Assistant Director, Major Events and Programs, QuadEx

Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America's leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

Positional Summary

As a member of the QuadEx team, the Assistant Director provides leadership for student programming and campus-wide major events. This role advises Duke University Union (DUU) on strategic planning, self-governance, leadership development, programming, financial management, risk mitigation, and contract execution. The role advances the vision of involvement as leadership, ensuring meaningful co-curricular experiences for all students. Responsibilities include coordinating large-scale university programs and collaborative events, overseeing programming budgets and endowment accounts, and supervising student staff and graduate assistants. As a member of the Student Involvement and Leadership team, the Assistant Director supports initiatives that promote belonging, engagement, and student well-being.

Key Position Duties

Student Leadership Advising (40%)

• Provide strategic advising to large-scale student coordinating and governing bodies (e.g., Duke University Union [DUU]), supporting effective student self-governance, organizational sustainability, and mission alignment.
• Guide student leaders through the full event lifecycle, including concept development, budget planning, risk assessment, logistical coordination, implementation, and post-event evaluation.
• Attend regular meetings and events to guide student decision-making, problem-solving, and leadership development.
• Support the student leaders in navigating complex relationships and negotiations with University administrators, faculty, staff, and peers on current University issues and trends.
• Design and deliver student focused training on programming procedures, facility usage, contracting and negotiations, team building, publicity, needs assessment, and other related topics as needed.
• Provide oversight and guidance on financial management, including budget development, allocation tracking, revenue reconciliation, and responsible stewardship of institutional funds.
• Advise students on university policies and procedures related to contracts, performers, vendors, facility usage, risk management, safety planning, and compliance requirements.

Major Events Programming (30%)

• Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of university-wide events for students, prospective students, alumni, and external constituents, ensuring alignment with divisional and institutional priorities and student engagement goals.
• Develop and manage detailed project plans and timelines, coordinating logistics such as space reservations, vendor contracts, technical needs, catering, staffing, etc., for assigned events and programs.
• Design and implement programming that authentically showcases student involvement opportunities, campus culture, and leadership development pathways at Duke University
• Collaborate with Office of Undergraduate Admissions, academic departments, student organizations, and various student affairs departments to create joy-filled, rewarding, and safe student events.
• Train and supervise student volunteers and ambassadors participating in large-scale events
• Manage the budget for major events and programs that support Duke University student traditions
• Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned major events, facilitating cross-campus communication and ensuring clarity of roles, responsibilities, and expectations.

Departmental Supervision & Support (15%)

• Provide day-to-day supervision, direct training, and evaluation and performance management for assigned Graduate Assistant(s) and student staff, supporting both ongoing programming and special celebrations.
• Serve as part of the divisional QuadEx team, offering opportunities for connection related to student organization support, large-scale programming, event management and logistics, and leadership development
• Support office and departmental programs as an additional event support member at evening and weekend programming
• Oversee budgets for area of responsibility and manage appropriate expenditures in accordance to University and Student Involvement and Leadership Policies.

• Train, supervise, and evaluate student volunteers and ambassadors participating in large-scale events, fostering leadership development and high standards of customer service.
• Contribute to departmental decision-making and strategic planning efforts by providing insight from student engagement trends, event assessment data, and frontline advising experience.

University & Community Relations (10%)

• Collaborate with university partners to support university-sponsored initiatives and signature events, ensuring alignment with student involvement goals and consistent communication across stakeholders.
• Advise and support students in creating meaningful partnerships and relationships with other students, staff and the Durham community through reciprocal participation in programs and events
• Foster and maintain relationships with academic departments, administrative units, and community partners to enhance student programming and encourage reciprocal engagement opportunities.
• Serve as primary Student Affairs liaison to Office of Undergraduate Admissions for yield programming, coordinating student engagement efforts that authentically represent campus culture and involvement opportunities.
• Represent the department in interdepartmental planning meetings and working groups related to recruitment, community engagement, and university-wide initiatives.

Other Duties (5%)

• Perform other duties as assigned, including executing administrative projects, team assignments, and committee work

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education: Work requires analytical, communications and organizational skills generally acquired through completion of a bachelor's degree program.
• Experience: Work generally requires two years experience in personnel, college or university administration, or a related field to acquire skills necessary to provide program event design and management. OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Strongly Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree preferred in Higher Education, Student Affairs or related field of study
• A minimum of one year of experience in student organization management, student advising and governance, leadership development, fraternity/sorority life, and program planning at the undergraduate and/or graduate level(s)

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Familiarity with student advising and event management work, interest & knowledge in student governance, social identity development and its relation to the college student experience

• The successful candidate will balance year-round student programming responsibilities with seasons when multiples project are occurring at once.

• Experience coordinating large-scale recruitment or admissions-related events
• Understanding of compliance frameworks in higher education
• Project management experience with multiple simultaneous initiatives
• Strong communication skills with diverse stakeholder groups including prospective students, families, university leadership, and external vendors