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Coordinator, Programming & Events - 223326

  • Journalism Multimedia
  • Staff, full-time (32+ hours per week)

Title: Coordinator, Programming & Events - 223326

Position Number: 223326

Unit/Department: Journalism Multimedia

FTE: Full-time, 10-month appointment (non-working months: August and September)

Salary: Commensurate with experience 

Department Summary:

Drake University is a forward-thinking community of scholars with a focus on active, collaborative learning and applied scholarship. Drake is in Des Moines, Iowa—a vibrant city that is nationally recognized for its quality of life and a wealth of opportunities for professional, social and civic engagement.
A Drake education couples hands-on training in professional skills with a strong liberal arts education. We strive to create a community of scholars that represents the complexity of the human experience in regards to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, gender identification, religion, age and physical abilities. We are committed to creating a welcoming and supportive environment for all our faculty, staff, students and visitors.
We develop and offer innovative programming serving a variety of audiences, including high school, undergraduate, and graduate students, as well as community members, industry professionals, and retirees. The successful applicant will join a collegial, welcoming, energetic and supportive community.
This position will support various special programs across the University.

Job Summary:

We are looking for an innovative colleague to develop, promote, and execute conferences, programs, summer camps, and other special events of interest to high school students and other prospective Drake students as well as current students and other key stakeholders. The ideal candidate will be collaborative and comfortable working with multiple campus partners to meet and exceed strategic objectives and stakeholder expectations.
This position will be involved in all aspects of convenings, programming and events, from initial planning and budgeting to communication and marketing to on-site event logistics and participant management to post-event billing and analysis.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Professional experience in events planning, event marketing and communication
• Interest in working across academic units to plan, promote and execute special events, especially those that will attract high school students and other prospective Drake students to Drake’s campus.
• Demonstrated ability to utilize interpersonal skills to welcome and engage participants in a variety of on-campus experiences.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience planning, promoting, and executing programs and events specifically for high school students, college students, and/or the business community
• Demonstrated success in securing grants, corporate sponsorships, and other external funding sources for programming
• Evidence of the ability to build and maintain strategic partnerships with for-profit, non-profit, and governmental entities
• Experience managing multiple projects in a matrixed reporting structure

Job Duties:

  • 30% - Play a leading role in the strategic planning process for events, summer camps and other programming activities. Plan, direct, facilitate and implement event initiatives and administrative management functions in coordination with academic dean(s), Office of Admission, University Communications & Marketing and Office of Conference and Event Services to ensure excellence and to meet and exceed strategic objectives and stakeholder expectations. - (Essential)
  • 30% - Coordinate, facilitate and execute events in close collaboration with campus partners. Identify appropriate space, technology and set-up needs. Communicate event needs, coordinate event logistics and act as a liaison for Facilities, Public Safety, catering, parking, insurance/risk, Budget/Finance and other academic and non-academic departments, functions or groups within Drake University to ensure success. Manage student staff and others to ensure event implementation. Collaborate with partners in the Admission Office to provide on-site assistance to coordinate, schedule, and facilitate campus visits as well as welcome prospective students and families to campus. - (Essential)
  • 20% - Create effective marketing materials and develop communications including email marketing, web updates, and other tasks as necessary to promote Drake programs to prospective students, potential attendees and other audiences to help achieve measured outcomes such as increasing applications and improving reputation. This includes managing web and video content to ensure it conveys up-to-date information in an effective, engaging manner consistent with Drake’s brand. Maintain a social media calendar, creating and scheduling social media content, posting online resources, creating and updating marketing materials, managing contact lists, executing event marketing plans, miscellaneous graphic design projects, and other tasks as necessary. Create communications content such as press releases, program sheets and event materials to grow awareness, increase attendance and ensure satisfaction with events and programming. - (Essential)
  • 10% - Increase the financial sustainability of Drake University by building strategic partnerships, identifying grants, corporate sponsorships, and external funding sources and developing new programming. Assist in the preparation of program budgets prior to events and implement appropriate billing procedures post-events to achieve the mission of the organization. Provide strategic and financial analysis to the dean(s). - (Essential)
  • 5% - Stay current on standards and trends in event planning and student programming. Draft and update policies and procedures to reflect best practice. - (Essential)
  • 5% - Other duties as assigned. - (Essential)

Salary & Benefits 

The salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications of the selected candidate. This is a full-time, 10-month (non-working months: August and mid-December to mid-January), exempt (salaried) position.

At Drake, we are proud to offer our employees, their spouses, and eligible dependents a comprehensive benefits package, which includes a wide range of core benefits, perks, and discounts. If you are exploring a job with Drake University, we invite you to spend a little time with our digital benefits guide: Drake Benefits Guide (Plan Year 2025).

One of our very popular policies provides a tuition waiver for Drake employees, their spouses, and eligible dependents. Drake also participates in not one, but two tuition exchange programs available to dependent children. You can learn about both the tuition waiver policy and tuition exchange programs here: Tuition Benefits.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

For consideration, you must apply online. Please include a resume and cover letter.

If you have questions about this job posting or the application process, please email us at jobs@drake.edu.

 


Review of Applications Begins: Review of applications will begin immediately. This position will remain posted until filled.

 

For faculty positions, selection will depend on the receipt of recommendation confirming the candidate's scholarly achievements and teaching abilities and/or on the candidate's satisfactory passing of a teaching demonstration if selected for an on-campus interview. For staff positions, selection will depend upon careful review of each applicant’s references, education, and, if applicable, experience.


About Drake:
Drake University is recognized as a top private university in the Midwest. Drake is a midsize university in Des Moines, Iowa, with an increasingly diverse student body. We are deeply committed to equity and inclusion and creating a sense of belonging for all members of the campus community—faculty, staff, and students alike. More than 900 faculty and staff are part of the Bulldog pack, a close-knit group of colleagues enthusiastic about preparing students to be global citizens and leaders, challenging assumptions. Drake University is not only an outstanding institution of higher learning, it is also a wonderful place to work. We are enthusiastically committed to welcoming new ideas and people into the fold, and to retaining and rewarding stellar employees.

All positions at Drake provide opportunities to contribute to Drake University’s core mission of creating an exceptional learning environment that prepares students of all backgrounds for meaningful lives and professional accomplishments. 



Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at Drake:
At Drake University, we don’t just accept differences—we celebrate them, we support them, and we thrive on them for the benefit of our students, our employees, and our community. Drake University is proud to support an equal opportunity, diverse, inclusive, and welcoming workplace. In fact, the celebration of diversity and inclusion are embedded in our Core Values. Learn more about our DEI commitment and efforts here.

We welcome applicants of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. If you are a member of a socially or historically underrepresented or marginalized group or you have actively demonstrated a commitment to diversity and inclusion, we strongly encourage you to apply. If you are a member of one of the equity groups identified by applicable law, we encourage you to self-identify, where requested in our online application system.

Drake University is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations in its services, programs, activities, education, and employment for individuals with disabilities. If you would benefit from an accommodation at any point in the recruitment process (including using our online application process), please contact Drake Human Resources (ph: 515.271.3133; e: jobs@drake.edu) and let us know how we can assist you.

At Drake University, we highly value a diverse, inclusive workforce. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We stand firmly against discrimination including on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, religion, age, disability, sex, pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.

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