Events Specialist

Job Details

Special Instructions to Applicants:

All interested applicants should attach a cover letter and resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:

The School of Humanities and Arts seeks a dynamic, people-focused Event Specialist to lead the planning and execution of high-impact events and special projects. This is a high-visibility role that serves as the primary bridge between our school, the university, and the public. Beyond logistics and budgeting, the Specialist acts as a project lead who energizes stakeholders, manages complex social dynamics, and ensures that every event provides an exceptional experience for participants. The successful candidate will blend high-touch interpersonal engagement with high-tech operational rigor, utilizing Asana to create transparent, efficient, and repeatable event frameworks.

Ideal Candidate Statement:

The ideal candidate is someone who prefers a highly interactive workday over solitary tasks. You should genuinely enjoy the interpersonal aspects of event management—from constant face-to-face coordination to hosting receptions—and possess the interpersonal stamina to remain an active, welcoming presence throughout the life of a project. Successful candidates can balance a “boots-on-the-ground” presence with a disciplined approach to administrative tracking, ensuring that no detail is lost in the excitement of a live event.

Workplace Requirements:

This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in person at Rice University. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range: This position is benefits-eligible and exempt. It has an expected minimum salary of $65,000, dependent on experience and qualifications. *Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.*

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree
  • In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis
• 3 years of related experience
  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis

Skills:

• Superior project and event management skills
• Ability to manage a diverse team of staff and contingent labor, holding them to deadlines and the highest quality output
• Ability to manage stakeholder expectations through transparent, real-time reporting
• Excellent analytical skills
• Extreme attention to detail and deadlines; ability to prioritize and manage complex workflows
• Excellent communication, time management, and customer service skills; must be well organized and detail-oriented
• Ability to accomplish goals while working through formal and informal channels with diplomacy and tact
• Ability to make strategic decisions
• Strong problem-solving skills

Preferences:

• Experience with project management software (e.g., Asana, Monday.com, or Trello) to build project roadmaps, manage workflows, and manage cross-functional team communications
• Process improvement: proven ability to translate complex event goals into actionable digital task lists and timelines

Essential Functions:

• Participates in the planning of events
• Oversees the management of event teams to produce quality, multifaceted events and productions
• Serves as project manager of multiple activities; scopes out project tasks and team assignments; guides teams to create work plans and schedules; monitors progress; and meets milestones
• Operates as project leader responsible for providing meeting and event status reports and ensuring achievement of meeting and event deliverables
• Oversees event logistics, including travel, accommodations, catering, registration, etc.
• Acts as department representative at cross-departmental project meetings
• Works cross-departmentally to prepare and manage complex meeting and event budgets
• Manages budgets, goals, and objectives in alignment with organizational goals
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Rice University HR | Benefits:

Rice Mission and Values: