Senior Associate Director of Events

Position Summary

Reporting to the Executive Director of Events, the Senior Associate Director of Events serves as a strategic leader within the Events team, owning a premier portfolio of high-profile and high-impact events at Columbia Business School (CBS). This role drives excellence across the full event lifecycle, from strategic concept through execution and post-event evaluation, advising senior stakeholders on program design, audience experience and event strategy while ensuring consistency, quality and institutional alignment across all programming. The Senior Associate Director, leads the implementation of event policies, procedures and operational standards, maintains centralized oversight of space utilization and calendar governance, and partners across CBS departments , Operations, Facilities and Public Safety to ensure seamless and best-in- class event delivery. The ideal candidate will bring exceptional organizational, strategic, and leadership skills to elevate the standards, scalability, and overall impact of the CBS Events function.

About Columbia Business School

For over a century, Columbia Business School (CBS) has helped develop leaders and builders of enterprises who drive value for their stakeholders and society at large through our MBA, MS, PhD, and Executive Education programs. We are equally committed to cultivating new scholars and teachers and to creating and disseminating pathbreaking knowledge, concepts, and tools that advance the understanding and practice of management through our faculty research and PhD programs. Our vision is simple: to develop ideas and leaders that transform the world, from the very center of business.

Our ever-evolving curriculum, featuring pioneering courses, STEM certification, and immersive experiential learning, prepares students to excel in key areas such as digital transformation, entrepreneurship, innovation, twenty-first-century finance, the intersection of business and society, and climate and sustainability. The CBS administration enables CBS’s educational and scholarly mission through strategic and operational guidance and support, optimizing School resources through well-designed, transparent processes with a culture of respect for all.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Event Leadership & Portfolio Management

• Owns a significant and high-priority portion of the CBS events portfolio, including high-profile internal and external facing programs.

• Serves as a strategic thought partner to senior stakeholders, advising on event objectives, program design, audience engagement, and overall experience.

• Leads the development of event concepts and formats, ensuring alignment between programmatic goals and institutional priorities.

• Ensures consistency and quality across both the programmatic and operational execution of events.

• Bridges strategic vision with execution, ensuring program content, flow, and logistics are fully integrated.

• Event Planning, Execution & Operational Oversight

• Oversees end-to-end planning and execution of complex, high-visibility events, including both programmatic development (run-of-show, speaker flow, audience experience) and logistical execution (space setup, staffing and any internal/external vendor coordination).

• Provides high-level direction on event structure, timing, and experience design to ensure cohesive and engaging programs.

• Ensures all logistical components, including AV, catering, security, and room configurations, are aligned with programmatic needs.

• Anticipates risks across both programmatic and operational areas, proactively developing solutions to ensure seamless delivery.

• Space Management & Calendar Governance

• Maintains centralized oversight of rooms and space usage across assigned portfolios.

• Manages calendar governance, including room holds, prioritization, and resolution of complex scheduling conflicts.

• Aligns space assignments with event type, audience, and programmatic needs to optimize both experience and operational efficiency.

• Supports the development and enforcement of policies related to space usage and event prioritization.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

• Acts as a primary liaison with Operations, Facilities, and Public Safety to ensure alignment between programmatic needs and logistical execution.

• Leads planning meetings, walkthroughs, and stakeholder consultations to align on both content and operational requirements.

• Builds and maintains strong relationships with internal and external partners, ensuring a high level of service and delivery.

• Process Improvement, Training & Documentation

• In consultation with the Executive Director works on the development and refinement of event policies, procedures, and best practices, with consideration for both programmatic quality and operational efficiency.

• Supports training and onboarding initiatives for event planners across CBS, reinforcing standards for both event design and execution.

• Maintains accurate and up-to-date documentation, templates, and shared tools to support team wide operational continuity

• Identifies opportunities to improve scalability, consistency, and effectiveness across the Events function.

• Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Event Management, Hospitality, Business Administration, or a related field.

• Minimum of 4-6 + years of experience in event planning and management, with demonstrated experience leading high-profile, complex events.

• Proven ability to operate at both a strategic and operational level, with strong decision-making authority.

• Experience advising senior stakeholders and managing competing institutional priorities.

• Strong leadership skills, including experience mentoring or overseeing team members.

• Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to manage ambiguity, navigate complex situations, and drive outcomes in a fast-paced environment.

• Experience with event management platforms (e.g., Cvent, Campus Groups) preferred.

• Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

• Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.