Events Manager

LOCATION

NYC/Hybrid.

EOE STATEMENT

We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

MSF is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. In keeping with our commitment, MSF will take the steps to assure that people with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. Accordingly, if reasonable accommodation is required to fully participate in the job application or interview process, to perform the essential functions of the position, and/or to receive all other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact Sandra Isiofiah via email at [email protected].

GENERAL POSITION INFORMATION

Title: Events Manager
Reports to: Chief Advancement Officer
People Manager: No

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Events Manager is important to the Ms. Foundation for Women’s efforts to engage and cultivate critical stakeholder audiences, share the stories about the Foundation and our grantee partners, and meet annual revenue goals. The Events Manager is responsible for the planning and execution of all virtual and in-person fundraising and engagement events, including webinars and small or less formal gatherings, as well as our annual Women of Vision Awards and other marquee events. In this role, the ability to work collaboratively with all staff, while expertly balancing creative production, budget goals, project timelines and institutional values, is the pathway to success. The Events Manager reports to the Chief Advancement Officer and is a member of the Advancement Team which is comprised of development and communications professionals.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES/DUTIES

Marquee Event Planning & Management

• Works with the Leadership and Advancement teams to establish annual event strategies and timelines, including sponsorship outreach and board engagement plans, to support them from development of event program design through execution.
• Uses a project management tool, Asana, to create and manage a rolling 12-month production calendar, individual event plans, and reusable tools and resources (e.g., preferred caterers and standard setup procedures) to ensure events are turnkey and efficiently planned.
• Schedules and leads working group meetings, including preparing agendas and tracking assigned follow-up tasks.
• Manages and adheres to event budgets and is responsible for vendor selection and management; venue research and contract management; and remote staff lodging, including negotiating hotel room blocks.
• Provides day-to-day management of vendors, consultants, and volunteers.
• Manages logistics for talent, honorees and special guests and works closely with Director of Communications and public relations consultants if talent management is outsourced.
• Works with Director of Development Operations & Direct Marketing to select ticketing and gift platforms that will best meet event priorities.
• Identifies and recruits all volunteers, creates detailed event staffing plans, and trains staff and volunteers for event day activities.
• Collaborates with Communications team and other colleagues to write and develop promotion strategies and produce event-branded materials, including an annual event sponsorship deck.
• Works closely with Chief Advancement Officer, Director of Communications, and event consultants on developing and managing run-of-show and event day timeline.
• Coordinates all tastings, venue tours, and rehearsals.
• Holds Lead Staff responsibility and oversight of all components on event day.
• Supports event follow-up and performs other related tasks as needed.

Small Events Planning & Management

• Supports Development team to create periodic in-person and online events with specific fundraising, cultivation or engagement goals, including: consulting on event strategy, writing event copy, suggesting venues or web-based platforms, sourcing and managing vendors, consultants and volunteers, and tracking plans and logistics in Asana.
• Leads on setting up all logistics for virtual events, including webinar platform, as well as manages technology in coordination with IT on event day.
• Collaborates with Communications team to produce all event materials, including swag.
• Provides appropriate working group meeting support to ensure timely progress.
• Identifies and recruits volunteers while also creating and presenting staffing plans.
• Supports event follow-up and performs other related tasks as needed.

Internal Events

• Assists with internal events and activities, including the annual Staff Offsite as well as programmatic events such as grantee partner convenings as needed.
• Consults with Leadership Team as requested to inform annual planning and priority setting.
• Conduct special projects as directed.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in event planning; experience in a nonprofit environment working on diverse events, including planning and managing complex fundraising events in virtual, hybrid and in-person formats, strongly preferred.
• Experience with primary responsibility for event budgets, venue selection, consultant/vendor contracting and management, program and design development, catering, A/V, sponsorship, guest and honoree logistics, in-room auction/call-to-action, event staffing, and volunteer management.
• Solid negotiation skills in order to achieve high-level goals while staying within budget parameters for each event.
• Established track record of working collaboratively and creatively with vendors and staff to produce unique event experiences within budget.
• Skilled at prioritizing, implementing, and leading all aspects of multiple simultaneous projects.
• Experience planning and supporting internal events such as staff retreats, stakeholder convenings, and board meetings both in-person and using virtual meeting tools and platforms.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, demonstrating comfort with public speaking and building a narrative arc for an event.
• Scrupulous attention to detail.
• Excellent judgment, a sense of discretion, and proven ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Ability to interact with a varied constituency (including high-level donors) with a foundation of tact and diplomacy.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and an ability to adjust to shifting priorities, demands, and timelines.
• Motivation to work collaboratively with a team and incorporate feedback.
• Familiarity and facility with Raiser’s Edge, Asana, and Slack (preferred but not necessary).
• Ability to travel up to 30% and work non-business hours as needed to support events.

Institutional and Values Alignment

• Commitment to the Foundation’s mission and vision and to working with diverse communities.
• Demonstrated commitment to, and accountability around actively living the Foundation’s values of integrity, trust and respect, interconnectedness, and social justice – throughout internal and external communications and relationships, work, and decision-making.
• Ability to build collegial, productive relationships with team members, grantees, donors, peer funders, volunteers, and institutional partners, through the lens of our organizational values.

Compensation

C – $86,500 – $96,200