Senior Manager, Special Events

The Senior Manager, Special Events is a senior member of the Events team responsible for planning, managing, and executing a wide range of Museum events, with a primary focus on fundraising initiatives, high-level donor engagements, select exhibition opening dinners and receptions, external rentals, and special projects tied to the Director’s Office or Museum-wide priorities. This role also oversees the fundraising strategy, financial tracking, and donor management for the Museum’s annual Gala, while providing event leadership, expertise, and strategic guidance across high-touch internal and external events.

Responsibilities

• Play a crucial role in fundraising and solicitation strategies for the annual Gala
• Serve as a forward-facing role in Gala planning, interacting with donors, Trustees, and museum leadership
• Assist with the event rental program by overseeing a portfolio of high-touch rentals
• Oversee the planning and execution of institutional events including exhibition opening dinners and receptions
• Organize event programming for cultivation events, museum partners, and other donors as needed
• Set event budgets, track expenses, and forecast fundraising projections 
• Improve and establish best practices for event spaces and workflows with Facilities, Visitor Services, Membership, Communications, and Curatorial 

Requirements and Desired Experience
B.A./B.S.; Art History, Arts Management, Business/Marketing preferred
Minimum of 6 – 8 years and management experience

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Advanced computer skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Knowledge of Raiser’s Edge or familiarity with database programs
• Professional special events or production experience at cultural or for-profit organizations. Development experience also relevant, preferably in a museum, non-profit, or arts-related organization

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range is $90,000-$95,000 and will be commensurate with experience 
• Medical, Dental, Vision, 403(B) elections
• Generous PTO benefits
• Commuter benefits - parking and mass transit
• Admission to world-renowned museums across the city and nationally
• Pet insurance and discounted membership for Citibike
• This position will be covered by UAW Local 2110

The advertised pay rate is not a promise of a particular wage for any specific employee. The specific compensation offered to a candidate may be dependent on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, education, special licensing or qualifications, and other factors.
If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We are dedicated to considering a broad array of candidates. Whether you’re new to arts and culture administration, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or take the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interest in the arts and culture space and what you hope to bring to this role.
About the Whitney
The Whitney Museum of American Art, founded in 1930 by the artist and philanthropist Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, houses the foremost collection of American art from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. From her vision arose the Whitney Museum of American Art, which has been championing the most innovative art of the United States for 86 years. The core of the Whitney’s mission is to collect, preserve, interpret, and exhibit American art of our time and serve a wide variety of audiences in celebration of the complexity and diversity of art and culture in the United States. Through this mission and a steadfast commitment to artists themselves, the Whitney has long been a powerful force in support of modern and contemporary art and continues to help define what is innovative and influential in American art today.
EEO Statement
The Whitney Museum of American Art is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Museum does not discriminate because of age, sex, religion, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage or citizenship, disability, marital status, pregnancy, partnership status, caregiver status, veteran status, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, genetic information, predisposition, or carrier status, arrest or conviction record to the extent required by applicable law, credit history, domestic violence, sexual violence, or stalking victim status, or any other factor prohibited by law.  The Museum hires and promotes individuals solely on the basis of their qualifications for the job to be filled. The Museum encourages all qualified candidates to apply for vacant positions at all levels.