Assistant Director for Events & Campus Traditions

Assistant Director for Events & Campus Traditions

**Who We Are**
We, the Division of Student Affairs, are a student-focused organization that aims to empower student success and support personal development. We act daily to create, enhance, and sustain a culture of respect and inclusion in the workplace, focusing on equity and justice in its many forms, including racial, social, and environmental justice. We intentionally and relentlessly pursue excellence through introspection, vulnerability, empathy, compassion, learning, and courage. We value our internal and external partnerships as vital drivers of the ambitious goals we pursue. We celebrate and take pride in the following: 

* Named one of the “Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs” by Diverse Magazine.
* Serving a highly diverse student body ([click here](https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/irpe/fact_book/dashboards/enrollment.php) for more information).
* Leading the way as the #1 ranked institution in the AAU and #3 of all colleges and universities nationally in fostering our students' social mobility.
* Awarded multiple distinctions including philanthropic awards and research grants in experiential learning and career development, voter engagement, student engagement, health and wellness practices, and quality of residential life.

[*Click here*](https://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/studentaffairs/stu/join-us.php) *for more about Student Affairs.*

**Required Qualifications (as evidenced by an attached resume):**
Bachelor’s degree (foreign equivalent or higher). Three (3) years of full time professional experience advising a student programming board or similar student-led organization including large-scale event planning in a college/University setting (part-time student experience may be prorated to meet the full-time experience requirement). Supervisory experience (supervision of students may be considered). Experience with Microsoft Office and/or Google Suite. Budget management experience. Experience reviewing contracts. Experience working effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and identities. The incumbent frequently moves packages weighing up to 50 pounds.

**Preferred Qualifications:**
Master’s degree (foreign equivalent or higher). Additional years (4+) of full time professional experience advising a student programming board or similar student-led organization including large-scale event planning in a college/University setting (part-time student experience may be prorated to meet the full-time experience requirement). Experience working with student government. Experience with web-based information systems, such as Anthology Engage, CampusGroups, 25Live, Fusion, Qualtrics, or comparable systems. Marketing and data assessment experience (i.e. social media content management and designing and implementing assessment tools to evaluate program effectiveness).

**Brief Description of Duties:**
As an integral part of the Division of Student Affairs, Student Life, and the Student Engagement and Activities teams, the Assistant Director for Events & Campus Traditions serves a vital role in creating and maintaining a vibrant campus life and promoting student engagement. Reporting to the Associate Director for Events and Campus Traditions, the Assistant Director provides leadership in developing, implementing, and assessing campus programs and University traditions that promote student engagement, belonging, campus vibrancy, spirit, and pride. The Assistant Director co-advises the Undergraduate Student Government Student Activities Board (SAB), providing guidance and leadership to the USG Vice President for Student Life and the SAB in planning and executing scheduled programs. The Assistant Director helps oversee the planning, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive programming model of evening/weekend programs and trips that are responsive to student needs, enhance campus community, ensure safety, effectively manage risk, and minimize liability to USG and the University. The Assistant Director works collaboratively with Undergraduate Student Government (USG) leadership, students, University departments, vendors, performers, contractors, and external partners to ensure that programs are engaging, inclusive, accessible, and compliant with USG Financial Bylaws, University policies, and applicable regulations.

**Programs and Events, and Budget Management, Student Activities Board (SAB) Advisement - Campus Programming & Large-Scale Events**

* Serve as the secondary advisor in addition to the Associate Director for Events and Campus Traditions to the Undergraduate Student Government Student Activities Board (SAB), providing operational continuity and mentorship.
* Lead training and professional development for SAB members in leadership, communication, budgeting, marketing, event management, inclusion, and professional workplace expectations.
* Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and student-centered advising environment that promotes student learning, accountability, leadership development, and organizational continuity.
* Coordinate with the USG Vice President for Student Life and student leads on assigned SAB programs, including planning, implementation, and on-site execution. Provide direct advising and conduct regular meetings with student chairs to guide and assist them in executing major traditions. 
+ Advise student leaders on event planning, project management, budgeting, marketing, contracting, production, hospitality, staffing, security, accessibility, and risk management.
+ Coordinate event logistics, including space reservations, audiovisual production, entertainment, catering, transportation, ticketing, staffing, security, accessibility, hospitality, equipment, and vendor services.
+ Coordinate the creation of print/web marketing and assessment efforts as needed, and utilize data collection to evaluate learning outcomes and improve future programming.

**Budget Management**

* Operate within USG's financial approval process, supporting the purchase, payroll, and reimbursement approvals made by USG's authorized signatories.
* Collaborate with the USG Vice President for Student Life and SAB Treasurer in planning, tracking, reconciling, and forecasting the SAB budget (~$1M in student activity fees), ensuring compliance and accurate documentation. Guide students through event budgeting, financial reporting, and complex artist/vendor contract negotiations.
* Collaborate with the Associate Director and USG Vice President for Student Life in contract negotiations, review, and artist rider fulfillment. Ensure that vendors and contractors provide the required contracts, insurance certificates, permits, licenses, and supporting documentation by the established deadlines.
* Conduct with pre-payment reviews on program invoices to confirm cost accuracy, proper budget allocation, and policy compliance before advancing documentation through the official USG financial pipeline. Review invoices for assigned programs to confirm accuracy and adhere to SUNY and Stony Brook guidelines.
* Build and maintain strategic relationships with internal and external partners, vendors, and donors to expand event budgets and programming resources. Coordinate the sponsorship pipeline by collaborating with relevant campus partners and the board to propose and align donor opportunities (funding and in-kind donations) with upcoming event themes, budgets, and marketing plans. This includes but is not limited to creating pitch decks, managing outreach trackers, and ensuring all sponsor deliverables are met during events.

**Risk Management and Compliance**

* Collaborate with the Associate Director and USG Vice President for Student Life in liaising with University Police, Enterprise Risk Management, and Facilities to identify, address, and implement risk-management, staffing, and emergency response plans for events and trips as needed.
* Ensure all programming adheres to state and institutional policies, risk management protocols, and legal requirements, including contractual and insurance requirements.
* Provide direct, day-of, on-site leadership and troubleshooting support calibrated to event risk levels.

**Staff Training, Supervision, and Student Organization Advising**

* Collaborate with the USG Vice President of Student Life with training and transition of incoming SAB officers and members.
* Manage payroll for work-study event staff supporting SAB programs. Participate in professional staff recruitment, selection, onboarding, and training as needed.
* Serve as program advisor to clubs and organizations. Work with assigned clubs/organizations to provide training, guidance, and program advisement to ensure success and uphold policies/procedures and risk management protocols.

**Departmental Operations and Engagement Platforms Support**

* Coordinate with the planning, promotion, execution, and evaluation of USG and Student Engagement & Activities events as needed and assigned to enhance campus community and student retention.
* Contribute to the administration of the department, including strategic planning and assessment. Coordinate the collection, analysis, and reporting of data to communicate outcomes/outputs. Use assessment findings to improve program quality, accessibility, operational efficiency, and responsiveness to student needs.
* Coordinate and participate in the maintenance and utility of the university's online student engagement platform known locally as "SB Engaged" which includes: Creation of and review of forms and other functionalities; Increasing adoption of and engagement with SB Engaged throughout the university; Data reporting; Training students and staff on usage, utility, and development of individual sites; Building content and managing back-end technical elements involved with set-up, design, and site construction.

**Professional Development and Committee Involvement**

* Participate in