Director of Special Events

Responsibilities

• Set the strategic vision and roadmap for Project Healthy Minds fundraising events strategy – from culture-driven fundraisers (e.g. our annual gala) to intimate, VIP events.
• Lead the strategy for each Project Healthy Minds fundraising event – setting the programming, editorial, and talent vision, shaping the creative direction (with the Head of Creative), developing the fundraising strategy, creating the production and staffing plans, etc.
• Drive the execution of all event production elements end-to-end in a hands-on manner – providing strong day-to-day leadership to all internal stakeholders, external vendors, and venue partners.
• Lead all vendor and venue relations – from sourcing to negotiation to management to reporting.
• Quarterback the process for securing talent for all events – working in close partnership with the CEO, the VP of Development, Board of Directors, internal staff, and other key VIP partners/friends to Project Healthy Minds.
• Create detailed end-to-end planning timelines for events and run the process to ensure best-in-class execution across the team.
• Own the P&L for all events.
• Oversee the creation of all event materials (e.g. digital experiences, solicitation materials, printed materials at the event, etc.) – working in close partnership with the Creative and Development teams.
• Ensure a world-class guest experience, thoughtfully considering the end-to-end user journey across every Project Healthy Minds touchpoint (pre-event, day-of, post-event).
• Partner with the rest of the development staff to create thoughtfully curated invite lists and initiation strategies.
• Manage partners and stakeholders.
• Provide robust reporting to various stakeholders throughout the event planning and recap cycle.

Requirements

• A true event production pro with a proven track record with all aspects of events – from conceptualizing the programming structure and flow to setting timelines and driving planning processes to coordinating all production aspects (audio, video, labor, staging, catering, etc.) to leading the negotiation and management of labor/production needs to sourcing and managing vendors to creating detailed run-of-shows.
• Detail-oriented and highly organized; loves developing effective systems, meticulous planner who ensures all moving parts of an event are clear and categorized, keeps trains on track and ensures stakeholders meet deadlines.
• Accomplished in the development/fundraising space; understands nuance required to produce world-class events that achieve strategic development objectives, understands the non-profit and elevated VIP event landscapes, knows how to work with internal development teams and external stakeholders.
• A leader who enjoys building something new; thrives in a fast-paced environment, multitasker that can perform under pressure, enjoys leading cross-functional teams, responds skillfully to rapidly changing priorities, excited by solving new problems, willing to travel if needed.
• Strong communicator with exceptional oral and written communication skills; ability to engage and inspire a wide range of audiences and a diverse team of stakeholders.
• Bachelor’s degree and 15-20+ years of experience running events with proven success, ideally in the nonprofit space.

Nice-to-Haves

• Extraordinary creativity and experience conceptualizing and producing outside-the-box, elevated events.
• Production expertise that includes deep network of vendor relationships, negotiation skills, understanding of venue deals, and leadership to manage multi-stakeholder processes for world-class events.
• Exquisite taste and editorial brilliance to curate intellectually interesting topics, speakers, and participants.
• Unmatched strategic, fundraising mindset to inspire donors and corporate partners.
• Experience working closely with high-profile founders, CEOs, boards, and VIPs.