Job Details

Zaytuna College is America's first accredited Muslim liberal arts college that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees. A central goal of the College is to reintegrate the once vital and influential voice of Muslim thought and erudition back into the ongoing conversation of great ideas, which is informed largely by shifting Western values, and to do so within the context of our new, globalized society and in the manner articulated by the College's mission statement: “to educate and prepare morally committed professionals, intellectuals, and spiritual leaders, who are grounded in the Islamic scholarly tradition and conversant with the cultural currents and critical ideas shaping modern society.”

Position Summary

The Events Coordinator, as a member of the Events Team, is responsible for coordinating major and minor college events and serves as a liaison to the Dining Services Team. The position's primary responsibility is the management of event logistics from planning to post-event evaluation. Since events are physical manifestations of an institutional brand and standards, a critical hallmark of this role is to uphold a service-oriented approach towards event owners, campus guests, and the broader standards of beauty and excellence. Events are mostly initiated by a special interest group to support public programs, internal college-wide activities, fundraising, student life, administrative affairs (e.g., faculty and board meetings), or private guests of the college president. When an individual or group submits an event request, they are accountable to the event's final outcomes, while the Events Team is responsible for the logistics and project management to enable their success. For smaller meetings or events, the Coordinator may provide limited manpower and instead offer guidance to others where appropriate, while ensuring that logistics, service, and hospitality standards are consistently met by everyone college-wide. The Coordinator is also responsible for ensuring the Events Team's resources are properly organized, stored, and maintained. Depending on skillsets and institutional needs, the Event Coordinator may be asked to provide more than a logistical role, such as emceeing or speaking at an event or creative support with interior décor.

Events include, but are not limited to: commencement, certificate ceremonies, campus-wide or special interest group meetings or lectures student orientation, student life activities, dining events, open houses, online fundraisers, regional fundraisers, public events on campus, online recordings in the campus studio, special guest visits, and participation in conferences hosted by others through the program and/or promotional booths.

The Events Coordinator also serves as a liaison to the Dining Services Team, which consists of multiple dining staff led by one head chef. The primary responsibility as a liaison is to ensure that the logistical needs of their team are sufficiently met and that their team is well coordinated with the other offices they serve.

Essential Functions

Event Management

• Understand the unique needs of the offices requesting support and deliver on those expectations.
• Develop and document event management standards, policies, and procedures where needed.
• Apply and enforce standards of excellence for all events and programs.
• Oversee and manage events and activities as identified by the concerned department, including project management, stakeholder management, and the development of a plan with deliverables, assignments, budgets, and timelines.
• Oversee relevant inventory and ensure the appropriate standards, quantities, and logistics related to campus equipment, supplies, accessories, etc. are maintained.
• Solicit, negotiate, and procure products or services to support events. Maintain and institutionalize professional relationships with vendors.
• Track expenses and manage each event budget carefully.
• Work very closely and effectively with the staff who support interior design as well as other office liasons to ensure strong inter-office communication.

Dining Services

• Serve as a liaison between the Events Team and the Dining Services Team (via the head chef) to ensure all activities are well coordinated.
• Provide operational support when needed, on behalf of the Events Team, to ensure dining events are well managed.
• Provide administrative support when needed, particularly for maintaining strong records for food allergies and special requests.
• Support the dining staff in their compliance with all internal policies and external regulations, and to the extent it relates to catering managed by the Events Team.
• Work as a liaison with other offices who require dining services.

Education Requirements and Preferences

• Required: Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Experience Requirements and Preferences

• Required: 2+ years of event management, project management, and volunteer coordination
• Required: 2+ years of experience working directly on public events
• Preferred: familiarity with Zaytuna College and its constituents
• Preferred: experience managing small business operations
• Preferred: experience working with diverse populations
• Detail-oriented and strong organizational skills. Capable of handling diverse tasks and assignments
• Efficient in time management and can meet deadlines under pressure
• Ability to adapt to changing circumstances or unexpected challenges
• Work effectively with others to understand and respond to their needs
• Work with minimal supervision and highly resourceful
• Team player with an ability to interface with all levels of staff, faculty, volunteers, and guests
• Ability to motivate and supervise volunteers, when required
• Comfortable working in a developing, start-up environment

Reporting Relationship

Reporting directly to the Director of Events & Hospitality.

Supervisory Responsibility

Some volunteers, when applicable.

This job operates on a college campus in a professional work environment and occasionally at other event venues off campus. It requires some work or coordination off campus to acquire or deliver items, requiring one to drive between campus locations, merchants, etc. Most of the work is not performed at an office desk.

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time position (30 to 40 hours per week) that may require some evening and weekend work (20-30%).

Travel

This position may require travel (0-10%) for off campus events.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

Valid Driver's License

Other Duties

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this position. Duties, responsibilities, and activities are subject to change, preferably with adequate notice.

How to Apply

Please send a resume and a cover letter to ...@zaytuna.edu.

Zaytuna College is an equal opportunity employer.