Special Events Manager

New York’s first museum, The New York Historical is a leading cultural institution documenting over 400 years of American history through a peerless collection of art, documents, and artifacts. Our offerings span groundbreaking exhibitions; acclaimed educational programs for teachers and students nationwide; and thought-provoking conversations among leading scholars, journalists, and thinkers about the past, present, and future of the American experiment.

The New York Historical is a museum of museums and a collection of collections. We are home to the Patricia

D. Klingenstein Library, the Center for Women’s History, the Reiss Family Graduate Institute for Constitutional History, the Dorothy Tapper Goldman Center for Teaching Democracy, the DiMenna Children’s History Museum, and the future American LGBTQ+ Museum. We elevate the perspectives and scholarship that define the United States’ democratic heritage and challenge us all to shape our ongoing history for the better.

The New York Historical is looking for a full-time events professional to serve as our Special Events Manager. Reporting to the Director of Special Events, the Special Events Manager is a client-facing member of a team that plans and executes Museum rental events, as well as Special Events for New York Historical, such as high-level donor and membership events. The ideal candidate should bring successful event rental sales experience, demonstrating a proven ability to meet or exceed target goals.

Candidates must be meticulously detail-oriented in relation to event logistics and communications, and be able to address the client's needs with diplomacy, optimizing client satisfaction while also being mindful of the interests of New York Historical, its staff, its spaces and collections.

This is a full-time, exempt position with a base 35 hour per week schedule; however, this person will need to work early and/or late hours, long days, and on nights and weekends based on the events schedule.

Special Event Sales and Marketing

• Cultivates relationships with new potential clients as well as strengthens relationships with existing clients to ensure steady, incoming inquiries;
• Prepares event proposals, and works with Special Events Assistant on contracts, and invoices for clients pre & post event;
• Hosts client and vendor site visits;
• Follows up with phone calls and e-mails related to event inquiries;
• Interacts with other New York Historical departments to determine the availability of spaces, considering all museum activity as a priority while thinking creatively about how to accommodate rental events;
• Collaborates with the Special Events team members on marketing strategies for e-blasts, venue listing sites, advertising, social media campaigns, and marketing initiatives such as mailings, holiday gifts, client entertaining opportunities, and partnerships.

Special Event Production

• Liaises with caterers on client proposals, tastings, and floor plans to ensure execution aligns with the client’s expectations;
• Oversees all vendors, with regards to load-in/out, set-up in designated front and back-of-house areas, and adherence to all event guidelines;
• Drafts internal set-up memos to Museum colleagues in an effort to communicate event details and staffing requirements;
• Works with the Special Events Senior Manager and Special Events Assistant on Master Calendar holds and bookings to ensure spaces are booked for internal and external events;
• Oversees events (mornings, nights and some weekends are required);
• Participates in the production of internal Development events, such as Annual Fundraisers, Cultivation Dinners, and Exhibition Openings, supporting the Director of Special Events.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent;
• A minimum of 5 years Event Operations, Production, Sales and Marketing experience; service industry, cultural organization or non-profit experience preferred;
• Proven ability to meet or exceed sales targets;
• Computer skills including Microsoft Office Suite and Google Suite. required;
• Floorplan software such as All Seated, Photoshop, InDesign or Canva is a plus;
• Excellent judgment, to know when to ask for help,…