Inside Higher Ed is hiring: Conference-Event Planner III in Gainesville

Join to apply for the Conference-Event Planner III role at Inside Higher Ed

Job No: 538000
Work Type: Full Time
Location: Main Campus (Gainesville, FL)
Categories: Recreation/Event Services, Student Services
Department: 07990000 - HO-HOUSING CONF SVCS EXPENSES

Job Description

Conference‑Event Planner III is responsible for the planning, coordination, and execution of academic events, conferences, and related activities. The role includes guest and intern housing operations, event services, space and reservation management, administrative functions, and student staff supervision.

Responsibilities

Management of guest and intern housing operations

• Ensure comprehensive guest services including processing of advanced reservations for individuals and groups, check‑in/out, and collection of payments.
• Prepare materials and coordinate pre/post reservation walkthroughs, check‑in/out process, review of policies and procedures, and respond to clients’ needs.
• Organize and conduct space tours and site visits with clients.
• Survey all apartments/housing ensuring appropriate inventory of supplies, furnishings, linen requirements, and upgrades for spaces.
• Coordinate orders of supplies as needed to refresh or replenish items in guest or conference housing.
• Lead coordination efforts with internal units to facilitate the timely preparation and turnover of spaces.
• Manage occupancy for short‑term and long‑term reservable spaces.
• Determine summer occupancy for various departmental reservable spaces.
• Coordinate with UF Compliance and Ethics to ensure compliance for all youth‑oriented programming, conferences, and services.

Event services and reservable space management

• Oversee reservation workflows for events and reservable spaces, including advanced bookings, arrival/departure procedures, and payment processing.
• Coordinate and plan event logistics for clients using spaces within Housing and Residence Life, including site visits, access coordination, food service, parking, and other support services for conferences and workshops.
• Conduct weekly space inventory ensuring all equipment, technology, and furnishings are present and in good condition; maintain inventory logs; ensure organization and cleanliness of all storage spaces.
• Lead coordination efforts with internal units to facilitate timely turnover of spaces.
• Coordinate billing for reservable spaces and events, including issuing invoices and timely payment from clients.
• Responsible for on‑site event management for designated events: manage crowd control procedures; monitor maximum room capacity requirements; interpret and ensure compliance with university/department policies as needed; implement emergency action procedures as needed.

Responsible for general office and administrative functions

• Use computer‑based software to determine space availability, create reservations, coordinate equipment needs, housing reservations for groups, and invoicing.
• Communicate actively with clients regarding guest housing, summer conferences, and event bookings.
• Review event‑related documents submitted by the designated organization sponsor; approve, deny, or request modifications based on applicable guidelines.
• Prepare agreements for summer conferences, event spaces, and guest housing; maintain templates for agreements, confirmations, invoices, and proposals.
• Handle client billing, payment of vendors’ invoices, dispute resolution with clients and vendors, and confirmation of vendor services.
• Ensure appropriate record‑keeping of occupancy, expenses, income, revenue projections, and other financial functions.
• Prepare and analyze reports, review conference group and client history, and analyze economic and industry trends and environment.
• Collaborate with departmental marketing and strategic communications to create standardized communications and marketing materials.
• Serve in a weekly after‑hours on‑call rotation to respond to emergencies and crisis situations for conference services programs.

Management of student staff for scheduled conferences and events

• Provide leadership in establishing goals, work priorities, and outcomes.
• Supervise staff and manage administrative functions, including HR compliance, payroll approval, and performance review processes.
• Plan and manage staff at large‑scale event operations including establishing work priorities and workflow; develop goals relevant to the area and provide direction and leadership.
• Plan and implement job training programs for employees on operation, safety, crowd control, customer service, and related topics.
• Establish and implement comprehensive policies and operational procedures for work quality standards for event staff.
• Provide on‑site event management for large‑scale events and conferences as required.

Develop reports, handle special projects, tasks, and other duties as assigned

• Serve on Division of Student Life or University of Florida committees as needed.

Expected Salary

$45,000 annually; in addition, the University of Florida offers a very competitive benefits package. Learn more at https://hr.ufl.edu/benefits/

Required Qualifications

• University degree in an appropriate area of specialization and three years of appropriate experience; or a high school diploma and seven years of appropriate experience. Appropriate college coursework may substitute at an equivalent rate for the required experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Knowledge

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, event management, hospitality management, or equivalent.
• Three (3) years of experience with conference service operations, event management, or hospitality management.
• Knowledge of occupancy management and managing multiple reservations at one time.
• Demonstrated knowledge of event planning, logistics, and on‑site event management.
• Knowledge of UF campus facilities, space reservation policies, and procedures.

Skills

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, demonstrated customer service experience, and the ability to create and present to groups of varying sizes.
• Proficiency with computers and basic software applications (e.g., Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Experience with event management software.

Abilities

• Ability to manage and provide supervision to student staff.
• Ability to remain organized and streamline processes.
• Ability to work collaboratively with team, clients, and vendors.
• Demonstrated ability to handle high volume of detail work with accuracy and manage multiple projects or tasks simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ability to function effectively in a fast‑paced environment with frequent interruptions.
• Demonstrated ability to understand, interpret, and apply rules, regulations, policies, and procedures.

Special Instructions to Applicants

• In order to be considered, you must upload your cover letter, resume, and professional references.
• Application must be submitted by 11:55 p.m. (ET) of the posting end date.

Health Assessment Required

No

Applications Close

11 January 2026

To Apply

Visit https://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/538000

Our Commitment

The University of Florida is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Hiring is contingent on eligibility to work in the U.S. The University of Florida is a public institution and is subject to all requirements under Florida Sunshine and Public Record laws. If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call 352‑392‑2477 or the Florida Relay System at 800‑955‑8771 (TDD) or visit Accessibility at UF.