"Meetings & Special Events Assistant"

The following is a job posting for a Meeting/Special Events Assistant position at the University of Michigan Survey Research Center (SRC) at the Institute for Social Research (ISR). ISR is a national and international leader in interdisciplinary social science research involving the collection or analysis of data from scientific sample surveys. Survey Research Operations (SRO) is the operations branch of the SRC.

This position is part of SRO Data Collection Services (DCS). DCS is primarily responsible for supporting the staff who are engaged in the recruiting, hiring, training, and supervising of interviewers who collect data in-person, by telephone or mail, both from the centralized telephone calling center and from decentralized locations throughout the country.

The Meeting/Special Events Assistant will assist with training and meeting logistics within SRO, under supervision of the Meeting and Special Events Manager. This person will assist with all aspects of trainings, meetings, and events for field, lab, and internal staff. The successful candidate will demonstrate willingness and ability to be organized, thorough and professional in a variety of situations.

For additional information on SRC and SRO, please visit our websites at http://www.src.isr.umich.edu and http://www.src.isr.umich.edu/services/survey-research-operations.

Coordinate on-site and off-site meeting and training logistics for room set-up and breakdown, including packing training materials and transporting materials and equipment to/from the training site. The use of a University of Michigan vehicle can be made available to accomplish this if other requirements are met. Ensure proper and timely set up of audiovisual and other components. Produce identification badges for data collection staff members. Provide on-site support at trainings and meetings to SRC/SRO clients, staff, and participants.

Assist the Meeting and Special Events Manager with planning and execution of logistics including arranging/scheduling services and venue logistics from external vendors and internal university departments. Assist with site selection, food and beverage selection, as well as make arrangements for audio-visual, transportation, and other services. Communicate with event participants and vendors via participant letters, vendor requests for proposals, follow-up calls, vendor visits and appointments, and personal interactions at events. Coordinate travel arrangements for staff.

Assist in meeting and training logistics by preparing agendas, nametags, table tents, and relevant materials. Schedule rooms and off-site facilities. Maintain training supply inventory, including equipment, displays, and electronic and printed promotional items. Draft correspondence and training materials with critical attention to grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Review, edit, and process expense reports, travel advances for field staff, and timesheet submissions. Answer and respond to telephone calls from interviewers and managers.

Perform other duties as assigned in support of SRO training and meeting events.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in related field and/or equivalent combination of education and experience
• At least one year of experience in the hospitality industry, meeting and event industry, and/or special events
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively
• Ability to take direction from multiple people
• Experience working with multiple project timelines under tight deadlines, maintaining a high level of attention to detail
• Ability to maintain confidentiality following department guidelines
• Demonstrated competence in MS Office and Google Workspace
• Demonstrated excellent communication skills both oral and written, including grammar and punctuation
• Flexible schedule and ability to work early mornings, evenings, and weekends as needed
• Ability to travel to and work at a variety of event and meeting locations, including overnight travel
• Ability to transport equipment and supplies weighing up to 50 pounds to event venues for event execution needs; must be able to staff a check-in desk during an entire shift and be able to move throughout the event venue space to execute event needs
• This position involves traveling to various locations on and off campus to deliver materials. If the successful candidate opts to use U-M vehicles to fulfill this requirement, they must comply with the University Vehicle Operator's policy, https://ltp.umich.edu/fleet/policies-and-procedures/

Desired Qualifications:

• Advanced experience in MS Office
• Advanced experience in Google Drive Suite
• Experience reviewing and preparing expense reports/PCards reconciliation
• Knowledge of university policies and procedures

M-F, days. Will require occasional early morning, evening shift and weekends, as well as overnight travel to meet unit needs. Salary is dependent upon qualifications and experience of the selected candidate.