About us
UCL was established in February 1826 - the first University to be located in London and the first in England to admit students of all backgrounds and faiths. Today UCL has over 51,000 students and 16,000 staff and is one of the world's top 10 universities.
In 2026 we mark 200 years since UCL's establishment. The ambition of the Bicentenary year is to celebrate and reinforce UCL's founding values. Highlighting the excellence and impact of UCL's groundbreaking work, whilst also presenting an ambitious and inspiring portrait of our future.
Through exciting and varied activities and events, UCL200 will show our commitment to our core values, embrace our entrepreneurial spirit, inspire future leaders, and contribute to a world where knowledge, research and innovation serves as a force for positive good. As well as reflecting on our past, we will use this year to frame the future, to position ourselves as a forward-facing university, and to convey the type of organisation we will become during our third century.
The role sits in the central institutional events team, with a dotted line into the dedicated UCL200 core team.
About the role
This is a fixed-term contract until end of December 2026 and is available for secondment.
This Events Manager will deliver key signature bicentenary event activity including the launch and closing events. The postholder will work with UCL200 colleagues to devise the events' format, content and delivery to ensure it maximises not only the programme objectives, but wider UCL objectives.
The postholder will be responsible for managing complex budgets. They will need to build relationships across the institution, including engaging with colleagues in Campus Experience, Students' Union and working across Faculties and Professional Services.
From Spring, the role-holder will line manage an Events Officer, who will be in post also until end of December 2026.
Process
We will hold short informal screening calls via Teams on Wednesday 11 December. Second round competency-based interviews will take place in person on our Bloomsbury campus on Tuesday 17 December.
Applications without a covering letter or supporting statement detailing your suitability for the role and how you meet the person specification will not be considered for shortlisting.
We prioritise work-life balance and offer agile working and flexibility around working hours. Therefore, we are happy to consider applications to work on a part-time, flexible and job share basis wherever possible (minimum 0.8 FTE - equivalent of 4 days per week, stated salary to be pro-rata). This role is eligible for hybrid working.
To find out more, please contact our inhouse recruiter on
About you
This role will require passion and enthusiasm for celebrating UCL's 200th Anniversary collectively and collaboratively. You will be a strong communicator - both written and in person. You will be able to deal with difficult situations diplomatically and calmly and make on the spot decisions. You'll also have an ability to bring together a diverse group of people in order to deliver a year-long programme of outstanding events marking UCL's Bicentennial milestone.
To excel in this role, you will have extensive experience of creating, organising and managing a variety of successful in-person events including large events (500 plus), as well as activity aimed at a high-profile audience. You'll not just have focused on the logistics - you'll care that events are insight-led, meet defined objectives, tell a clear story and can be successfully measured.
You will be comfortable liaising, negotiating with and influencing senior stakeholders, in presenting ideas and managing complex budgets.
You will be a natural leader, able to motivate, line manage and delegate tasks. You are highly organised, have meticulous attention to detail and are a committed team player.
What we offer
We know that our people are our greatest asset and in return we provide an empowering environment where personal and professional growth is invested in. We offer agile working and flexibility around working hours. Working with some of the greatest intellects in the world, UCL also offers a generous pension scheme and holiday allowance, plus closure days and bank holidays. Visit www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more about our benefits.
Our commitment to EDI
As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.
We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce.
