Signature Events Manager

Job Highlights  

The Signature Events Manager leads the planning and execution of high-impact events designed to engage donors, cultivate relationships, and elevate the overall supporter experience. This role oversees donor engagement and corporate hospitality, with a particular focus on stewardship and cultivation initiatives with the Stewardship Manager. This role collaborates closely with philanthropy leadership, vendors, and cross-functional teams to deliver seamless, detail-driven events that reflect the organization’s standards of excellence and professionalism. This role also works closely with and supports the Director and Associate Director of Signature Events in advancing the organization’s event strategy and execution. 

Join Us! 

We are looking for talented, passionate, and dedicated people who are eager to make contributions to our community and our mission. If you are excited about this position but your experience does not align perfectly, we encourage you to apply! You may be just the right candidate for this position or another role at HGO. 

About the Houston Grand Opera 

The mission of HGO is to enrich our diverse community through the art of opera. We do so by creating, curating, exploring, and producing outstanding experiences centered around the human voice. HGO has received a Tony Award, three Grammy Awards, and three Emmy Awards – we are the only opera company in the world to win all three honors. 

Our strategic focus is two-fold: creating profoundly enriching experiences for our diverse audiences and clearly defining and positively promoting the HGO brand. We believe every team member enriches our organization by exposing a broad range of ways to understand and engage our community and discover, design, and deliver enriching experiences. 

Compensation and Benefits 

We offer robust benefits to full-time employees, including: 

• Comprehensive and affordable health benefits. 

• Generous paid time off. 

• 403b retirement plan with employer match. 

• Flexible work schedule. 

• Professional development fund and opportunities. 

• Discounted parking in the Theater District garage and nearby lots, plus easy access to Metro transportation. 

• Free tickets to our mainstage and community productions and events. 

Key Responsibilities 

Event Planning & Execution 

• Lead the planning and execution of corporate and donor engagement events, donor receptions, cultivation events, and smaller stewardship gatherings. 

• Manage event timelines, budgets, run-of-show documents, and logistics from concept through post-event follow-up. 

• Oversee donor event invitations and mailings working closely with internal creative teams to submit creative briefs, circulate for revisions, and ensure timing deployment and mailings.  

• Coordinate venue logistics, catering, audiovisual, décor, rentals, and entertainment. 

• Oversee on-site event management, ensuring seamless execution and guest experience for donor events. 

• Manage special projects within Signature Events as assigned by DSE, other duties as assigned. 

• Provide support for all aspects of HGO’s annual major fundraising events including, but not limited to, Opening Night Dinner, Concert of Arias, and Opera Ball.

Project Management 

• Create and maintain detailed project plans and timelines for all assigned events. 

• Track expenses and reconcile event budgets. 

• Manage contracts and relationships with vendors and external partners. 

• Collaborate across departments including philanthropy, audiences, and production teams. 

• Assist with sponsor benefits fulfillment and donor recognition opportunities as related to events. 

Data & Administrative Management 

• Manage event registrations, guest tracking, and data entry in Tessitura and Jixaw. 

• Produce event reports and post-event analyses, including attendance, revenue, and key outcomes. 

• Ensure accurate documentation of donor engagement through events. 

• Collaborate with Rehearsal Planning and Artist Services (RPAS) team to ensure all Philanthropy and Special Events event information is accurate and up to date in ArtsVision. 

Qualifications 

Bachelor’s degree with 4 years of relevant experience required; events management experience a plus. Must have excellent interpersonal communication skills, demonstrated organizational ability, and an eye for detail and quality control with the ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment. Excellent computer skills with a strong knowledge of Microsoft Office are required and a working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite and Tessitura is a plus. Scheduled irregular working hours including evening and weekend work is required. 

Special Job Characteristics 

Must thrive in a fast-paced group setting, be highly organized and efficiency-driven. Self-motivator with analytical problem-solving abilities; confident, experienced decision maker. Detail-oriented individual with attention to process; sound judgment abilities; successful customer service professional; ability to manage up, down, and laterally; high level of personal and professional ethics. 

Physical Demands  

The physical demands described here are representative of those we consider important for an employee to successfully perform essential functions of this job: extended periods of sitting and performing tasks such as typing and using a computer mouse, with strong visual and auditory focus, occasional lifting (not exceeding 20 pounds), reaching for items, effective communication skills, and fine motor abilities, being mobile within the office for activities like attending performances, events, and meetings. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. 

Equal Opportunity 

Houston Grand Opera is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at HGO are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws or regulations. HGO will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. HGO encourages applicants of all ages.