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About the Engineering Expo

The Engineering Expo is the second largest student-run career fair in the United States. The event is coordinated entirely by students for the advancement of our peers. The Engineering Expo Chair serves as the primary organizer of the event under the supervision of the SEC President and Executive Board. This year, we welcomed over 300 companies and 5,000 students, resulting in over $700k in revenue. 

Role Description

The Engineering Expo Chair role at SEC is a hybrid role, which is located in Blacksburg, VA but offers some flexibility for remote work. This is a contract role. The Engineering Expo Chair will be responsible for managing the Engineering Exposition, a student-led event featuring various engineering projects and research. Specific day-to-day tasks and responsibilities include coordinating with project teams and sponsors, managing budget and logistics, and overseeing event marketing and outreach. This also may include recruiting and registering companies, reserving facilities, informing students, and more. Each year the Expo Chair is allowed, and encouraged, to make process changes to the event to improve company and student experiences. This position includes the responsibility of collecting revenue used by the SEC to fund engineering design teams, organizations, scholarships, etc. The Expo Chair reports to the SEC Executive Board, and to the faculty advisor of the SEC.

Responsibilities and Tasks

  • Must be able to travel to Blacksburg frequently during the summer, not required to live full-time.
  • Make sure all needed facilities are reserved in the Spring semester; this includes rooms in Squires Student Center, Owens Banquet, Chicken Hill Parking Lot, and a venue for the Company Welcome Reception. 
  • If the fair is virtual, this means filling out all required paperwork for a virtual exposition. 
  • Facilitate company registration to open no later than June 31st for the career fair in September of the same year. 
  • Develop and implement a systematic method of identifying and communicating with prospective companies. Work with SEC President and Director of Finance to prepare an event budget.
  • Set goals for the number of companies that should be registered by May 1, June 1, July 1, August 1, and September 1.
  • Develop selling strategies for various levels of sponsorships.
  • Supervise the competitive bidding processes for catering, reception, printing needs, etc. 
  • Return all company phone calls, emails, and requests within a 24-hour period during the week, or by Monday morning if a request comes in late Friday.
  • Collecting and depositing all expo-related checks received on behalf of the SEC.
  • Conduct/supervise group and one-on-one meetings and other forms of training with volunteers, if in-person. 
  • Ensure the reputation of the SEC and the College of Engineering remains premier among all participants.
  • Establish methods for self-evaluation.
  • These tasks might be subject to change based on potential changes in the career fair modality.
    *These are just some of the many tasks, but are not limited to them

Major Goals

  • Meet or exceed annual revenue projections established with SEC Executive Board.
  • Recruit 350+ companies to attend the 2024 Engineering Expo.
  • Continually improve and expand the career fair.
  • Meet and exceed expectations of all parties involved, including companies, students, faculty, and the SEC.
  • Maintain a high level of professional quality with contacts.
  • Increase student involvement in the career fair and facilitate the quality of the educational experience associated with the Engineering Expo.

Qualifications

  • Exceptional time management and flexibility
  • Professionalism in interactions with companies, faculty and staff, students, etc.
  • Strong leadership abilities
  • Sales and comfortability in selling to companies.
  • Prior experience in event coordination, marketing, or project management is preferred
  • Strong communication and organizational skills
  • Ability to work collaboratively in a team setting as well as independently
  • Excellent time-management and multitasking skills
  • Creativity and proactive approach to problem-solving
  • Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate and inspire team members
  • Previous experience with Engineering Exposition or similar student-led events is a plus
  • Ability to work flexible hours and occasional weekends leading up to and during the Engineering Exposition event

Compensation

  • $3,500 base stipend for living/travel expenses to/from/in Blacksburg.
  • A commission to be paid to the Expo Chair that scales as a percentage of overall revenue. The chair will be notified of their exact payment and the ways in which they will be evaluated.