Development Special Events Associate

The Central Administration Building
5100 Montrose Blvd
Houston, TX 77006, USA

Position Available:

Title:

Development Special Events Associate

Reports to:

Senior Development Officer, Special Events

Classification:
Nonexempt/Hourly

Schedule:

35-hour work week, with evenings and weekends depending on events calendar

Pay Rate:
Please see “Compensation” below

Work Location:

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

The Development Special Events (DSE) team is seeking a highly motivated and organized Associate to join our collaborative and fast-paced team. The DSE team produces more than 30 events annually across three primary categories: fundraising, stewardship, and VIP rentals. This position primarily supports the Museum's 7–9 annual fundraising events while providing assistance across other DSE initiatives and the broader Development office.

Key responsibilities include managing reservations and guest lists, preparing donor correspondence and follow-up communications, maintaining event records and budgets, processing invoices and purchase orders, preparing meeting materials, and providing administrative and on-site support to help ensure exceptional donor experiences and successful event execution. This is an excellent opportunity for an organized professional who enjoys event planning, donor engagement, and working behind the scenes to help produce some of the Museum's most significant fundraising events.

Job Description:

• Provides administrative support for the development special events department in the administration and implementation of fundraising and donor-related events.
• Coordinates the preparation and distribution of invitations, save-the-dates, host committee and underwriting solicitations, donor correspondence, and other event-related communications.
• Collaborates with the database team to develop mailing lists.
• Maintains meticulous records and spreadsheets to track reservations, event details, and guest lists for over 7-9 events a year to ensure all records are consistently up to date and accurate.
• Handles inquiries and field calls from attendees regarding questions about events.
• Manages guests lists that range from a cocktail reception to 500+ seated dinner.
• Maintains accurate donor records, including contact information, recognition preferences, seating preferences, and other constituent details.
• Corresponds with donors regarding reservations, underwriting, recognition listings, and other event-related matters to ensure accurate records and an exceptional donor experience.
• Maintains event budget files, and assists with financial reconciliation and reporting.
• Works with database team to ensure donor information is accurately tracked in the database.
• Manages check-in at events, including managing a team of volunteers, loading the guest list into an online check-in database.
• Coordinates donor recognition with the Development Special Events Coordinator on printed materials.
• Prepares documents for meetings with a variety of constituents, including senior leadership and donors.
• Provides on-site support at events from load-in, execution, to load-out of events, including not only fundraising events, but stewardship and external VIP events, as assigned.
• Provides administrative support to the Senior Development Officer, including answering phones, preparing meeting materials, filing, copying, and other duties as assigned.
• Fields event-related inquiries and phone calls from donors, patrons, and vendors.
• Assists with event-related errands and other administrative support as needed.
• Maintains historical event records and data to support event planning, reporting, and year-over-year analysis.

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:

• Meticulous attention to detail and follow-through with strong organizational skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, maintain accuracy, and follow tasks through to completion.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritize work and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Strong written and…