Special Events Programs Supervisor

City of Chattanooga•Chattanooga, TN

22h•$64,024 - $77,348•Onsite

About The Position

Incumbents in this classification plan deliver events that activate Chattanooga’s public spaces. This role coordinates special events and parks programming, working with event organizers, community groups, businesses, and neighborhood stakeholders to ensure effective use of public spaces. The supervisor oversees seamless event operations, promotes community engagement and sustainability, and supports Chattanooga’s vision as a vibrant and inclusive city. This position reports to the Deputy Administrator and collaborates with department heads to align efforts with the City’s strategic goals.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or high school diploma or GED with five (5)+ plus years of experience in program and large-scale event management, urban recreation programming, safety/emergency response experience, communications, marketing, or a related field, including supervisory experience; or any combination of equivalent experience and education.
Valid Driver’s License
A demonstrated track record of planning, developing, and executing creative and innovative events and programs for public and private spaces. Collaborate across divisions and departments with a multifaceted internal team. Ability to see the big picture and understand relationships between programs, economic development, and community engagement. Strong leadership and organizational skills, excellent communication and interpersonal abilities, proficiency in budget management, and a solid understanding of event planning and public space activation principles. Politically astute with a proven track record of working effectively with City departments, elected officials, local, regional, and state governments, outside agencies, residents, businesses, and other key stakeholders to achieve goals and objectives. Highly effective communicator with maturity who demonstrates cultural competence, active listening, and responsiveness to the community, residents, and staff. Demonstrated skills in using MS Office software, including Excel and presentation programs.

Responsibilities

Under the direction of the Deputy Administrator, develop and implement long-term strategies for special events that align with the City’s mission and vision, emphasizing accessibility, sustainability, equity, and community engagement. Establish and administer policies and procedures for the Special Event Permit process, and draft ordinance revisions as needed.
Oversee the development and execution of a diverse range of events, ensuring they meet the community's needs and enhance the City’s public spaces. Create, manage, and sustain high-value special events for the City of Chattanooga.
Ensure the smooth operation of all events with big-picture oversight regarding coordinating logistics, managing vendor relationships, overseeing marketing and promotional activities, and ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations. Evaluate, recommend, and facilitate the procurement of equipment, supplies, and capital needs to ensure efficient and effective operations. Evaluate operations, facilities, and programming, and identify areas of opportunity to ensure patron accessibility and safety.
Prepare and manage budgets for special events and programming, ensuring efficient resource use and adherence to financial goals and asset maintenance.
Supervise and guide the activities of the Guest Services Specialist, ensuring cohesive operations and achievement of division and departmental goals.
Provide team training, mentorship, and professional development opportunities to ensure high performance and continuous improvement.
Leads all special events and park programming-related meetings, ensuring efficient communication with event and City staff regarding goals and responsibilities.
Leads and directs division operations to achieve goals within available resources; plans and organizes workloads and staff assignments; trains, motivates, and evaluates assigned staff. Reviews progress and directs changes as needed.
Identify and secure sponsorships, partnerships, and other resources to enhance activation of park and public space events.
Oversees the division’s fleet and asset inventory.
Must meet regular attendance requirements.
Must be able to maintain good interpersonal relationships with staff, co-workers, managers, and citizens.
Must accomplish the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations, in a timely manner.
Performs other duties as assigned.