Event Manager

The Event Manager plays a key role in shaping the success and impact of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s conferences and events. Reporting to the Director of Events, this position leads the planning and on-site execution of signature annual gatherings that strengthen relationships, elevate experiences, and advance the Foundation’s mission.

This is a collaborative, highly visible role for a creative problem-solver who excels at coordination, communication, and customer service. The ideal candidate anticipates challenges, builds strong cross-department partnerships, and ensures each event demonstrates excellence, efficiency, and purpose.

• Project manages the planning, logistics, and on-site execution of 2-3 signature HGF conferences annually, ensuring smooth operations and meaningful participant experiences by setting deadlines, planning the event, and tracking approval flow.
  • Act as a central connector between programs, operations, and communications teams to align goals, messaging, logistics and to execute digital, print, and marketing materials for events.
  • Develops and oversees comprehensive event project plans, event timelines, budgets, and deliverables, ensuring accountability and clarity across all teams.
  • Assist with collecting information for event budgets, invoice tracking, and payments.
  • Prepare a detailed conference run of show and schedule.
  • Build and maintain production schedules and load-in plans.
• Support two additional HGF conferences annually.
• Source, negotiate, and contract supplementary venues.
• Anticipate and resolve challenges with resourcefulness and professionalism.
• Foster strong partnerships across internal HGF teams to support high-quality execution.
• Establish and maintain high quality relationships with existing vendors, and source new partners who can provide cost effective and creative services while meeting organizational standards, including but not limited to:
  • Catering:
    Plan and execute conference menus that accommodate kosher dietary laws, food allergies, and overall meal variety. Research and purchase conference snacks.
  • Photographers:
    Map out and schedule photographer based on needs and goals of the program team.
  • Audio Visual:
    Partner with AV vendors for cost effective, quality AV in both pricing and product. Manage event AV and production.
  • Supervise on-site vendor load-in/load-out and back-of-house areas.
• Track conference data related to catering, hotels, and AV to inform event budgeting and planning.
• Project manage ongoing conference video projects with HGF’s strategic storytelling partner.
• Support HGF’s participation at external conferences, ensuring brand consistency, thorough logistics, and clear team communication.
• Daily use of project management and event software (Wrike, Airtable, Bizzabo, and Slack) to enhance planning, reporting and collaboration.
• Contribute to evolving the Foundation’s event strategy by planning with creativity, sustainability, and efficiency and by staying current with trends and best practices in the event planning and Jewish non-profit sectors.
• Additional event responsibilities as assigned.

• 5+ years of experience in event management, ideally within mission-driven or foundation settings.
• Demonstrated strength in cross-department collaboration and communication.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven ability to lead on-site teams and manage multi-layered events from concept through completion.
• Strong project management, with attention to detail, and consistent follow-through.
• Exhibits the ability to understand how day-to-day tasks come together to create a broader event vision.
• Demonstrates the ability to take an event vision and break it into actionable steps and timelines.
• Creative, strategic thinker who remains calm and proactive under pressure.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with high emotional intelligence and the ability to navigate diverse work styles.
• Proficiency in key event and project management platforms (Airtable, Wrike, and Bizzabo) and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Commitment to continuous learning and innovation in event planning.
• Availability for travel, including 6–8 trips per year that may last one week…