Events Manager - Storytelling Grant

Goshen College is a Christian liberal arts institution that prepares students to thrive in life, leadership and service. We strive to model an inclusive community committed to transformative justice, peace, and sustainability. A respect and appreciation of the Anabaptist
- Mennonite faith perspective and practices, and a commitment to the mission, vision, core values and community standards of Goshen College, are important for teaching and administrative faculty members.

The events manager will contribute to the daily functions in the Events Office while playing a leading role in coordinating the activities of Goshen College’s five-year storytelling initiative, More Than Just Stories, funded by the Lilly Endowment. More Than Just Stories includes five individual storytelling projects: two podcasts, a speech contest, a documentary and a storytelling festival. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing storytelling and other events, providing key logistical support for summer programming, and coordinating the volunteer pool.

The events manager will work closely with the project director, senior producer and other members of the storytelling team, including faculty colleagues in the Communication Department and the Religion, Justice, and Society Department. The position is the first point of contact for events inquiries and is responsible for providing excellent customer service. This position requires a creative, self-motivated professional with excellent communication and organizational skills.

Attention to details and deadlines is crucial. The events manager will report to the director of events and maintain an office in the storytelling team suite in Newcomer.

More Than Just Stories

• Serve as a key member of the storytelling team based in the Communication Department through regular attendance at staff meetings and participation in other activities
• Assist project director, faculty directors, senior producer and others as a key point of contact for events and activities related to the storytelling grant
• Support faculty directors in developing, promoting and hosting events and activities related to their respective storytelling projects

Events Office

• Meet weekly for production meetings with the Events Team (which includes the director of events, AVOM, production manager and the technical director) to provide effective, timely and accurate communication regarding events
• Ensure that the campus event calendar reflects accurate, up-to-date event information
• Learn and manage the following software:
  Event Pro, Box Office ticketing system
• Provide recommendations and answer questions regarding event planning fundamentals
• Provide coverage for Box Office as needed

Event Management

• Serve as primary contact for assigned events, coordinating all event details
• Collect and communication audiovisual and set-up needs to appropriate service providers
• Provide on-site coordination and event management, as needed

Summer Event Coordination

• Coordinate the day-to-day of summer group management
• Train, schedule and supervise the Events office summer student workers
• Collaborate with the production manager to cover all summer camps and conferences
• Determine and communicate dining hall, RFC and media needs to service providers and the events team
• Work with service providers to identify spaces for campus guests around summer projects and maintenance

The successful candidate should have at least a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field of study and related professional experience.

• Ability to work well with a diverse group of internal staff and external partners
• Strong written and oral communication and organizational skills
• Ability to manage multiple tasks, meet deadlines, and work independently and collaboratively

• Broad knowledge of Elkhart County and the greater region
• Cultural competence demonstrated through travel, study or other activities
• Bilingual (conversational in Spanish)

• Some travel related to storytelling events, conferences and workshops as well as other business relevant to the project
• Must hold a valid driver’s license