Associate Director of Events, Sponsorships, & Activations

Midtown Association • Sacramento, CA

4d • $90 - $100 • Hybrid

About The Position

The key measures of success for the Associate Director are to (a) maintain our existing event sponsorship relationships while building additional resources and achieving revenue targets, (b) support the vision of our existing events management team to achieve their goals for the event program, and (c) deliver a robust special event program that raise funds or draw visitors to Midtown including the Midtown Farmers Market, Second Saturday, and more.
What is a Midtown Association Associate Director? Associate Directors lead cross-department teams to develop and implement programs that meet business goals and stakeholder needs. They manage and deliver multiple projects on budget, set clear timelines and performance metrics, and drive execution to achieve defined outcomes. They build and maintain partnerships in coordination with senior leadership to support program success and contribute to revenue generation. Associate Directors align stakeholder needs with existing programs, ensuring high engagement and effective service delivery. They effectively supervise staff and contractors through strong performance management and coaching, fostering accountability and consistent results. They anticipate needs, operate with political awareness, and proactively recommend improvements to increase efficiency and impact. Associate Directors leverage and maintain technology systems to manage projects, track performance, and support funding relationships, while serving as a resource to train and mentor others. They uphold organizational policies with integrity and ensure transparency and accountability in their work.

Requirements

• All candidates should have experience with Microsoft Suite, project management software, the ability to speak, read and clearly write in English, the ability to lift up to 40 pounds, and be able to remain on their feet outdoors for up to 10 hours per day in potentially inclement weather (unlikely but required by HR to note).
• Candidates must have experience with fundraising, special events, and customer communications.
• All candidates should anticipate pre-employment background checks, driving record checks, and drug screening (cannabis permissible), with the potential for ongoing drug screening based on job tasks.
• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Reliable personal transportation is required.
• Associate Directors should have no less than seven years of professional full experience in a relevant area.

Responsibilities

• Provide program leadership of the events program including oversight of budget, goals, operating standards, permit compliance and advocacy, and stakeholder relationships for Midtown Farmers Market, Second Saturday, annual fundraiser, Fresh Air: Midtown Parks, Halloween Festival and Pooch Parade, placemaking installations, hot spot programming, and event support program.
• Maintain a running ROI on existing and planned events and activations to consistently assess impact and opportunities for continual improvement or strategic redirection on investments.
• Advance Second Saturday to become a year-round promotion (from a May through October event) and reduce staff tasks on event production.
• Maintain approximately 75 existing annual event sponsorship relationships and identify additional partners for events.
• Ensure all sponsorship details are tracked in the organization’s project management system and that all benefits are executed fully through the event programming in partnership with the events team.
• Manage renewals and negotiations, ensure strong communications with sponsors, including providing proof of performance to sponsors to maintain strong relationships, and aligning their business needs with Midtown Association’s events, projects and program needs.
• Engage the Executive Director and other senior leaders as needed to participate in relationship management and solicitations.
• Coordinate with the Business Operations Manager to ensure all payments are received prior to benefits implementation.
• Lead the Events Team and partner with the Communications Team to implement all sponsorship benefits well at events.
• Create and maintain an inventory of 3 to 5 playful interventions that can be quickly integrated into a hot spot management program, displacing negative loitering and replacing it with positive art, food, culture and community activities.
• Oversee event support program that leverages infrastructure and resources of Midtown Association to bring special events into the public right of way with additional focus on entertainment zones and restaurant districts.
• Partner with the Placemaking team to integrate an annual “wow” art experience or installation into Second Saturday.
• Lead the events team with one direct report and two indirect reports to achieve their professional development goals and company goals including facilitating strong 1:1s, motivating and developing the team dynamics, conducting annual review for direct report and supporting annual reviews for indirect reports.
• Partner with the team leads of fellow teams including Placemaking, Communications, Clean and Safe, Business Operations and Development to achieve company-wide projects and objectives.

Benefits

• Midtown Association has a very generous benefits package after the introductory period: 8 days of sick time, 12 days of vacation plus several paid public holidays, 401k with match and immediate vesting, flex-spend account, fully paid insurance (Medical, Life, Dental, Vision, Alternative Care Insurance), parking/transit reimbursement, unlimited in office refreshments, wellness program and more.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees