Administrative Temporary Gala Assistant Public Theater , NY

Overview

The Special Events Team is looking for an enthusiastic and detail-oriented candidate to help support The Public Theater’s Annual Gala which is taking place June 8, 2026. This role will assist the department with daily tasks in preparation for the event, including building invite lists and sending invitations, processing RSVPs and donations, and communicating with donors over email and phone. Reporting to the Director, Special Events this role will have the opportunity to experience and support the fundraising and coordination needed for a large-scale event.

This position is full-time, working approximately 40 hours/week, from February 2026 through August 14, 2026, with some nights and weekends required. This is a hybrid position that can work from home occasionally but is required to be on-site for events, invitation mailings, and other office days as needed.

• Manage all donation tracking, ticket sales, and solicitation activity in Tessitura for the Gala.
• Coordinate extraction builds and manage lists in Tessitura for Gala communication and outreach.
• Handle outgoing and incoming emails and calls for ticket sales and event confirmations.
• Communicate event information to internal and external stakeholders.
• Maintain event sales and attendance reports.
• Assist in building email invitations and copy when needed.
• Execute Gala invitation mailings and coordinate in-house volunteer efforts.
• Process gift forms and collect pledges for donations into Tessitura.
• Assist in the solicitation of auction items and the building of our online auction on the Give Smart platform.
• Help coordinate donor program acknowledgement.
• Work with the Development Operations team to send invoices, execute pledge payment follow up and reconcile revenue.
• Lead creating and sending tax acknowledgement letters post event.
• Supports Events team on all Gala administrative needs.
• Assist in ticketing for the Annual Gala and all other Special Events during this time.
• Attend additional partner events and opening nights to assist with check-in, greeting and seating guests, donor troubleshooting, etc.
• Additional duties to be assigned as needed.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong attention to detail and organization
• Ability to multitask and manage multiple projects at once
• Experience with Tessitura or similar CRM strongly preferred, but not required
• Experience with Zkipster, Give Smart, or similar event platforms is a plus.
• Ability to work on individual projects or in a team environment
• Ability to lift items weighing 40 lbs
• Must be able to work evenings
• Experience with Word, Excel, Outlook, and Google Drive
• This a Non-Exempt position according to the Fair Labor Standards Act.
• Pay rate is $22 an hour, commensurate with experience.
• The employment term is February 2026 through August 14, 2026.

The Public is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Applicants from populations underrepresented in the theater field are strongly encouraged to apply. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, familial status, sexual orientation, national origin, ability, age, or veteran status.