Associate Director

Role & responsibilities

Associate Director Events - MALE

Organization: Chandigarh University, Mohali, Punjab
Location: Mohali, Punjab

Key Responsibilities

1. Event Planning & Strategy

• Develop annual and event-specific plans aligned with university objectives and institutional priorities.
• Lead the end-to-end planning and execution of university events, conferences, ceremonies, festivals, and special programs.
• Develop event concepts, themes, timelines, budgets, and execution plans.
• Ensure high-quality event experiences for students, faculty, staff, guests, and external stakeholders.

2. Event Operations & Execution

• Supervise complete event operations including venue preparation, stage setup, dcor, hospitality, registration, seating, security, transportation, and technical arrangements.
• Coordinate rehearsals, event-day operations, and post-event activities.
• Ensure events are delivered within approved timelines, budgets, and quality standards.
• Handle multiple events simultaneously and resolve operational issues efficiently.

3. Leadership & Team Management

• Lead and mentor the events team and assign responsibilities according to event requirements.
• Coordinate with student volunteers, faculty coordinators, administrative teams, and support staff.
• Establish SOPs, checklists, and performance standards for event execution.
• Conduct post-event reviews and identify areas for improvement.

4. Stakeholder & Vendor Management

• Coordinate with senior university management, Deans, Directors, faculty, students, government representatives, industry leaders, celebrities, and other VIP guests.
• Manage relationships with event agencies, production houses, decorators, caterers, hotels, transport providers, photographers, and other vendors.
• Evaluate vendor performance and negotiate commercial terms within organizational guidelines.

5. Budget & Financial Management

• Prepare event budgets and monitor expenditure against approved budgets.
• Ensure cost-effective procurement and utilization of event resources.
• Maintain proper documentation, bills, quotations, and vendor records.
• Identify opportunities to optimize event costs without compromising quality.

6. Guest Management & Hospitality

• Develop VIP/VVIP guest management and hospitality plans.
• Coordinate invitations, confirmations, accommodation, transportation, reception, protocol, and guest movement.
• Ensure professional guest experience and adherence to university protocol.

Preferred candidate profile

Educational Qualification

• Bachelor's/Master's degree
• Professional certification in Event Management/Project Management will be an added advantage.

Experience

• 812 years of relevant experience in event management, preferably in a university, educational institution, hospitality organization, corporate, media, or large-scale event environment.
• Experience in managing large-scale institutional events, conferences, convocations, festivals, VIP events, and public/corporate engagements is preferred.