Job Description
Job title:
Events Coordinator
Department:
Research Development and Support Office (RDSO)
Grade:
Grade 6
Reports to:
Director of Innovation Centre
Location:
University of Bath, Claverton Down
Job purpose:
RDSO runs a significant number of events each year. These are a mixture of regular
focussed events, some for business networks such as those run through the Innovation
Centre; and some individual, specific events around a particular consortium or for commercial
development. The post of Events Coordinator will provide professional leadership for this
increasingly important activity.
This role opens up new opportunities by coordinating a portfolio of 80-100 different events
across RDSO per annum. A recent audit highlighted that the department plans to run a
minimum of twelve, 1 to 2 day events designed to facilitate large research collaborations; 20
events for our academic-to-business networks via the Innovation Centre; 20 one day long
events for externally funded projects via the RD&C Research Project Management service;
and beyond that there are a range of 40 planned events to coordinate research applications,
exploitation opportunities; disseminate information to the academic base, as well as to
understand to commercial drivers and market ‘pull’, through focussed events, workshops,
“application surgeries” and occasional sandpits.
Running successful events is critical for RDSO and is the means by which we bring together
academics, businesses and funders. Events are often the first step in creating relationships,
which then progress to application development and beyond. With a growing requirement to
understand and influence new funders, such as the TSB, RDSO has the need to significantly
enhance our ability to run these important aspects of on-going work in a more professional
way.
The post holder will need to manage the commissioning of events from RDSO staff and
implement all the day to day activities, including responsibility for:
 Engaging with key academics, businesses and funders to design effective event
agendas and recruit delegates and speakers
 Conduct market research in order to identify relevant event content to support
RDSO’s goals
 Budget management
 Hiring and managing temporary staff & contractors to deliver peaks of activity
 Reporting on events, including identifying outputs and outcomes
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Day to day administration of Events including: confirming speakers, liaison & booking
of venues
Online/off-line marketing & promotion of events both internally and to external
organisations, particularly to business
Establishing and maintaining of a database marketing capability
Awareness and promotion of upcoming funding opportunities which could potentially
lead to events and networks
Ensuring best practice in terms of workshop / events formats
The role will be work for RDSO but be part of the Enterprise and Knowledge Exploitation
Team, reporting to Director of Innovation Centre who is an experienced innovator of event
development.
Staff management responsibility:
This role will have both a supervisory role for both internal RDSO staff (where relevant) and
external contractors where there are peaks in demand with externally funded events.
Main duties and responsibilities :
Main Tasks:
1. Provide coordination for all events in RDSO and deliver a professional and high
quality approach consistently, including direct liaison with, and support for, the most
senior University staff, and the provision of an appropriate brief for each event;
2. Provide a similar professional and high quality approach including advice to the
organisers at other University events, for example those organised by departments
and, when required provide support including the provision of an appropriate brief for
the most senior University staff;
3. Pro-actively prepare and present proposals for new events and for refreshing existing
events to support the University’s corporate plan, vision and values;
4. Coordinate the day-to-day work of external and internal staff, determining priorities;
promoting appropriately each event; securing and managing venues and internal and
external suppliers; managing budgets;
5. Recruit, supervise and train temporary staff for events at times of peak demand.
6. Manage appropriate databases in support of RDSO, including the management of
invitations to events;
7. Work pro-actively with RDSO staff to maximise and realise the publicity opportunities
for each event, including the appropriate use of social and new media;
8. Organise feedback from attendees of events in order to engender a process of
continual improvement;
9. Contribute to other work of the Office, and of the University, as appropriate and as
agreed from time-to-time.
Links:
 All staff in the RDSO
 Senior University staff, such as the Pro VC Research, Deans and Associate Deans for
Research
 Academic and non-academic departments and colleagues
 External suppliers
 TSB
 Business organisations e.g. the CBI, Institute of Directors & The Economist
Conferences
 Networks run out of Innovation Centre or is that under “External suppliers”
Special/Unusual Requirements of the Job:
A number of events, particularly lectures and dinners, are held in the evening and the
appointee will be expected to oversee, with events support, a number of these events in
person.
Person Specification
Post: Research Events Coordinator
Department: RDSO
Criteria
Essential
Desirable
Assessed by
A/F
Qualifications
Good degree or relevant equivalent
qualifications
.Qualification in events management or a
relevant professional field or relevant
equivalent events experience
Knowledge and Experience
Successful and relevant project
management (ideally in event
management), including team
leadership, in situations where attention
to detail is vital
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I/T
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Successful experience of managing a
range of high profile events
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Background of higher education or
similar work
R
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Skills
Excellent communication skills, written
and verbal, including writing briefs
Excellent interpersonal skills
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Sensitivity to handling high profile VIPs
and guests; social and emotional
intelligence to handle such situations
deftly
Ability to lead and manage staff
effectively
Team working skills – able to work
effectively with RDSO staff and across
the University, including Corporate
Communications
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ICT and WWW literate – ability to use
technology effectively to improve
communication and efficiency.
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Ability to gather and communicate best
practice in events management
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Speech-writing skills
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Attributes
Willingness and ability to work “out of
hours” normally by prior arrangement
Interest in current affairs and corporate
affairs.
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Code: A/F – Application form, I/T – Interview/Test, R - References
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