Director, Office of Special Events & Protocol, IS-0301-15

Smithsonian Institution•Washington, DC

2d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is located in the Office of Special Events and Protocol (OSEP), Office of the Assistant Secretary Communications & External Affairs at the Smithsonian Institution (SI). The position serves as the Director of the Office of Special Events and Protocol and principal advisor to the Secretary, the Assistant and Under Secretaries, as well as other key management officials on matters relating to special events, conferences, and protocol work. OSEP’s mission is to support the Smithsonian’s goals by providing exemplary special events management and authoritative protocol guidance. Our team builds meaningful connections, fosters strategic partnerships, and produces distinctive, high-quality events that reflect and reinforce SI’s values.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) from an accredited four-year college or university and 7-10 years of related experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
A minimum of three years of progressively responsible supervisory experience demonstrating increasing levels of leadership and management responsibility.
Experience directing a high-level events or protocol office, with responsibility for strategic planning, establishing organizational goals, managing large-scale programs, and overseeing the full lifecycle of high-visibility events.
Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, allocate resources, and ensure compliance with internal controls and organizational policies.
At least three years of progressive supervisory experience, including selecting, developing, and evaluating staff; assigning and monitoring work; managing performance through formal appraisal systems; providing coaching and counseling; approving leave; and identifying and supporting employee training and development needs.
Experience developing, implementing, and interpreting policies, procedures, and standards related to events, protocol, or operations.
Demonstrated ability to provide authoritative guidance to senior leadership, staff, and external stakeholders, and to ensure compliance with organizational and legal requirements.
Proven experience managing high-profile events involving senior executives, board members, dignitaries, or government officials.
Expertise in protocol, event logistics, and stakeholder coordination across multiple internal and external partners.
Experience serving as a principal advisor and liaison to senior leadership, coordinating briefing materials, and managing relationships with external organizations, including government agencies, nonprofits, academic institutions, and private sector partners.
Experience serving in a Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR) or similar capacity, including negotiating contracts, managing vendors, and overseeing services such as catering, venues, transportation, and event production.
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional coordination, convene stakeholders, maintain communication across multiple offices or institutions, and manage complex scheduling and event calendars.
Resumes should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week.
Education completed outside the United States must be deemed equivalent to higher education programs of U.S. Institutions by an organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. This documentation is the responsibility of the applicant and should be included as part of your application package.
Any false statement in your application may result in rejection of your application and may also result in termination after employment begins.

Responsibilities

Overseeing all functions assigned to the Office of Special Events and Protocol.
Overseeing the planning, programming and managing of the Institution’s major special events-primarily for the central Smithsonian administration and pan-Institutional offices and programs which lack the resources to execute events and conferences.
Establishing annual organizational goals and objectives which include milestones and assigns responsibility for accomplishment of program functions.
Developing the Office of Special Events and Protocols budget and monitors execution on a continual basis to ensure that expenditures and obligations do not exceed targeted amounts.
Ensuring that internal controls are incorporated into daily operations to deter or prevent fraud, waste, and abuse in managing Smithsonian resources and programs.
Selecting and developing employees, provides leadership and technical advice, and provides guidance to event team.
Assigning work and monitors work progress for compliance with organizational goals.
Communicating work requirements and provides guidelines and performance expectations for staff through the formal employee performance management system.
Observing workers’ performance and conducts work performance appraisals.
Provides informal feedback and periodically evaluates employee performance.
Advising and counseling employees related to work and administrative matters.
Reviewing and approves or disapproves leave requests.
Identifying employee training requirements and authorizes appropriate training requests; and ensures that subordinates are aware of and trained in safety requirements and comply with provisions of safety regulations.
Leading the Office of Special Events and Protocol (OSEP) in providing Institution wide authority on protocol matters for all Smithsonian events, serving as the principal official responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring SD401, the Institution’s special events policy.
Directing and overseeing the full lifecycle of high visibility event planning and execution, ensuring that all logistical, operational, and protocol requirements are met with efficiency, consistency, and alignment to Smithsonian standards.
Providing expert guidance and direction to event teams, contractors, and service personnel, supporting major programs for the Office of the Regents, the Office of the Secretary, and the Office of Advancement, as well as units lacking dedicated event staff.
Managing a diverse portfolio of institutional events, including museum and exhibition openings, fundraising galas, dignitary and head of state visits, and board meetings, requiring advanced coordination, policy compliance, and authoritative protocol oversight.
Formulating and recommending policies, procedures and standards governing special events and conference activities throughout the Institution.
Consulting with the Office of the Chief Legal Officer regarding special events and conference issues that have legal implications for SI.
Serving as a resource for implementation of established policy and procedures, and provides clarification of policy interpretations, with special emphasis on those outlined in SD-401.
Determining the appropriateness of requests for event space and co-sponsorships from outside organizations based on extensive, practiced knowledge of the policies, priorities and goals of the Smithsonian Institution and the history of the Institution’s relationship with the outside organization.
Serving as Chair of the Special Events Policy Committee, which oversees the use of Smithsonian facilities for special events prescribed in SD-401.
Coordinating and processing requests for approval of special events and conferences requiring Special Event Policy Committee attention and approval by the appropriate Under or Assistant Secretary to whom the sponsoring office reports.
Serving as the Smithsonian’s principal advisor and liaison for events and conferences involving outside groups for SI co-sponsor events.
Managing all related activities for events involving the Secretary, Assistant Secretaries and/or Under Secretaries.
Coordinating the collection of information and briefing materials from Smithsonian Institution units and outside organizations such as corporations, affiliated museums and organizations, universities, other federal agencies or other event hosts and facilities.
Assembling information into briefing packets which are used to inform the principal(s) of their participation in events including but not limited to press conferences, lectures, receptions, dinners, luncheons, donor and constituent cultivation activities, and official government functions and ceremonies.
Distributing these briefing materials to relevant principals, senior management and other participants as appropriate.
Serving as an advisor to Smithsonian offices in planning cost estimates, and producing schedules for events, symposia, conferences and meetings.
Generating annual unrestricted Trust Fund revenue through marketing the Smithsonian Institution Building “The Castle”, the Enid A. Haupt Garden and the Arts and Industries Building as event venues.
Coordinating support for events involving the use of these venues and in other situations outlined in the Guidelines for use of Facilities for Special Events and Public Programs (SD-401).
Ensuring that Smithsonian National Board and donor relations activities are properly executed.
Convening regular meetings with special events coordinators and staff from museums and/or research institutes to maintain clear lines of communication among integral partners throughout all phases of the event planning and implementation processes.
Reviewing proposed events and conferences offered by museums and research centers to assure compliance with SD-401, and other special events policy, standards and procedures.
Coordinating event and conference scheduling involving invitations to the Regents, Secretary, Under Secretaries, Assistant of Secretaries, Smithsonian senior staff and Members of Congress.
Ensuring a master calendar of all special events and conferences at the Smithsonian and in the Washington metropolitan area is maintained.
Serving as a Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR) for special events and conferences, with the authority to negotiate contracts and commit funds for services provided by hotels, caterers, translators, transportation companies, printers and other suppliers required to support Smithsonian events and conferences.
Helping to meet Institutional goals by affording every opportunity to all catering firms and other vendors, including new, small, and minority- and women-owned firms, to do business with the Smithsonian.
Performing other duties as assigned.