Summary

The Senior Director of Special Programs is responsible for the development and implementation of a comprehensive fundraising events program, focused on creating numerous engagement opportunities for alumni, patients, donors and prospects. This position will report to the Executive Director, Annual Giving and Engagement and will be responsible for event fundraising management, organizing and managing all aspects of event production that fulfill the desired goals and objectives, including financial reporting, budgeting and project management, as well as facilitating volunteer planning committees, vendor relationships and working with gift officers and leadership on special donor events and stewardship. The Senior Director of Special Programs will also have supervisory responsibilities for all Special Programs staff.

Internal title: Senior Manager, Special Programs; working title: Senior Director, Special Programs

Job Duties

• Provides strategic leadership, planning and implementation for all new and existing events, including cultivation, educational and fundraising events, as well as special donor meetings, that support Baylor College of Medicine’s strategic plan and fundraising goals.
• Responsible for overall program KPIs, budgeting, and analysis to continuously optimize and increase ROI. Reviews individual event performance and stays on top of industry best practices to identify opportunities to enhance outcomes across both directly managed and team-led events.
• Defines a long-term plan for event strategy over the next 3-5 years that supports the priorities outlined in the Office of Advancement and Alumni Affairs business plan.
• Manages the Special Programs team, including two Associate Director direct reports, and assigns as leads of various events, providing guidance and oversight.
• Responsible for a well-defined strategy outlined in a strategic brief for all our substantial events that are approved by leadership and support the department’s goals and objectives. Partners with teams across the office—including Development, Prospect Research, Data Analytics and Communications Teams—on the components of the event strategy to define KPIs, maximize outcomes and ensure alignment.
• Project manage events, as the event lead, including budgeting, strategic mailing list development, venue selection, vendor selection, management and contract negotiations, establishment and monitoring of timelines, volunteer recruitment and management, outreach and solicitation strategy, promotions, collateral and program development, on-site requirements and day-of-event management and coverage. Provide project management guidance to direct reports as needed.
• Provides strategic consultation to departments across the institution on event planning, fundraising and constituent engagement strategies, as requested or directed by leadership, to maximize event effectiveness and philanthropic outcomes.
• Serves as a visible and decisive leader during event execution, confidently managing unexpected challenges, directing event operations, making real-time decisions and ensuring successful outcomes without requiring extensive oversight from leadership.
• Builds out and clearly defines Baylor's third-party / community events program, volunteer program and event sponsorships. Guides team to work collaboratively with Advancement staff to ensure appropriate leveraging of event volunteers, attendees and donor / sponsor relationships. Acts as a liaison to community groups, organizations and vendors, or guides team as needed. 
• Responsible for Events Program systems and processes including oversight of the roll-out of new platforms and technologies to support various events. Ensures event activity and revenue is properly tracked in our CRM and that established protocols are followed. Ensures reporting requirements are completed in timely and accurate manner.
• Perform other duties as assigned. 
   

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Five years of relevant experience.  

Preferred Qualifications and Skills

• At least 5 years of experience leading/coordinating special events (small and large (500+)) for a non-profit with proven track record of success.
• At least 2 years of management experience.
• 8+ years of overall experience working in special events.
• Experience in an institution of higher education and/or healthcare is preferred. 
• Experience with fundraising donor management systems, preferably Blackbaud CRM (BBCRM).
• Experience with Event Management systems – GiveCampus, Almabase, Cvent, or equivalent.
• Proficient use of MS Office (including Word, Excel and PowerPoint), Microsoft Teams, Planner and SharePoint.
• Excellent verbal/written communication skills.
• Attention to detail and ability to work independently, under deadlines and multi-task.