Events Manager

About NYU Abu Dhabi

NYU Abu Dhabi is pioneering a new model of higher education for a global world, dedicated to excellence in teaching and research and to advancing cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. Drawing on the strengths of the NYU global network, it offers an outstanding liberal arts and sciences education to students from the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and around the world, with a distinctive focus on intercultural understanding and leadership. It supports innovative research and graduate education programs that push forward the frontiers of knowledge and respond in powerful and interdisciplinary ways to vital global and local challenges.

Position summary

Applications are welcome from all qualified candidates. In line with UAE regulations, Emirati candidates are encouraged to apply.

New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) seeks to appoint an Events Manager reporting to Associate Director, External Relations, Stern@NYUAD.

The Events Manager leads the strategy, planning, and full lifecycle delivery of Stern at NYUAD’s event portfolio, ensuring events advance institutional priorities, elevate Stern’s brand presence, and deliver a high-quality stakeholder experience. The role holds end-to-end operational ownership of event execution standards, cross-functional alignment, vendor performance, and logistics strategy.

Serving as the central operational authority for events, the Events Manager establishes scalable systems, defines service and brand standards, mitigates operational risk, and drives continuous improvement across all events. The role partners with internal leadership, Executive Education, and external stakeholders to expand Stern’s visibility and regional engagement through professionally executed, high-impact events.

Job responsibilities

• Event operations & project management
  Lead end-to-end event project management and operational readiness
  Serve as on-site operational lead with decision-making authority
  Define and uphold institutional event delivery standards
  Develop and maintain event systems, procedures, and documentation
  Drive post-event analysis and continuous improvement
• Vendor strategy & logistics ownership
  Serve as the main point of contact for all external vendors and logistics providers
  Own vendor relationships, service accountability, and performance oversight
  Direct logistics strategy across venues, catering, branding, and technical needs
  Establish vendor communication and documentation protocols
  Identify and mitigate logistics risks
• Institutional coordination & stakeholder management
  Support cross-functional alignment for smooth execution of events and logistics
  Lead cross-functional coordination across Marketing, Admissions, Facilities, Executive Education, and leadership offices
  Translate event goals into operational plans and drive accountability
  Lead planning meetings and post-event reviews
  Maintain master timelines and readiness reporting
• Event communications & experience management
  Own operational delivery of event communications
  Oversee content capture, digital presence, and promotional logistics
  Ensure guest experience, crowd management, and branding standards
  Monitor engagement effectiveness and recommend enhancements

Required education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in logistics, event management, business administration, or related field

Required experience

• 7+ years of event management and organization experience
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience supporting candidate/student or customer engagement
• Excellent communication and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to manage fast-paced tasks and respond effectively to issues in real-time
• Outstanding attention to detail and discretion in handling sensitive information
• Availability to be on-site during event weekends (compensation days will be provided)
• Executive presence and maturity in dealing with senior internal and external stakeholders
• Proficiency in tools such as Google Workspace (Sheets, Calendar, Docs) and messaging platforms (e.g., WhatsApp)

Preferred education

Master's degree or MBA

Preferred experience

• 1+ years past university or executive education experience strongly preferred
• Events management experience preferred
• Experience in higher education, student recruitment, or admissions events
• Knowledge of candidate communications best practices and feedback tracking systems

Other information about NYUAD

NYU Abu Dhabi is a degree-granting research university with a fully integrated liberal arts and science undergraduate program in the Arts, Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Engineering. NYU Abu Dhabi, NYU New York, and NYU Shanghai form the backbone of NYU’s global network university, an interconnected network of portal campuses and academic centers across six continents that enable seamless international mobility of students and faculty in their pursuit of academic and scholarly activity.

This global university represents a transformative shift in higher education, one in which the intellectual and creative endeavors of academia are shaped and examined through an international and multicultural perspective. As a major intellectual hub at the crossroads of the Arab world, NYUAD serves as a center for scholarly thought, advanced research, knowledge creation, and sharing, through its academic, research, and creative activities.