Student Affairs Meeting Services (SAMS), is seeking an Events Planner 1 to serve our diverse clientele of students, student groups, staff, faculty, departments, and the community. SAMS is one of the oldest business auxiliary units at Stanford University and is responsible for the management, reservations, and stewardship of outdoor and indoor spaces around campus for events including training, conferences, career recruiting events, milestone celebrations, and University Big 5 events.
We offer one-stop event planning including AV, catering, entertainment, and room set-ups with internal and external vendor partners. SAMS is part of the Central Operations team of the Vice Provost for Student Affairs. We are looking for qualified candidates who will contribute to inclusion, diversity, and equity which are integral to Stanford’s commitment to excellence and Student Affairs’ Our Most Important Work. We navigate a complex intersection of university policies relevant to our clients and events while striving to deliver a bespoke event experience with a foundation of excellent customer service. This is an exciting time to join SAMS as we reimagine what’s possible with our clients and partners.
An ideal candidate will have:
- Strong communication skills to clearly and effectively communicate information to internal and external audiences, various constituents (students, faculty, staff, alumni), and to management
- Regularly takes initiative to research answers, find solutions, fine-tune processes, and navigate a decentralized campus
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to work with individuals and groups from various identities, cultures, and backgrounds
- Capable of quickly shifting gears; providing excellent customer service while maintaining a professional demeanor and sense of humor even in challenging situations
- Quickly understand the needs of our clients and offer alternative meeting or event solutions within current policy guidelines
- Balance bringing entrepreneurial and innovative practices with establishing best-practices for a growing group.
This position reports to the Director of Facilities, Operations, and Student Unions in the Vice Provost of Student Affairs.
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 an events team, and contribute in a wide variety of functional areas including decisions around 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.
- Other duties as assigned.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
Education and Experience:
Associate degree and three years of relevant experience or combination of education and relevant experience.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Demonstrated success 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 detailed oriented. Knowledge of Microsoft Office suite and other online documents, such as Google Docs.
- Ability to interact and successfully collaborate with a broad spectrum of contributing groups and customers.
Certification 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:
- This is a 100% onsite position to meet student and departmental needs.
- May require some travel and working evenings and weekends.
- Able to drive a vehicle or golf cart, as needed, to perform core duties.
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.
How to Apply:
We invite you to apply for this position, please submit your résumé and a one-page cover letter along with your online application.
Why Stanford is for You:
Imagine a world without search engines or social platforms. Consider lives saved through first-ever organ transplants and research to cure illnesses. Stanford University has revolutionized the way we live and enriches the world. Supporting this mission is our diverse and dedicated 17,000 staff. We seek talent driven to impact the future of our legacy.
