Join the Iowa State University Foundation in our mission to engage our community, inspire philanthropy, and steward resources to advance Iowa State University and its impact on Iowa and the world. We are searching for an organized, service-oriented individual to join our events team!

This position serves as the unit lead for the Iowa State University Foundations events and venue services team, providing strategic direction and leadership across event planning, event operations, systems, and venue services. As the leader of these interconnected event functions, the senior director ensures event strategy, operational excellence, and venue services operate as a unified service model that delivers consistent, high-quality experiences across all donor and constituent touchpoints. This position frequently requires working nights and weekends.

Core responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Partner with ISU Foundation leadership to determine what donor events the organization will host and what level of assistance the foundation can provide to campus units for donor-related events.
• Work closely with internal partners on presidential events such as donor travel/trips, small dinner hosting, game day experiences, and personalized events and experiences for donors.
• Serve as a partner to other unit leads across the organization providing consulting experiences during event intake and throughout the execution of the event.
• Lead the events and venue services team in connecting all work to the organizational strategic plan, developing strategies to aid in achieving objectives within the plan and/or partnering with other unites as appropriate to support their work.
• Collaborate with communications, digital marketing and creative services, and donor relations teams to create impactful event programming and stewardship experiences.
• Lead resource planning, budget, and allocation for the unit, balancing event volume, venue needs, strategic priorities, budgets, and staff capacity to support sustainable delivery and organizational scale.
• Supervise events staff members, overseeing daily workflow, meeting regularly with direct reports, and building and maintaining a safe/inclusive work environment where feedback is regularly sought and given.

Education & Work Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required. Advanced degree or professional certification preferred.
• 6 years of professional experience related to employment area.
• Minimum 2 years of people management experience.

Desired Skills & Experience

• Strong people manager experience and skills.
• Ability to interact with colleagues in a professional manner that instills confidence in the ISU Foundation, Iowa State University, and related programs.
• Demonstrated ability to independently develop and analyze alternative solutions and make recommendations.
• Exhibits analytical, project management, decision making, problem solving, and research skills. Ability to allocate resources and time effectively.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate to operational objectives.
• Knowledge of and experience in customer service, creating meaningful experiences for donors/customers.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Experience communicating directly with donors/customers, future donors/customers, volunteers, faculty, staff, and students.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team. Must be adaptable, flexible, and self-directed.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and ability to learn new software.
• Must be able to handle several activities simultaneously with attention to detail and adherence to deadlines and accuracy.
• Must adhere to strict confidentiality standards.

Travel: Occasional

FLSA Status: Exempt

Location: Ames, IA; potentially hybrid