Senior Events Manager

Position Summary: 

This position is the first point of contact for external community events, guiding organizers, donors or other key contacts through the planning process to ensure a successful campaign. The Senior Events Manager owns the event experience from booking to successfully delivered event. This includes the creation of engaging, memorable experiences through events that represent the Philabundance brand. 

The position requires, but is not limited to, exceptional organizational skills, proactive problem solving, effective communication skills and attention to detail, strong projects/event management ability, drives a professional event delivery, flexible and able to pivot with organizational needs. This role requires strong collaboration with all internal contacts, alignment, and event leadership, as well as alignment with the marketing and communication teams and the Development team. The Senior Events Manager will translate high-level direction into detailed plans, oversee cross-department teams, and manager internal and external vendors. The Senior Events manager is expected to manage work independently, exercise strong judgment, and serve as a stabilizing leader during high-pressure events.  

Competencies: 

• Accountability: reliable, honest, and transparent; regularly makes commitments and takes ownership of responsibilities.
• Effective Communication: conveys information clearly, with respect and integrity, using a professional manner and the appropriate means and channels for audience and subject matter.
• Agility: maintains efficiency in a changing work environment; adjusts effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures.
• Quality: Work is organized, accurate and neat. The employee displays a commitment to excellence, checks work and learns from mistakes and seeks feedback to improve quality as needed.
• Engagement: contributes to the success of the organization by embracing teamwork, taking initiative on tasks and problem-resolution, and seeking out learning opportunities.

Primary Responsibilities: 

• Manage events as a tool to support the organization’s overall external affairs strategy. 

• Executes events from preparation to close out and ensures solutions for problem areas, drives improvements and the resolution of roadblocks, aligning with budgetary guidelines and strategic goals of the organization. 

• Owns the quality and outcome of events. 

• Assigns events to the Events Manager and is a resource to ensure those events are a success. 

• Strong collaboration with Development, Community Kitchen and other internal departments when creating and running points on events. Responsible for logistics and quality experience of events. Responsible for distribution with Transportation and Community Partners. 

• Manages and negotiates with vendors and establishes and enforces Philabundance standards and processes. 

• Owns the output and successful completion of event feedback through communication, surveys, and tracks results to establish trends, areas of improvement and victories 

• Provides creative options and activities to enhance participant experience. 

• Responsible for administration related to events including but not limited to scheduling and contracting vendors, , venue follow-up, coordination with internal and external contacts and communication with attendees and donors. 

• Prepares and distributes logistical documents for all events ensuring vendors, leaders, and cross-departmental have been briefed and prepped on expectations and roles for supporting events. 

• Represent the Philabundance brand and mission through public speaking, written communication, and actions. 

• Responsible for supporting and aligning with Philabundance Cultural pillars. Ensure communications, actions and interactions reflect a focus on People, Partnerships, Professionalism and Progress. 
   

Additional Job Duties: 

• Support activities with the External Affairs team, as needed. 

• Represent Philabundance with external partners that are raising funds on our behalf; cooperate and make constructive input into their strategies to best align with the Philabundance brand as well as maximize revenue 

• Work closely with the Communications team to ensure branding and language consistency on promotional materials. 

Note: This role requires additional background information checks in addition to crime and employment. This role requires travel. If using Philabundance company vehicles, employees must have a clean driving record and valid driver’s license.  

Education Achievement:  

• High School Diploma or GED required, additional formal education a highly preferred. Extended Degree in Hospitality, Business, Social Services, or related topics is beneficial. 

• Managerial ServSafe (Certified Professional Food Manager) Certification required and Proctor. 

Work Experience: 

• Minimum 3-year leadership, director or indirect, in Events related role, ideally marketing-hospitality management field, extended education a plus 

• Strong project management skills with ability to conceive, plan, and execute a full spectrum of events, from donor packing shifts to fundraising galas to press conferences and more. 

• Must have strong financial knowledge with experience managing revenue and expense budgets. 

• Ability to work effectively with a range of people from different communities and different levels of seniority in the organization. 

• Must have exceptional relationship building skills along with proven writing, presentation and verbal skills.  

• Proficiency in Windows Office Suite. 

• Relational database proficiency, Raiser’s Edge experience a plus. 

• Creative approach to supporting fundraising and engagement events. 

• Flexible and adaptable, able to move with frequent changes. 

Required Skills and Abilities: 

• Strong organizational and communication skills to influence outside entities, guide a team with levels and provide executive team with necessary information on an ongoing basis. 

• Strong project management skills, ideally within events and marketing. 

• Strong ability to lead and influence toward shared goals; internally and externally. 

• Successful experience with problem solving and possesses ability to stay nimble in a fast-paced evolving environment. 

• Strong capability to create and manage budgets, leverage databases, produce timely reports, communication, analysis and present internally and externally. (Google, Microsoft Suite, database software, Trello, and Zoom/Teams), Basic graphic design knowledge a plus. 

• Excellent interpersonal skills: ability to build strong relationships and work collaboratively with individuals and teams internally and externally. 

• An exceptional communicator, both in writing and orally; previous public speaking or teaching experience highly preferred. Ability to speak multiple languages a plus. Fluency with Spanish highly preferred. 

• Knowledge of KPI’s (key performance indicators) and marketing techniques for event management 

• Exceptional ability to solve problems and proactively anticipate potential changes or adjustments 

• Fast paced and results oriented with the ability to work in a timely manner with multiple deadlines and competing requirements 

• Strong customer service approach to ensure participant experience is repeatable, high professional level and aligns with Philabundance image and brand. 

• Outstanding communication and negotiation ability 

• Team mindset and collaborative habits 

Physical Demands: 

• Must be available evenings, weekends and take on extended hours as business needs demand. 

• Up to 25% of travel is required. Must be willing and able to travel within and outside of the service area (employees can use public transportation, rideshare service, personal vehicle, or other means) Must be physically compatible with travel, office visits, events, and meetings. Must have valid driver’s license if using company vehicle.  

• Work in a seated position up to 8 hours a day, 5 days a week; Bend, stoop/squat, and walk intermittently throughout the day; Must be able to move up to 20 pounds. A shared supported lift is preferred, two people can move objects to lower impact.   

• See, hear, and speak with sufficient capability to perform assigned tasks and maintain proper safety conditions. 

• Maintain an acceptable work pace and align with required personal and team deadlines. Must meet goals. 

• Demonstrate cognitive ability to: provide direction as well as follow directions and routines, work independently with appropriate judgment, read words and numbers, concentrate, memorize, recall, identify logical connections and determine sequence of response, process proactively and identify near and long-term future needs as well as evaluate problems and escalate/inform management as is necessary. 

• Perform office tasks using simple hand grasp, fine hand manipulation, and reach associated with assigned tasks such as keying.