Advancement Director of Events

The Advancement Director of Events (Advancement Specialist II) is an integral part of the Advancement Events Team at USU responsible for strategically planning and executing high-quality donor-focused events that enhance engagement and foster philanthropic support. This role involves developing innovative events collaborating with various campus units external vendors and the Stewardship & Donor Engagement team to ensure a seamless and impactful donor experience. The Director will oversee all event planning aspects from conceptualization to post-event evaluation and is committed to ensuring that events align with USUs mission and advance donor loyalty. The Director is also responsible for supporting state-wide campus system units with their donor-focused events contributing to the effective operationalization of the Tiered Event Support Plan and ensuring high levels of collaboration and efficiency across all event-related functions. As Advancement Director of Events the position will help shape the donor experience and play a key role in strengthening USUs relationships with donors and alumni.

Leadership and Goals

• Collaborate with the Advancement Senior Director of Events to set strategic goals for Advancement events.
• Supervise and guide student workers assisting with event logistics data entry and other support tasks.
• Represent the Advancement Senior Director of Events in planning meetings and serve as a point of contact when necessary.

Strategic Planning and Coordination

• Develop and execute strategic plans for high-level donor unit-focused alumni and internal events.
• Evaluate event ROI to measure the effectiveness of event objectives and outcomes.
• Utilize tools such as Planner Boards to recommend and plan event strategies.
• Work closely with teams to ensure that event objectives align with USUs mission and vision.

Partnership and Collaboration

• Collaborate with representatives from various USU units departments and external stakeholders to plan events that highlight USUs strengths and programs.
• Identify opportunities to showcase programs and engage donors through events.
• Operationalize the Stewardship & Donor Engagement Tiered Event Support Plan incorporating creative and innovative strategies to engage donors.
• Act as a resource for units providing guidance on event planning event software usage and data management.

Operational Efficiencies

• Ensure that event data is captured in the CRM system to enable accurate post-event ROI analysis.
• Support the efficient execution of events by adhering to best practices managing budgets and optimizing event workflows.

Minimum Qualifications

• Seven years of event planning experience OR a Bachelors degree plus three years of relevant work experience OR an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Experience in using event management software CRM systems and other tools for data capture and analysis.

Preferred Qualifications

• A strong understanding of event planning principles including budgeting logistics and vendor management.

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Excellent organizational time management and problem-solving skills
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to interact with internal teams external stakeholders and donors.
• High degree of creativity initiative and decision-making ability.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple events simultaneously while ensuring high-quality outcomes.
• Knowledge of fundraising principles donor engagement strategies event marketing techniques and higher education.

Along with the online application please attach:

• Resume to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under Resume/CV
• Cover Letter to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under Documents 1-10
• Contact information for professional refrences to be entered at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile

**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**

Employees work indoors and are protected from weather and/or contaminants but not necessarily occasional temperature changes. The employee is regularly required to sit and often uses repetitive hand motions.

The Division of Advancement is a welcoming office where teamwork and inclusiveness are highly valued. Advancement staff are engaged in the meaningful work of securing private financial resources to fuel Utah State Universitys mission by creating gratifying gift and engagement experiences for USUs generous and passionate alumni and friends. Comprising the division are the office of the Vice President the USU Foundation & Board Advancement Services the Alumni Association (Alumni Engagement) Gift Planning Corporations and Foundations Strategic Communications Stewardship the Annual Fund and ACE (Alumni Center for Engagement). Furthermore the division coordinates all fundraising efforts across campus including colleges various programs extension campuses and USU Athletics. Through the collaboration of these units the Division of Advancement is able to achieve significant annual fundraising goals by inspiring stakeholders to invest their time and resources in Utah State University.

Founded in 1888 Utah State University is Utahs premier land-grant public service university. As an R1 research institution Utah State is dedicated to advancing knowledge and serving the public good through innovative research and scholarly activities that are grounded in reciprocal engagement with local regional and global communities. USU prepares students to be active civically engaged leaders who are prepared to address critical societal challenges. Dedicated to providing a high-quality and affordable education USU remains a leader in research discovery and public impact.

USU enrolls over 29800 students both online and in person atlocations throughout the state.Utah States 30 locations include a main campus in Logan Utah residential campuses in Price and Blanding and six additional statewide campuses along with education centers serving every county. USU educates students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries. For over 100 years USU Extension has served and engaged Utahns serving every county in the state.

Competing at the NCAA Division I level USU is a proud member of the Mountain West Conference and will join the Pac-12 Conference beginning in the 2026-2027 season.The Aggies long-standing tradition of athletic and academic excellence is exemplified by recent Mountain West regular-season and tournament championships in womens volleyball three consecutive Mountain West tournament titles in womens soccer conference championships and a first-ever conference championship for gymnastics reflecting USUs commitment to perseverance and achievement.

Utah State is dedicated to fostering a community where all individuals feel respected valued and supported and where diversity of thought and culture are cultivated. We seek to recruit hire and retain people from all walks of life who willchampion excellence in education research discovery outreach and believe that promoting a strong sense of community and belonging empowers and engages all members of USU to thrive and be recognized our commitment to employees when they namedUtah State the best employer in Utahin 2023.Learn moreabout USU.

The university provides aDual Career Assistance Programto support careers for partners who are also seeking is committed to providing access and a reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability contact the universitys ADA Coordinator in the Office of Human Resources at or.

*updated 12/2025

In its programs and activities including in admissions and employment Utah State University does not discriminate or tolerate discrimination including harassment based on race color religion sex national origin age genetic information sexual orientation gender identity disability status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by University policy Title IX or any other federal state or local law.

Utah State University is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate or tolerate discrimination including harassment in employment including in hiring promotion transfer or termination based on race color religion sex national origin age genetic information sexual orientation gender identity disability status as a protected veteran or any other status protected by University policy or any other federal state or local law.

Utah State University does not discriminate in its housing offerings and will treat all persons fairly and equally without regard to race color religion sex familial status disability national origin source of income sexual orientation or gender identity. Additionally the University endeavors to provide reasonable accommodations when necessary and to ensure equal access to qualified persons with disabilities.

In all circumstances Utah State University follows state and federal laws related to sex-segregated spaces.

The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations and/or USUs non-discrimination policies:

For further information regarding non-discrimination please visit or contact:

U.S. Department of Education

Denver Regional Office

U.S. Department of Education

Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

*updated 10/2025