| Job Description: |
EVENT PLANNING & COORDINATION
Coordinate UF/IFAS Advancement events in collaboration with the Associate Director of Special Events & Donor Engagement:
• Work collaboratively with caterers, event rental staff, and various support units, including Facilities, IT, and Marketing, to ensure the successful execution of events. This includes planning menus, assisting with décor planning, and maintaining positive relationships with key internal stakeholders.
• Assist with designing event registration websites and RSVP systems.
• Oversee event registration and check-in procedures.
• Coordinate event press releases and social media assets with graphic designer and IFAS Communications.
• Develop VIP bios for events and IFAS Leadership visits.
• Pull reports and contact lists for events, including but not limited to, Flavors of Florida, Dinner of Distinction, 4-H Hall of Fame, Gator100, 40 Gators Under 40, and Grand Guard.
Assist with coordinating campus visits for stakeholders and prospects, collaborating with relevant IFAS and UF units:
• Collaborate with development officers, university faculty and staff to schedule meaningful visits according to the donor’s interests.
• Draft itineraries for visits including all relevant times, locations, contact information and parking details.
• Coordinate catering, meeting rooms and parking as relevant.
BOARD AND SOCIETY MANAGEMENT
Act as secretary and primary staff liaison to UF/IFAS Advancement boards and giving societies (i.e. UF/IFAS Advancement Council, Florida 4-H Foundation Board, CALS Dean’s Circle):
• Manage communications with boards and societies including routine emails, meeting notifications, and meeting summaries.
• Coordinate meeting logistics including time, location, catering, parking, audio/visual needs, agendas, and slide presentations.
• Attend all in-person and virtual meetings of the Advancement Council and Florida 4-H Foundation Board.
• Record minutes of all official meetings.
• Manage new member onboarding process.
• Track member and officer terms, facilitating renewal and off-boarding process, as needed.
• Coordinate social events with members and prospects, often in conjunction with other IFAS or industry events.
• Collaborate with IFAS units & departments to track current and past members of stakeholder boards, updating board member activity in salesforce to ensure accurate affiliation reporting.
• Pull reports/contact lists for stakeholder groups, including but not limited to, Advancement Council, CALS Dean’s Circle, IFAS stakeholder boards
PRESIDENT’S SUITE & ATHLETIC TICKETS
Coordinate President’s Suite program for UF/IFAS Advancement:
• Work with development officers to formulate initial invite list, ensuring criteria from the President’s Office is met, and submit for review to UF Advancement.
• Communicate deadlines, game information, guest bios, and attendee lists with IFAS Advancement and IFAS Leadership.
• Submit game attendance for donors, DOs and IFAS Leadership to the President’s Office.
Coordinate athletic tickets for IFAS prospects:
• Manage IFAS Advancement’s season tickets for Florida football.
• Coordinate ticket requests for other sporting events.
ADMINISTRATIVE
• Ensure best practices in office systems, practices, files and record keeping.
• Ensure effective use of strategic tools and resources such as contact reports, prospect management, research, and analysis, and the Advance database.
• Plan and monitor the budget, using resources for best results in fundraising and planning activities involving volunteers, prospects, and administration.
Perform related duties as required or deemed appropriate to the accomplishment of the responsibilities and functions related to this position.
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| Preferred: |
The ideal candidate will possess:
• Bachelor’s degree in events management.
• Prior experience in development, fundraising, alumni relations or higher education.
• Prior experience in event planning, public relations, marketing and project management.
• Prior experience working with vendors and contracts.
• Must take initiative, possess strong work ethic and demonstrate the ability to manage various projects simultaneously.
• Ability to work strategically, develop and implement constituency programs and activities, along with a talent for motivating volunteers.
• Ability to work collaboratively and a team player.
• Strong organizational skills, ability to meet deadlines, ability to work independently and problem-solving capabilities; demonstrate a sense of urgency, accuracy, creativity, attention to detail and flawless execution.
• Exceptional customer service-oriented attitude.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, strong interpersonal abilities, and the capacity to engage effectively and collaboratively with a wide range of individuals are essential.
