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JOB SUMMARY
The Senior Director of the Student Union and Event Services provides executive leadership and strategic direction for a comprehensive, 220,000+ square foot, multi-tenant student union facility located in the core of the Storrs campus. The Student Union serves as a central hub for student engagement, co-curricular learning, expressive activity, campus events, and community interaction, supporting a complex environment that includes meeting and event spaces, student organization offices, cultural and affinity spaces, dining and retail operations, audiovisual and technology services, student media spaces, and institutionally significant public gathering areas.
The Senior Director ensures the Student Union and associated event and campus space operations provide a safe, welcoming, inclusive, and highly functional environment that supports student success, belonging, institutional priorities, and campus life. The role provides leadership for a high-volume operation supporting more than 28,000 annual reservations and significant daily building utilization while balancing operational effectiveness, institutional risk management, policy implementation, expressive activity, and customer service across a diverse university environment. It requires the successful candidate to develop collaborative relationships across institutional stakeholders and organizational levels.
The Senior Director provides leadership for the integrated functional areas of Event Services, Facility Operations and Building Services, Business and Retail Services, Audiovisual and Technology Services, and campus space management operations. The position also provides institutional leadership related to campus events, outdoor space use, expressive activity, and operational coordination for high-impact and complex events in partnership with university stakeholders.
The Division of Student Life and Enrollment is committed to fostering an inclusive and welcoming campus community. The ideal candidate demonstrates the ability to lead within complex organizational environments while supporting equity, belonging, student engagement, and culturally responsive practices across all aspects of departmental operations, supervision, planning, and service delivery.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Provide executive leadership and strategic direction for Student Union and Event Services, including Facility Operations and Building Services, Event Services, Business and Retail Services, Audiovisual and Technology Services, and associated campus space management operations.
- Oversee the day-to-day operations of a high-volume, multi-tenant student union facility and associated event and campus spaces, ensuring safe, accessible, welcoming, and effective environments that support student engagement, co-curricular learning, and institutional operations.
- Direct and steward an operating budget of $4 million annually, supporting facility operations, staffing, building maintenance, technology, and operational services, ensuring alignment between fiscal planning, operational priorities, long-term sustainability, and institutional goals.
- Provide leadership and supervision for full-time staff, unionized employees, graduate assistants, and student employees within a layered organizational structure operating in a collective bargaining environment.
- Lead organizational development, staffing structure planning, and operational alignment efforts that support departmental effectiveness, continuity of operations, student support, and evolving institutional needs.
- Establish, implement, and evaluate policies, procedures, operational standards, and service frameworks governing facility use, event operations, outdoor space use, vendor activity, expressive activity, and campus engagement.
- Provide institutional leadership related to campus space use, expressive activity, demonstrations, high-profile events, and complex event activity through coordinated planning and collaboration with university leadership, Public Safety, Emergency Management, Environmental Health and Safety, General Counsel, and other campus stakeholders.
- Serve as the primary liaison to Student Union tenants and campus partners, including but not limited to Student Activities, Cultural Centers, Dining Services, Registered Student Organizations, University Safety, the ID Card Office, retail partners, academic departments, and administrative units.
- Partner with institutional stakeholders, including the Registrar’s Office, Conference Services, University Safety, Environmental Health and Safety, Emergency Management, Facilities Operations, Procurement, General Counsel, regional campuses, UConn Health, and other university units to support coordinated campus operations and institutional event activity.
- Provide leadership for enterprise event and space management systems utilized across the department and broader university environment, supporting operational coordination, scheduling, reporting, workflow development, training, and institutional collaboration.
- Direct facility operations and building management strategy to support continuity of operations, customer service, safety, accessibility, preventative maintenance coordination, capital planning initiatives, and operational readiness across varying institutional conditions and operational demands.
- Oversee operational planning and coordination for major campus programs, institutional events, outdoor activities, and high-volume engagement initiatives requiring cross-functional planning, logistical coordination, and stakeholder management.
- Advance the integration of student employment, leadership development, learning outcomes, assessment practices, and supervisory frameworks that support student success, transferable skill development, and student employment as a high-impact practice.
- Lead assessment, evaluation, and continuous improvement initiatives related to departmental services, operational effectiveness, facility utilization, customer experience, student engagement, and organizational performance.
- Serve as a member of the University emergency operations structure and institutional response efforts as needed.
- Serve on university committees and participate in institutional planning, governance, and cross-divisional initiatives as appropriate.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- Current UConn employee.
- Master’s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Counseling, Business, Communication, Public Administration, or a related field.
- Seven years of progressively responsible professional experience in higher education, student affairs, student union operations, event services, campus operations, or related environments, including leadership, supervision, fiscal management, and organizational administration responsibilities.
- Demonstrated experience leading complex operational environments involving facilities, events, customer service, staffing, and cross-functional coordination.
- Demonstrated experience with fiscal stewardship, operational planning, and resource management.
- Demonstrated experience supervising full-time staff and student employees.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Demonstrated experience in student union, student center, campus life, event services, or auxiliary operations leadership.
- Experience working within a collective bargaining environment.
- Demonstrated experience related to campus space management, event operations, expressive activity, or institutional policy implementation.
- Experience with enterprise scheduling, event management, or operational technology systems.
- Demonstrated experience with organizational assessment, operational improvement, and strategic planning initiatives.
- Experience leading complex or high-profile event operations requiring cross-functional institutional coordination.
- Experience supporting student employment, student development, leadership development, or co-curricular learning initiatives.
- Experience coordinating capital improvement, facility enhancement, safety, security, or operational infrastructure projects.
APPOINTMENT TERMS
This is a full-time, permanent position. The University offers a competitive salary, and outstanding benefits, including employee and dependent tuition waivers at UConn, and a highly desirable work environment. For additional information regarding benefits, visit UConn Health Benefits.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Employment of the successful candidate is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment criminal background check.
TO APPLY
Please apply online at Faculty and Staff Positions, Search #499670 to upload a resume, cover letter, and contact information for three (3) professional references.
This job posting is scheduled to be removed at 11:55 p.m. Eastern time on July 3, 2026.
All employees are subject to adherence to the State Code of Ethics.
All members of the University of Connecticut are expected to exhibit appreciation of, and contribute to, an inclusive, respectful, and diverse environment for the University community.
The University of Connecticut aspires to create a community built on collaboration and belonging and has actively sought to create an inclusive culture within the workforce. The success of the University is dependent on the willingness of our diverse employee and student populations to share their rich perspectives and backgrounds in a respectful manner. This makes it essential for each member of our community to feel secure and welcomed and to thoroughly understand and believe that their ideas are respected by all. We strongly respect each individual employee’s unique experiences and perspectives and encourage all members of the community to do the same. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, age, sex, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, genetic information, physical or mental disabilities, veteran’s status, status as a victim of domestic violence and/or sexual assault and/or trafficking in persons as defined by Connecticut law, prior conviction of a crime, workplace hazards to the reproductive systems, or gender identity or expression.
The University of Connecticut is an AA/EEO employer including for Disability and Veteran status.