"Events Coordinator - Gies College of Business"

Events Coordinator - Gies College of Business

Gies Marketing and Communications

Introduction

The Office of Marketing and Communications at the University of Illinois' Gies College of Business acts as an in-house marketing agency, partnering with and supporting units across the College. Our growing team of nearly 30 professionals plays a pivotal role in helping the college shape purposeful leaders through life-changing access to education, research, and innovation. Creativity, strategy, and collaboration are key to our team's success as we grow the reputation and brand of Gies Business, a Top 10 public business school with more than 9,000 residential and online students and 80,000 alumni across the world. All members of the Gies MarCom team contribute to the management and growth of the Gies brand.

As an Events Coordinator, you will work closely with the Associate Director of Special Events, Senior Events Coordinator and the Marketing and Communications team in support of high-profile public and private events and ceremonies hosted by Gies College of Business. You'll be assigned tasks that collaborate with cross-functional teams, including designers, writers, digital marketers, videographers, and project managers, to bring projects to life and deliver successful outcomes.

Job Summary
This position's role is to assist the Associate Director of Special Events and Senior Events Coordinator and provide support for College-hosted events designed to advance the mission of Gies College of Business and build brand engagement and long-lasting affinity with students, faculty, staff, alumni, and partners. This position will support college specified events and will collaborate with the Associate Director of Special Events, Senior Events Coordinator, MarCom team, constituents across Gies, and other units on campus to assist with all aspects of each event including logistical preparation of event details, vendor relations, invoice processing, responding to constituent questions, and data input and tracking.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Program Planning and Support
  • Assist with events hosted by the College through the Office of the Dean or the Office of Marketing and Communications including, but not limited to, Convocation (December and May), lunches and receptions, guest speakers, faculty investitures, and staff and faculty meetings.
  • Support all aspects of each major event in coordination with the Associate Director of Special Events, Senior Events Coordinator, MarCom team, relevant College units, and planning committees.
  • Assist in processing and tracking event expenditures through university system.
  • Monitor Gies event email inboxes, responding to questions and escalating issues as needed.
  • Coordinate with the Gies facilities team or event planners at event location on room reservations, setup details, and menus adhering to University purchasing timelines and regulations.
  • Assist in processing and tracking registration details and attendee lists.
  • Process entries and manage day to day coordination of the Gies event calendar.
  • Serve as a contact for vendors, participants and committee members.
  • Correspond with presenters, discussants, speakers, and attendees to answer questions about the event.
  • Coordinate event staff and volunteers, including tracking name lists, email communications and responding to questions.
  • Assist with event communications including descriptions, invitations, web pages, promotion, and post-event resources.
  • Ability to work occasional events that fall on weekends or evenings, such as Gies convocation.
• Engagement
  • Coordinate with the Associate Director of Special Events, Senior Events Coordinator and Project Manager to track status and execution of event planning items with project management tool.
  • Coordinate with the Project Coordinator to select Gies-branded swag/gift items for program participants, when appropriate.
  • Create and foster a community within Gies College of Business that is positive, inclusive, and consistent with the strategy and goals of the College.
  • Maintain positive relationships with Gies students, faculty, staff and alumni.
  • Represent Gies College of Business as part of campus event planners and at a variety of events

Minimum Qualifications

1. High School graduation or equivalent.
2. Any combination totaling two (2) years (24 months) from the following categories:
   • A) Professional work experience in event coordination.
   • B) College course work in any discipline, as measured by the following conversion table or its proportional equivalent: 60 semester hours equals one (1) year (12 months) 90 semester hours equals two (2) years (24 months)

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality, Marketing, Public Relations, Communications, Business Administration, Student Affairs, or a closely related field.
• Three years of professional work experience in Events Planning, Conference Management, Public Relations, Communications, Marketing, or any other related field.
• Demonstrated experience in working with others in a diverse environment with high expectations.
• Event experience within a university or academic department.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to prioritize, multitask, and work in a team environment as well as work independently.
• A passion for education and a genuine interest in promoting the College's mission.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment with designers, writers, videographers, and other marketing positions.
• Ability to meet deadlines and manage projects.
• Superb interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to foster positive relationships and facilitate collaboration.
• Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership techniques, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Skill in analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Skill in scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
• Skill in oral and written communication.
• Ability to adjust actions in relation to others' actions.
• Ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Ability to develop specific goals, plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish tasks.
• Ability to work effectively with staff, the public, and outside constituency groups
• Ability to effectively plan, delegate, and supervise the work of others.
• Ability to utilize various computer software packages, such as Accounting Software, query, etc.
• Ability to work independently and exercise judgment in order to be able to analyze and investigate a variety of questions or problems.
• Ability to analyze and develop guidelines, procedures, and systems.

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Civil Service 0101 - Events Coordinator position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the search close date. The collective bargaining agreement sets an annual wage of $42,802.50 for this classification. The budgeted salary range for the position is $50,000 and $55,000 annually. Final salary offered will be determined by a thorough assessment of available market data, internal salary equity, candidate experience and qualifications, collective bargaining agreements, and budget constraints. This position requires in-person work and is eligible for a hybrid schedule, with the ratio of weekly in-office and work-from-home days to be determined by the supervisor. Sponsorship for Work Authorization is not available for this position.

For more information about Gies Business, visit https://inside.giesbusiness.illinois.edu/work-at-gies.

For more information on Civil Service classifications, please visit the SUCSS web site at https://www.sucss.illinois.gov/pages/classspec/default.aspx.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on February 11, 2026. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting, and upload your cover letter, resume (months and years of employment must be included), and names and contact information for three professional references. Please remember to include specific information on how you meet the qualifications of the position in your resume, including all relevant experience. In order to be considered as a transfer candidate, you must apply for this position. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. If required by the position, transcripts or other documentation of credentials are to be provided no later than the first day of employment. For further information about this specific position, please contact rgoben@illinois.edu. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.