Senior Events Planning Associate

MIT•Cambridge, MA

11d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Events Planning Associate, a part-time (50%) position within the Office of the President, is responsible for coordinating the administrative functions of Gray House related to VIP and high-profile events. This role involves planning, organizing, and executing events and social activities at Gray House in collaboration with the President’s Office, President’s Spouse, Gray House Manager, other departments, caterers, A/V, and outside vendors. Key duties include requesting proposals, menu planning, scheduling special requirements, preparing guest lists and invitations, conducting pre- and post-event assessments, managing expenses, and inputting event data for financial reporting. The associate will also serve as a backup to the Gray House Manager for overall Gray House operations.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
A minimum of 5 years of administrative or events support experience, working in a high-profile, professional setting.
Excellent organizational skills.
Exceptional attention to detail.
Commitment to keeping work on schedule.
Demonstrate good judgment in decision-making.
Maintain confidentiality.
Deal discretely with sensitive information.
Ability to work nights and weekends.
Ability to think creatively.
Demonstrate flexibility.
Ability to work efficiently to manage priorities.
Excellent verbal, written communications, and interpersonal skills.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree.
Experience with MS Office and databases.

Responsibilities

Coordinate administrative functions of Gray House related to VIP and high-profile events and event planning.
Plan, organize, and execute events and social activities at Gray House.
Work with catering representatives on menu planning, event details, and staffing needs.
Schedule special requirements and orders, such as room set-up/take-down, musicians, flowers, and rentals.
Prepare guest lists and design and produce electronic invitations.
Ensure seating charts are approved and create nametags, place cards, and menu cards.
Conduct pre-event house check and post-event debrief and note lessons learned.
Review expenses and process payments.
Input necessary information into event database and generate data for financial reporting and analysis of events.
Serve as back-up to the Gray House Manager for the overall operations of Gray House.