Awards and Events Specialist

General Purpose

The College of Social and Applied Human Sciences is a dynamic and diverse college with a long history of commitment to hands-on learning, socially responsive research, local and global community engagement, and mobilization and exchange of knowledge. The College is one of the University’s founding colleges and traces its roots back to Macdonald Institute, founded in 1903 to educate young women in domestic sciences and thus improve the health and well-being of families and society. Today, the College’s vision is to be a leader in world-class, integrated scholarship that addresses critical, complex issues facing our world. 

Reporting to both the Assistant Director, Graduate Studies, Strategic Planning and Program Innovation (ADGSSPPI) and the Associate Dean Academic (ADA), the Awards and Special Events Specialist is responsible for managing all awards (internal, external, donor-funded, endowed, government-funded) in the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences.   As well the role supports a wide range of high-profile special events related to the mission and vision of CSAHS including the logistical implementation of CSAHS recruitment and other special events.   

Duties and Responsibilities 

The Awards & Events Specialist is responsible for: 

• Managing CSAHS’s extensive awards portfolio, including faculty (teaching and mentorship awards), undergraduate, graduate scholarships, and travel awards 

• Supporting the operations and logistics for awards ceremonies, recruitment activities, and college-wide events 

• Aid in recruitment and outreach initiatives in collaboration with internal partners 

• Providing backup administrative support within the CSAHS Dean’s Office, including weekly front desk office coverage  

Awards Management:  

• Manages all internal and externally funded awards 

• Coordinate the full awards lifecycle: promotion, applications, eligibility screening and grade point average calculations, committee support, recipient selection, and reporting 

• Develop and update award terms and conditions in collaboration with internal partners and Student Financial Services 

• Maintain accurate award databases for all awards and monitor endowment and award finances; and prepare regular reports to ensure college leadership has visibility into unspent or underspent award, donor and endowment funds 

• Work with Marketing and Communication to advise students, faculty, and staff on award opportunities and application processes 

• Support graduate funding strategies and recruitment through integration of award opportunities 

Event Planning and Management:  

• SPlan the CSAHS awards events and support recruitment events, orientation activities, and other special events in the College 

• Manage all aspects of events, including budgets, venues, logistics, communications, invitations, presentations, and on-site coordination 

• Support in-person and virtual events, including technical setup and live event management 

• Collaborate with campus partners to deliver high-quality, well-coordinated events 

• Collect and incorporate feedback to continuously improve event processes 

Recruitment Support:  

• Provide administrative and logistical support for recruitment and outreach initiatives 

• Assist with recruitment events and activities in collaboration with the Global Engagement Specialist and the Associate Dean Research and Graduate Studies Office 

Administrative Support: 

• Provide backup front desk support to the CSAHS Dean’s Office, including responding to inquiries 

Requirements  

• Undergraduate degree in a related field (such as event management, hospitality, business or organizational management, or social sciences) 

• Minimum of two years of relevant experience, demonstrating strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills 

• Expert knowledge of Microsoft Excel for managing awards database and award spreadsheets 

• Exceptional attention to detail when tracking awards, organizing events, working with complex information, deadlines, financial tracking, and preparing financial transactions 

• Advanced computer skills and proficient with University of Guelph systems including Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams and Sharepoint, Colleague, Financial Reporting System 

Professional Competencies: 

• Proven ability to interact professionally and tactfully with students, faculty, alumni, donors, and external partners 

• Ability to work independently, managing multiple priorities simultaneously in a demanding work environment 

• Competent at problem solving and decision making, with an ability to exercise good judgement 

• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to perform multiple tasks and work under pressure and tight deadlines.  

• Diplomacy and tact, appropriate discretion with confidential material  

Working Conditions: 

• The incumbent in this position is expected to be physically present on campus for the entire work week, including weekly office front desk coverage 

• Occasional evening or weekend work required to support events 

• Periods of standing during events and light lifting may be required 

• Workload may fluctuate throughout the academic year based on event and award cycles