Manager of Events & Development (Woodlawn & Pope-Leighey House)

JOB SUMMARY

This position works with the site’s senior staff and catering partners to promote Woodlawn and Pope-Leighey House to potential clients as a venue for revenue-generating catered and non-catered private events and facility rentals. This position responds to leads, converts to bookings and contracts, manages logistics, and manages event staff to help ensure success of the events and rentals. The position helps create opportunities that strengthen the financial health and capability of the Woodlawn and Pope-Leighey House and assists with efforts to strengthen and grow the site’s development program. With the Executive Director, this position manages the planning and execution of the annual Needlework Show and other duties as assigned. This is a supervisory position.

It is the mission of Woodlawn and Pope-Leighey to engage with our community to preserve history and care for nature at this former site of enslavement. Our programs, events, and interpretation foster racial justice, promote sustainable practices, nurture wellbeing, and contribute to community repair.

Applicants should submit a resume and a cover letter.

DUTIES

Private Events and Facility Rentals

• Working with the Executive Director and other senior staff, develop and implement a plan to maximize revenue opportunities that strive to achieve a balance between income generated from weddings with a more diverse and accessible model that advances the mission of Woodlawn and Pope-Leighey House and is appropriate too its history as a former site of enslavement.
• Working with the marketing staff and the Deputy Director, target non-profit organizations and other groups in the local area for facility rental use to make Woodlawn and Pope-Leighey more visible as a community resource.
• With the marketing staff, strategize and implement targeted marketing and promotional opportunities for all events activities, including weddings, corporate events, annual conferences, non-profit events and internal fundraising events.
• Field inquiries by phone, email and via the web to answer questions and provide information about facilities, rates and availability.
• Schedule appointments and meet with potential clients to show and promote the site, providing walk throughs, discussing needs, brainstorming about uses and both selling and up-selling the property.
• Maintain accurate records of inquiries, holds, bookings and contracts, waitlists, cancellations and other communications with clients in order to coordinate and appropriately maximize bookings and revenue within the availability and resources of the site, and to reach or exceed specified goals.
• Once booked, effectively transition the clients to working with the site's catering partner for follow up on logistics, details and day-of operations for events, then coordinate with the partner to help ensure successful events.
• Work with the Executive Director, other site staff, and staff of the catering partners to develop marketing materials that promote special-event use of the site via local outreach, the web, social media and other means. Develop and manage connections and partnerships with other local sites and businesses for potential referrals and packaging of offers.
• Track and analyze effectiveness of various marketing campaigns and tools. Track trends and suggest creative, innovative property uses to fill gaps during slower periods, and leverage local events and happenings.
• Assist with development of agreements, policies and procedures around special events and weddings.
• Responsible for recruiting, supervising and retaining well-qualified and culturally diverse staff; hire and train new employees; help to develop workplans, organize workflow and delegate assignments; monitor employee productivity and performance, provide constructive feedback and coaching, and conduct informal annual review; work with management, direct reports and Office of Human Resources as needed to identify, respond to, and resolve problems or performance issues as they arise. Monitor and approve timekeeping and related budget for direct reports.

Development

• With the Executive Director, build capacity and strengthen a development program and fundraising activities.
• Help to build participation and fundraising capacity.
• Working with the Executive Director and leadership team, develop and manage select public programs and events including the annual Needlework show.
• Strategize and implement new and innovative plans to advance the Needlework Show and increase fundraising revenue opportunities.
• Manage fundraising events.
• Identify and involve local/regional individual donors for involvement in the organization.
• Conduct donor and prospect research.
• Build and maintain donor database.
• Develop and send donor acknowledgement letters in a timely fashion.
• Work with the marketing staff to:
• Write and develop fundraising collateral materials and donor appeals.
• Develop printed and digital communications targeted at increasing constituent engagement and membership.
• Develop program mailings and year-end appeals.
• Assistance with special projects, as needed.

QUALIFICATIONS

• At least 4 years of professional level experience coordinating events, including success in sales and marketing of event venues. Experience working with historic sites, museums or similar arts & cultural venues, or in the hospitality/catering industries, preferred. Experience fundraising and in development, also a plus.
• Bachelor’s degree in hospitality and event management, museum management, or development and marketing preferred.
• Advanced organizational, analytical and problem solving skills, including issue identification and prioritization.
• Advanced project-management skills, including project budgeting and planning. Ability to achieve results with general supervision.
• Effective presentation skills. Excellent writing, spelling, grammar, and proofreading skills, as well as strong verbal communication and customer service skills. Strong organizational skills. Excellent attention to detail.
• Experience successfully managing key stakeholders and relationships. Proven ability to collaborate across departments and achieve results. Track record of building and maintaining productive relationships with multiple stakeholders. When working in the office, public contact and ability to work successfully in close proximity to others required. When working off site, ability work effectively in a remote environment, maintaining productivity and communications to meet deadlines and goals, is required.
• Demonstrated success in engaging culturally diverse colleagues and stakeholders. Bi-lingual language skills a plus. Ties to culturally diverse affinity groups, professional organizations, or related associations are a plus. Able to talk effectively about identities such as race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, class, ability, or gender in plain, specific terms as they relate to the workplace and cultural heritage.
• Ability to prioritize, multi-task efficiently and respond to a high volume of ongoing requests in a timely fashion. Ability to adapt and be flexible in a dynamic work environment. Ability to work effectively with frequent interruptions required. Able to handle frequently changing and/or unscheduled tasks with accuracy. Entrepreneurial spirit and skill set a plus.
• Proven ability to continually develop skills related to use of rapidly changing technology and communications best practices.
• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel required. Familiarity with other software, including databases, a plus.
• Minimum physical requirements include ability to walk over uneven terrain, climb stairs on a regular basis and otherwise navigate parts of a historic property that may not be fully accessible.
• Ability to work weekends, evenings and some holidays on a regular basis.
• Regular and reliable transportation and attendance required.

PAY & BENEFITS

This is a full-time, exempt level position, eligible for full benefits, including health, dental and life insurance, retirement benefits, parental leave, and 3 weeks of vacation, plus sick time and holidays.

Hiring Range: $60,000-62,000 per year