Events and Experiences Manager

Reporting Relationships: This position reports to senior leadership (TBC)

Position Mandate: The Events and Experiences Manager will collaborate with fundraisers and the communications team to craft and implement cultivation, fundraising, and stewardship events across Canada and overseas to raise awareness and support for our world-renowned clients.

Key Responsibilities will include:

• Work with fundraising and operations to develop an annual events calendar aligned with funding priorities
• Identify goals and objectives for each event and manage an evaluation process to measure success
• The development and event planning of approximately 15 event programs annually across Canada. This includes researching and presenting appropriate venues, negotiating contracts for all suppliers, travel and accommodation logistics, working with their internal communications team for the invitation and RSVP process, dietary needs, transportation, and logistical requirements for all events.
• Work with volunteers and committees to deliver goals and objectives
• Work with colleagues to manage traveling scientist events, organize VIP visits on campus, and represent Canada in the organization of all international events
• Work closely with scientists and other speakers to ensure that presentation needs are met, and with AV suppliers to ensure appropriate technical and staging needs are in place
• Collaborate with content production colleagues and suppliers to create video content for events as required
• Proactively identify new ways to improve the event experience, including but not limited to technology, mission integration, and communication
• Take a leadership role in meetings as required, preparing documentation for meetings, and ensuring timely follow-up on action items
• Develop and manage accurate budgets
• Prepare and deliver post-event evaluation reports, highlighting successes and opportunities for improvements

Competencies:

Leadership

• Sound judgment and decision-making skills
• Demonstrates effective organizational leadership.
• Ability to assess situations realistically
• Encourages team members toward team goals, embodies and inspires a solution-focused approach to event management
• Support team processes and promote harmony among team members
• Demonstrate flexibility toward new approaches and take informed risks

Initiative

• Looks for opportunities to improve the workplace and recommends needed change
• Autonomous, acting and taking responsibility to complete what is necessary in the absence of being given specific direction
• Self-starter and team player – willing to at times step outside job parameters to get the job done well

Excellence

• Consistently accurate and thorough
• Effectively juggles multiple tasks, work demands, and shifting priorities positively, ensuring deadlines are met
• Demonstrates professionalism, confidentiality, and commitment to Weizmann Canada

Critical/Analytical Thinking

• Ability to conclude from relevant or missing information
• Strong problem-solving skills

Effective Communication

• Adapts communication for the audience to optimize understanding
• Clearly and appropriately expresses information and his/her desires or needs

Collaboration / Teamwork

• Excellent communication skills to keep colleagues, management, committee members, and donors in the loop on events as they develop
• A desire to build positive working relationships with members of the team
• Demonstrates knowledge of, or interest in knowing what other team members do
• Values the opinions of others and is open to divergent points of view
• Willingness to wear multiple hats, to support the team, when necessary
• Demonstrates knowledge about the interconnectivity of his/her procedures with those of other team members

Job Requirements:

• Curiosity and passion
• Ability to work both independently without close oversight, and as a team player who will productively engage with others at varying levels of seniority within and outside the organization
• 3-5 years of event planning experience
• Possess an existing network of event-related suppliers in Montreal
• Excellent writing and communication skills
• Demonstrated experience in budget development and management
• Ability to recognize when others need to be involved in activities or decisions
• Customer service experience in a professional environment
• Confidence, polish, and a high level of professionalism
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment to plan, organize, and prioritize work
• Bilingual (French/English) would be an asset
• Advanced level of proficiency in MS Office and working knowledge of Raiser’s Edge
• Experience with project management software (e.g., Asana, Basecamp, or similar)
• Experience in the non-profit space