Assistant Director, Major Events & Ticketing

Assistant Director, Major Events & Ticketing

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Job Summary

Department Summary:

Center for Campus Involvement Overview

The Center for Campus Involvement (CCI) is a dynamic, student-focused department that serves all undergraduate and graduate students through programs, student organization administration, and learning and development. Through meaningful involvement, CCI creates transformative experiences, a vibrant community, and lifelong memories for University of Michigan students. CCI recognizes and supports over 1,700 student organizations through education, advising, advocacy and services. CCI also implements hundreds of social, educational, and cultural programs each year, focused on building community within and beyond University Unions' facilities.

University Unions Overview

University Unions drives community building and belonging through the integration of its three student union facilities (Michigan Union, Michigan League, Pierpont Commons), Center for Campus Involvement, Campus Information, meeting/event spaces, retail food, bookstore and other services to support student success. UU works in close partnership with Palmer Commons, an academic meeting facility, Conferences & Event Services and Michigan Dining to provide student-focused and customer-oriented service to the campus.

Position Summary:

You will provide leadership for major events and ticketing within the Center for Campus Involvement (CCI) in University Unions, ensuring high-quality production services for student organizations, university departments, and non-University clients. Reporting to the CCI Associate Director, you will set direction for business processes, service delivery, and financial performance; supervise key functional full-time and temporary student employees; and serve as CCI's primary representative with clients and campus partners to ensure successful service levels, address issues, mitigate risk, and ensure timely, successful outcomes. You will oversee major event and ticketing operations across major campus venues as well as reservations and policies for the Central Campus Diag and North Campus Gerstacker Grove, while upholding university standards related to safety, freedom of expression, and community-building.

Responsibilities*

Leadership (40%)

• Provide strategic guidance for Major Events and the Michigan Union Ticket Office, ensuring effective service, production, student advising, and community-building experiences for campus.
• Assess and enhance current workflows to identify opportunities for increased operational efficiency.
• Hire, train, and supervise three full-time staff: the Michigan Union Ticket Office Manager, Major Events Manager, and Community & Belonging Specialist, along with around 20 temporary student employees and temporary venue production staff (i.e., IATSE stagehands), to collaboratively serve students and customers.
• Ensure the staff team assesses event impacts and risks, ensuring de-escalation and communication practices, and upholds university policies, including freedom of expression and safety.
• Oversee training for student employee supervisors to implement learning and development initiatives and maintain accountability for student employees job responsibilities.
• Lead strategic partnerships with University Productions, School of Music, Theatre & Dance, University Musical Society, University and Development Events, Facilities & Operations, Michigan Athletics, Student Life Budget & Finance, The Ark in Ann Arbor, the Arts Initiative, and other partners.
• Develop and implement annual operational plans for major events, MUTO ticketing services, and Central Campus Diag/North Campus Grove policies and reservations.
• Make informed decisions on space usage and event contracts, and provide university oversight for events and vendor selection.
• Work collaboratively with CCI and UU staff to develop a well-considered plan to build an inclusive community through organizations and programs across campus.
• Evaluate student and staff needs and provide guidance or training to ensure alignment with organizational goals and initiatives.
• Serve as a leader on the CCI Leadership Team, integrating functional areas across the department to execute strategy and ensure mission alignment.

Management (30%)

• Oversee the management of major events in campus performance venues, including Hill Auditorium (3500 seats), the Power Center for the Performing Arts (1300 seats), Rackham Auditorium (1000 seats), and Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre (620 seats), hosted by student organizations, U-M departments, and non-University clients.
• Manage the CCI Major Events Scheduling System, working in partnership with University Productions.
• Manage event reservations and activities on the Central Campus Diag and North Campus Gerstacker Grove, the two primary outdoor community spaces at the University of Michigan, working in partnership with Facilities & Operations Outdoor Events, DPSS, and other essential campus partners for outdoor space use.
• Evaluate the scope, scale, and complexity of events permitted in campus spaces and venues, using professional judgment.
• Oversee risk management for event spaces, ensuring university policies and standards are upheld.
• Plan and oversee all technical and production aspects of major events, including production schedules, safety compliance, and effective use of resources such as Tessitura ticketing software.
• Advise on and negotiate the physical layout of production; supervise IATSE stagehands and exercise judgment in implementing safety laws (e.g., OSEH procedure) and building and public safety codes, while maintaining responsibility for the facility.
• Lead Michigan Union Ticket Office operations, negotiating ticketing agreements, ensuring effective client and staff communication, and enhancing the use of the Tessitura ticketing software.

Financial Management (20%)

• Develop and maintain budgets, prepare financial reports and budget projections, meet financial expectations, and identify cost efficiencies for short- and long-term success.
• Pursue and ensure revenue-generating opportunities with external and department clients to meet annual budget requirements while maintaining a student organization-centered focus.
• Serve as Student Life's authority for professional speaker and performer contracts and as signature authority for agreements up to $1,000.
• Coordinate the review and negotiation of performance contracts with booking agencies and promoters, including contract riders, about all technical aspects of the show, and ensure all contracts comply with all laws, University policy, and music industry standards.
• Oversee departmental purchasing, procurement policies, and procedures.

University Unions and Student Life Service (10%)

• As an integral part of CCI/UU and Student Life, serve on committees and work teams, such as the UU Management Team.
• Serve on the Student Life Activism Planning and Response Team.
• Serve on the Hart-Wright Major Venue Scheduling Committee.
• Participate in staff training and professional development opportunities.

Other Duties as Assigned

Required Qualifications*

• Bachelor's degree in higher education, student affairs, event management, arts administration, business, or a related field.
• 3-5 years of progressive professional experience in major event production, venue and client management, ticketing operations, OR student activities/programming.
• Minimum of 2 years of supervisory experience, including full-time staff and/or student employees.
• Experience with budget management and financial oversight.

Desired Qualifications*

• 6 or more years of major event production experience.
• Master's degree in arts administration, business, or a related field.
• Previous experience with ticketing software (i.e., Tessitura, Ticketmaster, etc.)

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Additional Information

Position

Responsibilities

Criteria (leadership and behavioral qualities expected in this position):

• Demonstrated ability to deliver high-quality customer service to diverse audiences, including students, campus partners, external clients, and performers.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to supervise, develop, and motivate teams, including full-time staff, student employees, and temporary production staff.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the abili