• Proficient in the following areas: Windows operating systems, Microsoft Word, Excel, and Access, as well as internet browsers and email platforms. Familiarity with donor databases, contact management systems, and tracking systems is also highly preferred.
• The ability and willingness to travel. A valid driver license and good driving record are essential.*
*Business expenses are reimbursed through a standard accounting system. The ability to pay for expenses using your own personal credit card or funds and have them reimbursed is essential.
UF Advancement has defined the following critical competencies for organizational and position specific success:
• Collaboration - Ability to work cooperatively with others to achieve the goals of the organization.
o Shares own experience, resources and expertise with others breaking down barriers or organizational boundaries to ensure team’s success.
o Assists in keeping levels of team performance and morale high.
o Works cooperatively and recognizes diversity as a strength and uses it to the benefit of projects and goals.
o Works to meet individual, business unit and university goals with the acknowledgment of, and cooperation with the achievement of others' goals.
• Stakeholder Focus - Centralizes all efforts and tasks around meeting the needs of stakeholders to support the University of Florida.
o Addresses stakeholder needs in a positive, timely and efficient manner by involving the right people and resources at the right time.
o Understands the audience and seeks feedback to identify opportunities to improve the relationship and deliverables.
o Creates stakeholder value utilizing service processes that attract, solidify and expand the total stakeholder relationship.
o Considers the impact on all stakeholders when taking action, or carrying out one’s own job responsibilities.
• Manages Execution - Consistently maintains a high level of action and results while working with effectiveness and determination.
o Executes functional tasks in pursuit of the larger vision (thinks big, acts small).
o Pursues goals with persistence, energy, drive, a positive attitude and a need to finish.
o Consistently prepared with a high level of productivity, prioritizing tasks to work effectively and efficiently to make and meet expectations.
o Uncovers problems and issues and removes barriers in order to move the work forward.
• Accountability - Takes responsibility for work activities, personal actions and self-development.
o Acts resourcefully, ensuring work is completed on time and to quality standards within legal guidelines and policies.
o Finds opportunities for personal and professional development keeping up-to-date on technical and functional aspects of one’s job.
o Assumes personal ownership of complications immediately and follows through until resolved.
o Accepts feedback openly, acknowledging and learning from mistakes, without becoming defensive.
• Adaptability/ Innovation - Applies original thinking in approaching job responsibilities, overcoming challenges and adjusting to changes in one’s environment.
o Sustains effectiveness in varying environments with different tasks, responsibilities, and people in the face of ambiguity or uncertainty.
o Courageous with ideas; generates new ideas and creative solutions that impact results.
o Maintains flexibility to accept, embrace and lead change.
o Responds effectively to unique needs, adapting solutions and providing creative and/or flexible options.
• Effective Communication - Ability to listen and effectively relay information to others in all forms of communication.
o Communicates effectively and shares information appropriately with internal and external constituents through multiple mediums.
o Interprets information, ideas, and instructions clearly in verbal and written communication.
o Demonstrates active listening: checks for understanding and clarity by asking the right questions.
o Maintains composure and communicates in a direct, truthful, transparent and positive manner.
• Critical Thinking - Ability to obtain, analyze, synthesize and evaluate information effectively.
o Utilizes logical reasoning to make judgments in accordance with established professional and organizational criteria.
o Objectively identifies goals and makes decisions by considering both short-term and long-term implications.
o Creatively identifies opportunities to increase efficiency, simplicity and revenue (understands finite resources).
o Effectively recognizes and considers the forces, events, entities, and people that effect a situation before making a conclusion.
• Organizational Acumen - The ability to understand and navigate governance, administration, and culture in the internal and external environment demonstrating commitment to organizational mission.
o Acts in a decisive, timely and appropriate manner that is congruent with the organization’s values and goals.
o Integrates and balances big picture concerns related to political, social and economic issues effecting the organization with day-to-day activities.
o Knowledgeable of policies, practices, trends and information that impact the organization.
o Demonstrates understanding of, alignment with, and a commitment to the university’s mission in serving our constituents.
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