to and expected to comply with all applicable University policies and procedures, including but not limited to the personnel policies and other policies found in the University’s Administrative Guide.
Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact Stanford University Human Resources. Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
