Reporting to the chief of staff to the president, the ceremonies and events coordinator is responsible for the development, management, oversight, execution, and assessment of all events led by the Office of the President. The coordinator works collaboratively with stakeholders across and external to the university to execute event planning and logistics. This position also maintains the Office of the President and Board of Trustees web presence, assists with searches for senior officer positions that report directly to the president, and assists with other special projects.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree.
Two years of high-level event management or other relevant professional experience.
Demonstrated ability to coordinate projects and workflows, determine priorities, meet deadlines, and effectively manage competing demands.
Ability to prioritize and document work effectively.
Demonstrated positive interpersonal skills, including maintaining positive and productive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.
Strong organizational skills and excellent attention to detail.
Demonstrated ability to work independently and exercise discretion and independent judgment, while also recognizing when to consult with the chief of staff.
Demonstrated ability to use data for decision-making and evaluation.
Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills with a demonstrated ability to develop quality documents and correspondence.
Excellent technology skills including mastery of office software.
Preferred Qualifications
Knowledge of Central Michigan University’s policies and procedures.
Four years of high-level event management or other relevant professional experience.
Experience with the 25Live events software.
Duties & Responsibilities
Leads the coordination of event administration on behalf of the Office of the President, including commencement, the annual State of the University Address and Reception, the Staff Excellence Awards ceremony, the president’s holiday card mailing, and other signature events.
Recruits, organizes, and directs planning committees comprised of students, faculty, staff, and administrators.
Serves as a liaison for the Office of the President with university departments and service providers for on-campus and off-campus events and ensures alignment with university policies and procedures.
Chairs the commencement committee and recruits, assigns and organizes all commencement participants including speakers, administrators, faculty, staff, special guests, and volunteers.
Develops, implements, and facilitates training for university employees and volunteers who support events, including commencement.
Prepares the commencement communication plan to promote commencement activities to graduates, administrators, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders.
Liaises with students, parents, faculty, staff and guests regarding questions and concerns about commencement or other events hosted by the Office of the President.
Prepares written commencement materials, including the scripts for the president and platform party, as well as the online and printed commencement program.
Works with the CMU Bookstore to coordinate commencement apparel for all participants.
Maintains and evaluates prospective graduate data and provides recommendations for the commencement ceremony schedule and format.
Represents the university and the Office of the President through committee service.
Assists with searches for senior officer positions that report directly to the president.
Provides management during events and troubleshoots issues that may arise to ensure a professional and positive experience for attendees.
Develops and maintains a close working relationship with campus partners and service providers, such as University Events, Events and Conference Services, University Marketing and Communications, Athletics, University Recreation, Facilities Management, CMU Catering, and CMU Police.
Evaluates processes and emerging trends to improve operations and ensure consistent implementation of university policies and procedures.
Maintains the Office of the President and Board of Trustees web pages.
Assists as needed with the coordination of logistics for Board of Trustees meetings and other events.
Assists with other duties and projects as assigned.
Supervision Exercised
None.
Message to Applicants
Central Michigan University is dedicated to fostering an environment that is reflective of the communities we serve. We are especially interested in highly qualified candidates who will advance and promote CMU’s mission, vision, and leadership standards.
You must submit an on-line application in order to be considered as an applicant for this position.
Cover letters may be addressed to the Hiring Committee.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit letters of recommendation. If you wish to include recommendation letter(s) that are not required, please utilize the Recommendation Letters upload field.
Employee Group
Professional & Administrative -Salary
Pay Range
$50,000 - $60,000 per year
Department
President's Office
Employment Status
Full-Time
Weekly Work Schedule
Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. / weekends and evenings as needed
Location
Mount Pleasant, MI
About CMU
Central Michigan University has a more than 125-year legacy of preparing students to become leaders and changemakers in their communities and in their personal and professional lives.
We serve nearly 15,500 students on our Mount Pleasant campus, in satellite locations around the state and throughout the country, and through flexible online programs. Many of our approximately 300 undergraduate, master’s, specialist and doctoral programs in the arts, media, business, education, human services, health professions, liberal arts, social sciences, medicine, science and engineering are nationally ranked for excellence.
CMU leads the nation in leadership development programming through our Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute, and we are proud to be among only 5% of U.S. universities in the top two Carnegie research classifications. Our faculty work with graduate and undergraduate students in areas such as Great Lakes research, medical innovation, engineering technology and more.
Central is home to 17 men’s and women’s Division 1 sports including football, basketball, gymnastics, baseball, wrestling and more. Our student-athletes achieve great success in competition and in the classroom, capturing Mid-American Conference championships and maintaining an average cumulative GPA of 3.17.
CMU is located in Mount Pleasant, a community that blends the best of small-town living with big-city amenities. It’s part of the culturally varied and vibrant Great Lakes Bay Region that also includes Saginaw, Bay City, Midland and the state’s largest Native American community, centered on the Saginaw Chippewa Isabella Reservation in Mount Pleasant.
Area residents enjoy the mix of outdoor activities, cultural events, shopping and dining options, and family attractions. Other major Michigan destinations and attractions — Lansing, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Traverse City, wineries, beaches, golf and ski resorts, and many more — are within easy reach of the city’s central location in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
CMU employees enjoy access to a nationally recognized wellness program along with health care and benefits that exceed regional, state and national norms.
CMU Leadership Standards
Central Michigan University is a place where we value students and work for their success, where we act as family, and where employees are engaged, appreciated and have extraordinary opportunities to make a difference.
We intentionally maintain and strengthen the hallmark CMU culture that sets us apart from our peers by expecting CMU leaders and employees to model the following Leadership Standards and develop them within their teams.
Please review the Leadership Standards before applying for this position.
