Penn State Job Catalog

The defined natural career progression within or between job profiles.

Events Specialist

The Events Manager plans and directs large-scale special events and event teams. Responsibilities include assessing customer budget to customer request, liaising between customer and event team, facilitating interdepartmental teamwork, creating a customer service focus and atmosphere, exploring and developing ways to maintain/increase customer satisfaction, assisting with strategic planning, preparing reports, developing and maintaining budgets, ensuring regulatory compliance, and supervising personnel.

• Manage large-scale special events ensuring a quality customer service experience; work within customer budget constraints and advise feasibility of requests based upon client needs
• Serve as liaison between customer and event operations team; attend planning meetings; oversee room, exhibit, and technology set-up; coordinate agendas, menus, rentals, transportation; determine staffing levels; interact with customers, guests, and staff
• Facilitate interdepartmental teamwork; review menu selections and service timing; maintain event supervisor communication; assist with challenges and last-minute requests; ensure clean, safe, and well-maintained event facilities/equipment
• Create a customer service focus and atmosphere; build and maintain lasting relationships with vendors and clients; oversee problem resolution related to service, product quality, equipment malfunctions, facility issues, personnel performance, etc.
• Maintain industry trend awareness; conduct surveys; explore and develop creative ways to maintain/increase customer satisfaction; propose/incorporate fiscally sound and feasibly possible changes/updates
• Collaborate with strategic planning; consult on menu development, pricing, and implementation
• Prepare and submit payroll reports, employee schedules, quarterly action plans, etc.
• Develop and maintain budgets; identify cost containment measures; coordinate and monitor loss prevention; develop and maintain event accounts; make purchases; negotiate/approve contracts and agreements; ensure event checks are properly tabulated and signed; facilitate and track charitable donation ‘in kind’ requests
• Keep abreast of regulatory requirements; develop operational changes, policies, and procedures; establish standards; develop and conduct training; ensure compliance
• Hire, train, coach, supervise, and evaluate employees; oversee hiring/training conducted by staff; communicate and enforce standards; coordinate professional development opportunities; adhere to Collective Bargaining Agreement

Level:

– Manager

Base Description:

– Manages direct reports where primary duty is the management of a working unit.

Level Summary:

– Demonstrates proficient ability in work design, project management, financial planning and development of goals for accomplishing unit assignments. Reviews and guides work to ensure conformity to policy and effective approaches. Evaluates employee performance and recommend development opportunities. Demonstrates ability to coach employees. Presents and communicates key university indicatives and connects it to unit contributions. Provides broad guidelines. Develops, evaluates, enhances, and/or implements quality improvement practices. Recommends innovative solutions.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Oversees a team (typically 4 or more; no fewer than 2) full
– time direct reports of individual contributors and/or first level supervisors.

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– Monitors and tracks department/area budget
– May plan, forecast, and/or assist in developing budgets
– May have final signature authority for specific area

Problem Solving:

– Encounters varied and complex problems
– Helps to develop creative and/or novel approaches to resolve problems that are difficult in nature but within limited scope
– Modifies, adapts, or refines guidelines if necessary to resolve issues or problems

Independence of Action:

– Works independently on complex or strategic assignments
– Uses existing practices and advanced working knowledge to determine appropriate work methods for the team
– Reviews completed work of others for conformity to policy, and effectiveness of approach
– Delegates advanced tasks to others

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates with both internal and external audiences
– Collaborates closely with team members and various areas across the University
– Prepares written and/or verbal presentations or proposals on complex issues and delivers to a broad variety of audiences
– Communicates key university initiatives and how unit’s work contributes to their achievement
– Presents ideas, concepts and instructions in a clear manner, and uses persuasion and negotiation to build consensus and cooperation
– Establishes and maintains networks to facilitate successful communication among units

• Comp Grade – 11
• Minimum – $68,200.00
• MidPoint – $85,200.00
• Maximum – $102,300.00