Events Officer

Willow; Welwyn Garden City; Hybrid; GBP 28,000; Full time

Job description

Position: Events Officer

Reporting to: Events Manager

Direct reports: None

Salary: £28,000 per annum

Location: Hybrid. Home working with 40% of contracted hours at our office in Welwyn Garden City

The Willow Major Events Team hosts a range of events to engage Willow’s key supporters. These range from large-scale events such as the Willow Ball and London Football Awards to smaller, more intimate events such as Golf and Shoot Days.

Job Purpose

• This role will support the delivery of Willow’s programme of Major Events, as well as supporting third party events, ensuring that these promote and present Willow in a professional and compelling manner, maximising opportunities for donor cultivation, fundraising and maximising income generation.
• To work with the Events Manager on delivering events to an exceptional standard.
• To lead on auction procurement and fulfilment to maximise fundraising revenue.

Key Responsibilities
Core Events

• To support the events strategy through delivery of high-quality events, designed to attract current and new supporters.
• To support the Events Fundraising Manager in ensuring that each event plan is actioned in a timely and efficient manner, as well as working with external suppliers, ensuring all suppliers work to agreed terms and conditions.
• To assist in the research, development and planning of potential new event opportunities, ensuring that the events programme evolves in response to new fundraising requirements, opportunities and sector trends.
• With support from Event Manager, lead on events within the portfolio, working with key stakeholders and suppliers, ensuring delivery of a high-quality event.

Auction

• Lead on securing auction prizes for relevant events, developing relationships with key supporters and external businesses to secure exclusive and desirable auction items.
• Manage the auction fulfilment process, ensuring all auction winners are thanked post event and that lots are fulfilled in a timely manner.
• Oversee online auction platform, ensuring accurate listings, engaging descriptions and looking for ways to maximise income.

Event Supporter Stewardship

• Provide support on guest management, ensuring a smooth process for guests during the lead up to and on the day of the event.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with major donors, guests and stakeholders ensuring excellent stewardship and recognition.
• To identify opportunities to engage or recruit new event supporters to existing or new events in the Willow calendar.

General

• To support the Events Manager with financial management of each event, supporting on areas such as: budgeting, planning, controlling and monitoring expenditure as appropriate and managing income against targets, KPI’s and provide regular revised projections as required.
• To maintain good practice in the use of database system (Raiser’s Edge), including the events module, ensuring that information is recorded accurately to allow for excellent supporter care, stewardship and accurate analysis of event performance.
• To keep up to date with current competitor activity, potential new opportunities for events and improved ways of managing and developing events.
• To keep up to date and comply with fundraising, data protection and other relevant legislation and codes of practice and good standards.
• To undertake any other tasks reasonably required.

Person Specification
Essential
Qualifications, Knowledge and Experience

• Proven experience of supporting on a number of events and delivering to budget and within tight timeframes.
• Can demonstrate effective implementation and management of work plans, projects and resources to ensure proactive completion of tasks.
• Proven experience of developing and managing budgets.
• Ability to work as part of a small, flexible and hardworking team.
• Delivering high quality supporter and donor care through ongoing contact and communication.
• Experience of working on administration within a fundraising, events or marketing environment.

Desirable

• Experience of working with senior stakeholders in order to meet income targets.
• Experience of working with celebrities.
• Experience of working with sponsors.
• Experience of working in the sports sector.
• Experience of working in the charity / fundraising sector.

Essential
Skills and Abilities

• Organised, pro-active self-starter, capable of taking initiative.
• Confident and articulate, able to build successful, mutually beneficial relationships with internal and external audiences.
• Strong ability to prioritise tasks under pressure and solve problems quickly and effectively.
• Ability to work on different projects simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communicator, with exemplary grammar and spelling, who places high value on attention to detail.
• Good influencing and negotiation skills.
• Respect for and ability to maintain confidentiality at all times.
• Self-reliant and confident IT user including internet, email, design, databases, spreadsheets and MS Office.

Desirable

• Creative thinker, able to innovate to meet audience needs.
• Experience or knowledge of Raisers Edge database.
• Sports sector knowledge.

Other
Essential

• Positive, energetic and able to enthuse.
• Flexible and proactive problem solver.
• Takes personal responsibility for and remains focused on delivering results and achieving objectives, overcoming problems and frustrations.
• Genuine commitment to the work and services of Willow.

Desirable

• Empathy with the cause and knowledge of issues faced by young adults facing serious illness.

Special Conditions
Essential

• Able to work irregular (unsociable) hours and weekends where necessary.
• Own car and current driving license.

General
We Offer The Following Competitive Benefits Package:

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Holiday purchase scheme
• Life Assurance and Group Pension Fund
• Season ticket loan
• Cycle to work scheme
• Flexible Working policy
• Employee discounts
• Employee Assistance Programme

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Our Vision: young adults with life threatening illness and those close to them are able to take full advantage of what life has to offer.

Our Mission: to provide for young adults with life threatening illness and those close to them the motivation to take full advantage of life through memorable Special Day services.

Our Values: we are caring; we are all about special relationships; we cherish people and time; they are our most precious resources; and we have the courage to imagine otherwise.

ABOUT WILLOW

Willow is the only national charity supporting seriously ill young adults aged 16 to 40 through uplifting and unforgettable Special Day services. Our service enables young people and their families to reconnect and refocus on each other while enjoying an activity of their choosing, creating memories they will all treasure forever.

Each Special Day service provides a positive experience to be shared with a partner, parents, siblings, children or close friends. To date, Willow has provided more than 22,000 Special Days, Days at Home, Days Out or Special Treat Packs, for young adults diagnosed with a life-threatening condition such as cancer, motor neurone disease, cystic fibrosis and Huntington’s disease.

Founded by former Arsenal goalkeeper and TV presenter, Bob Wilson and his late wife, Megs, Willow is a lasting memorial to their daughter, Anna, who died of cancer aged 31. Anna’s love of life and the enriching experiences of her own Special Days were the charity’s inspiration.

Willow is totally reliant on the generosity of individuals, companies, trusts and foundations to fund its work.

willowfoundation.org.uk

How to apply

Please send a CV and covering letter to [e-mail]