Senior Special Events Program Coordinator

The University of Southern California (USC), founded in 1880, is located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles and is the largest private employer in the city. As an employee of USC, you will be a part of a world-class research university and a member of the “Trojan Family,” which comprises the faculty, students, staff, and alumni that make the university a prime place to learn, grow, and succeed.

The USC Thornton School of Music is a leading institution in music education, fostering a dynamic and inclusive environment for students, alumni, and the broader community. We are committed to excellence in music, academic, and community engagement. The Thornton School of Music is home to 185 faculty and 1,000 student music majors divided among three divisions: Classical Performance and Composition, Contemporary Music, and Research and Scholarly Studies. Founded in 1884, USC Thornton is the oldest continually operating cultural institution in Los Angeles. It consistently ranks among the top one percent of the nation’s music schools and conservatories. Graduates of the school attain positions with major orchestras, ensembles, recording studios, and music industry firms, and perform on stages and in studios around the world. Learn more about the school at http://music.usc.edu.

The Thornton School of Music is seeking a highly skilled, collaborative and dynamic individual to join our staff in the role of Senior Special Events Coordinator.  This position plays a lead role in planning, producing and executing a wide range of high-profile Thornton School events.  The Senior Special Events Coordinator ensures that all events meet a high standard of excellence, create an exceptional experience for participants, and align with all protocol, safety and policy guidelines. 

As Senior Special Events Coordinator, you will produce a variety of events on behalf of the Dean.  These include high-profile public-facing conferences, festivals, and symposia that promote the Dean’s strategic vision; school-wide events, such as Welcome Week, Commencement, and faculty/staff gatherings; and Advancement-related events, including board meetings, donor receptions and alumni events.  You liaise with guests, artists and VIP’s, and provide hospitality support for a range of gatherings.

This role allows for a hybrid work schedule, with a minimum of 3 days per week of on-site work per week.  Frequent evening and/or weekend work will be required, based on event schedules. It is expected that you will be present at events held at both on-campus and off-campus sites.

Job Accountabilities:

The Senior Special Events Coordinator will:

• Lead the planning, production, coordination and implementation of events.  Manage events from start to finish at a strategic as well as detailed level.  Track progress, develop budget, coordinate logistics, manage guest communications, and provide detailed instruction to all stakeholders throughout the event life cycle.  Work in partnership with the Thornton Dean, senior leadership, staff and pertinent University offices. 
• Attend events to ensure a high level of execution, including stage management, show calling, hospitality arrangements, and coordinating the work of other personnel supporting the event.
• Research, advise on, and make decisions regarding event design, venue selection, and execution strategy.  Make informed decisions regarding stage or venue set up and equipment, AV and technology requirements.  Demonstrate expertise in event design, program development and invitation management. 
• Liaise with vendors and suppliers, negotiate contracts, monitor delivery of goods and services to ensure contract terms are met. Comply with all University event protocols, safety and emergency preparedness guidelines, and ADA and other legal requirements. 
• Develop and manage budgets for all events, working within defined budget parameters.  Ensure all purchase orders are set up and invoices paid, in coordination with the Thornton business office. 
• Work closely with Thornton concert production team to ensure robust coordination of schedule, music production and venue requirements.  Coordinate event communications and messaging with Thornton Communications staff.
• Maintain detailed event files and build network of vendors and contacts to facilitate event production. 
• Represent the Thornton Dean in a way that aligns with the values of the University and the Thornton School.  Liaise as needed with special guests, artists, donors, and other VIPs participating in or attending events. 
• Perform other related duties as assigned or requested. 

Preferred Qualifications:

The ideal candidate for the position of Senior Special Events Coordinator has the following qualifications:

• 4+ years of experience with special events planning for high-profile events.  Experience with project management, budget development, logistics planning, AV and technology resources, and day-of-show production.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, independently execute a vision, run down a task list, and be a powerful decision-maker.  The ideal candidate demonstrates resourcefulness, and nimbleness, and is highly collaborative.  Must be able to work within budget constraints. 
• Project Management Certificate high preference.
• Experience with event protocols for music-specific events.
• Experience with event production within the Music Industry is highly desirable.
• Experience with hospitality/banquet services or catering is a plus
• Experience with office management and communications tools (e.g. Google Suite, Microsoft Office suite, slack), audience management technologies (e.g. Eventbrite), and University systems (e.g. Workday).

Application Instructions

If you are passionate about event coordination and eager to contribute to a vibrant academic and music community, please submit a cover letter and resume with your application. Your application may not be considered without both of these items.

If you are an internal candidate to USC, please remember to apply in Workday via your employee profile.

Compensation

The annual base salary range for this position is $78,000 – $92,000. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Minimum Education: Bachelor’s degree Minimum Experience: 2 years Minimum Field of Expertise: Understanding and technical knowledge of the hospitality industry. Demonstrated written and verbal communication skills.