Manager of Special Events
About The Position
The Manager of Special Events develops and implements fundraising and event-management details for the Houston Symphony’s donor stewardship, cultivation, and prospecting events, as well as major galas. Reporting to the Director of Special Events, this role is a key member of the Special Events team and works closely with the Individual Giving team to deliver donor-benefit events. The position interacts frequently with high-level donors, volunteers, and vendors and requires clear communication, exceptional attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple projects in a dynamic environment. In collaboration with the Director of Special Events, the Manager provides supervisory oversight of the Development Associate, Events. The role coordinates donor events and supports the planning and execution of the annual Opening Night Gala, Symphony Ball, Wine Dinner, and other fundraisers. It also involves vendor coordination, oversight of invitations and event communications, collaboration with Marketing and giving teams, and regular concert duties during performance seasons. The position is full-time and exempt, based at Esperson in Houston, Texas. The salary range is $60,000–$70,000 per year.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
- At least 3 years of experience in special events or an events-related role.
- Experience using databases, creating and manipulating spreadsheets, and desktop publishing with Microsoft Office and Tessitura.
- Professional and detail-oriented, with excellent time-management skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to work successfully in a fast-paced environment while managing multiple simultaneous projects.
- Creative, flexible, and a natural problem solver.
- Ability to work evenings and weekends, including some holidays.
- Ability to lift up to 40 pounds.
- Access to a reliable personal vehicle.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with Monday.com, Paperless Post, Wordfly, Cognito Forms, and OneCause platforms.
Responsibilities
- Develop, coordinate, and execute donor cultivation and stewardship events, including the annual Musician Sponsorship Dinner, prospect dinners, special salons, kick-off events, and underwriter events.
- Support the planning and implementation of the Opening Night Gala, Symphony Ball, Wine Dinner, and other events, with responsibilities assigned by the Director of Special Events.
- Work with Individual and Institutional Giving teams to manage donor solicitation and invitations, as well as event attendance.
- Coordinate vendors, including caterers, rental companies, valet providers, florists, and designers.
- Provide supervisory oversight of Special Events invitations and external communications, including Ball and Wine Dinner auction catalogs; guide language, formatting, and design, and copy-edit and proofread materials.
- Assist with developing and maintaining Special Events department policies and procedures.
- Manage inventory of the Houston Symphony wine storage locker.
- Manage external communication plans and designs for Individual and Institutional Giving events and serve as a liaison with the Marketing team.
- Support development of Houston Symphony webpages for Special Events.
- Attend all major fundraisers and take ownership of an assigned aspect of each event.
- Maintain positive, professional, and courteous relationships with Symphony staff, donors, patrons, volunteers, and vendors.
- Perform regular concert duty during Symphony performance seasons and attend performances and donor events as required.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the Houston Symphony Society.
- Provide supervisory oversight of the Development Associate, Events in collaboration with the Director of Special Events.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
