Job Description

Position Title & Department:

Strategic Events Coordinator; Knauss School of Business
Posting #

5685

Department Description:
The Knauss School of Business at USD embraces a stewardship approach to business education. Stewardship requires businesses to protect and care for society in pursuit of a greater good. The Knauss School community of faculty, staff, students and graduates, embrace stewardship by applying values-driven, free-enterprise skills to improve businesses, industries, and the lives of people in our community and around the world. We provide academically rigorous, relevant and values-based education and research. Degree programs in the Knauss School of Business are AACSB accredited, with the undergraduate and MBA programs being highly ranked both domestically and internationally. www.sandiego.edu/business/about/
University Description:

The University of San Diego, an engaged and contemporary Catholic institution, was founded by the Diocese of San Diego and the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1949. Governed by an independent board of trustees since 1972, USD remains committed to a liberal arts education grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition and the pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty. Inspired by this centuries old tradition of Catholic higher education, the University welcomes people of all faith traditions and any, or no, religious background. The future success of USD relies on the contributions of those who seek to foster the development of engaged global citizens and an earnest confrontation of humanity’s urgent challenges

Detailed Description:

Under direction from the Strategic Events Manager, the Strategic Events Coordinator is responsible for the execution of Knauss School of Business events. With a solution-oriented approach, the Coordinator is responsible for managing these events through the entirely of their life cycle, including creating ideas and vision with Knauss stakeholders, maintaining event budgets including navigating fiscal constraints, planning and coordinating with vendors, marketing the event to internal and external audiences, staffing and providing on-site execution as well as post-event reporting and surveying. The Coordinator must be able to work with a multitude of stakeholders and represent the Knauss School of Business in a professional manner while positively shaping the Knauss School of Business’ identity, profile and visibility within the campus community. The Coordinator must also be able to work the occasional night and/or weekend, in order to provide on-site event support.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Work with internal and external stakeholders to plan and execute events:

• Coordinate, plan, and execute all on-site and off-site, in-person and virtual events for the Knauss School
• Serve as a liaison between all event stakeholders to ensure logistics are planned seamlessly
• Coordinate event staffing needs
• Submit additional cleaning service, catering and event furniture orders, and if applicable transportation for guests
• Coordinate event related meetings with stakeholders to ensure details are shared and deadlines are being met
• Create run of shows, AV needs, floor plans
• Assist with virtual meetings, workshops and events using programs such as Zoom
• Maintain shared calendar of events and provide updates and event requests to relevant personnel
• Facilitate required paperwork for events, such as legal agreements, vendor contracts and certificates of liability/insurance and ensure they are routed through the Knauss School Finance and Administration Team for execution and/or processing
• Work with Public Safety on event security, if applicable
• Coordinate event walk-throughs with event staff
• In collaboration with stakeholders, assist with tracking event expenses and budget
• Provide training and best practices to internal Knauss School stakeholders involved in events to ensure a consistent approach is taken to the planning and execution of events throughout the School

Market events to increase event attendance and positively shape the Knauss School identity, profile, and visibility within the campus community

• Coordinate with the Knauss School Marketing and Communications team to ensure event collateral is created in adherence to brand standards
• Create event digital marketing, invitations, and social media outreach as directed
• Assist with creating and deploying promotional materials, invitations, registration, and onsite event materials
• Maintain the inventory and loans of branded signage and equipment
• Provide logistical details and updates to key internal stakeholders for mass communication purposes
• Ensures the Knauss School ticker is updated announcing key events and School visitors

Provide on-site event support:

• Ensure all technology needs, room configurations, catering, external vendors, etc. are prepared and ready for day-of activities
• Greet guests with professionalism
• Problem-solve last minute issues
• Provide additional support to event host, as needed

Coordinate post-event activities:

• Create and manage the distribution and reporting of post-event surveys
• Report findings to internal stakeholders
• Provide support in building the Post Event Report
• Provide suggestions, creative solutions and innovative ideas to improve upon future events

Other duties as assigned

Background check: Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.

Degree Verification Requirement Persons offered employment in this position will be required to provide official education transcripts for degree verification purposes.

Job Requirements:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with preference given to Business, Marketing and/or related field of study
• 2 years of work experience in event marketing, product marketing, email marketing, campaign planning, digital marketing, messaging, positioning, copywriting, project management, and/or related field
• 2 additional years of work experience and High School diploma may substitute for a Bachelor’s degree

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college of university in Business, Marketing or a related field
• 3+ years of progressively responsible event marketing experience including product marketing, email marketing, digital marketing, graphic design, messaging, copywriting and/or project management
• Experience working in higher education

Performance Expectations - Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Computers and software (including Canva, customer relations management (CRM) software, Google Suite, etc).
• Anticipating, identifying and resolving technical software issues
• Experience in using business software systems in the completion of work assignments; i.e. Word and Excel, PowerPoint, Web analytics, search (paid and organic), content management system (CMS) and customer relations management (CRM) software
• Excellent knowledge of the fundamentals of writing, grammar, syntax, style and punctuation
• Event promotion and marketing
• Interacting with the professional business community
• Exercising self-initiative and creativity
• Be able to function with a high degree of autonomy
• Demonstrated capacity for developing and understanding strategy
• Operation of personal computer equipment and web management
• Time management and organization of multi-tasking work requirements
• Communicating effectively both verbally and in writing
• Ability to use mature judgment
• Ability to form productive working relationships with faculty, staff and administration
• Working with diverse personalities
• Being flexible and versatile in coping with evolving work situations
• Ability to focus on technical details in an environment with many distractions
• Ability to handle the stress of last-minute deadlines and changes
• Ability to assume responsibility and effectively resolve problems by exercising independent judgement

Posting Salary:

$31.00-$33.50 per hour; Excellent Benefits. In addition, the Knauss School of Business offers two different compressed work schedule options following a 9/75 structure in which employees have 1 to 1.5 days off over every two-week period as well as a hybrid option for those positions that can complete some work remotely.

The University of San Diego offers a very competitive benefits package including; medical, dental, vision, a retirement contribution given to you by the University, and access to on-campus Fitness Centers. Please visit the benefits section of our website to view all of the perks and benefits that USD has to offer. USD: Human Resources: Benefits

The salary range provided in this posting reflects what we reasonably expect to pay for this position. Actual compensation offered or earned is dependent on experience, education and other factors including departmental budget.

Special Application Instructions:

Click the 'Apply Now' button to complete our online application. In addition, please upload a cover letter and resume to your application profile for the hiring managers’ review. If you have any questions or difficulties please contact the Employment Services Team at jobs@sandiego.edu.

Additional Details:

Hours: 37.5 hours per week

Closing date: September 2, 2026

Note External job postings will be up for at least three days. After that time, applications will be reviewed by the hiring manager/committee throughout the posting period. A candidate may be selected at any time which could then close this posting on a date earlier than listed.

The University of San Diego is a smoking and tobacco-free campus. For more information, visit www.sandiego.edu/smokefree.