Assistant Director, Special Events - Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION 

The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health, in partnership with Stanford Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, unlocks philanthropy to transform health for children and families in Northern California - and around the world. Through fundraising and grantmaking, the Foundation drives scientific research, innovation, and policy change that will improve care, advance cures, and reform healthcare systems for this and future generations.  

MAIN FOCUS: To strategically manage and elevate high-quality donor engagement events that align with philanthropic goals and deliver exceptional guest experiences.

LOCATION: Palo Alto, CA (hybrid); the successful candidate for this role will be based in the Bay Area.

WHAT YOU'LL DO... 

The Assistant Director, Special Events oversees the production of best-in-class events to generate philanthropic support for Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford and the child and maternal health programs at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The primary function of this role is to manage the execution and elevate the guest experience for a wide range of donor prospecting, cultivation and stewardship events, ensuring our events are closely aligned to philanthropic strategies. Special events include producing receptions, dedications, dinners, webinars, panels, Board meetings, fundraisers, volunteer events, our signature annual 5k run/family festival, and more.

The Assistant Director, Special Events will join a team of six who are collectively responsible for creating and implementing a comprehensive engagement strategy through primarily live, but some virtual events, at the Foundation. The Assistant Director, Special Events will report to the Director of Special Events.

The compensation range for the Assistant Director, Special Events role is $110k–$117k annually. 

For candidates who far exceed the below requirements in customer service to the highest of standards, project management, guest experience and familiarity partnering with multiple stakeholders, the title Associate Director, Special Events will be considered. The compensation range for the Associate Director position would be $120k-$130k. To be considered at the Associate Director level, candidates must have experience significantly higher than the qualifications listed at the Assistant Director level, and have 8 or more years of experience in strategizing, planning, executing, and managing events with expanded responsibilities and some management experience.

YOU'LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR...

Operational Responsibilities:

• Manage a portfolio of cultivation and stewardship events for Annual Giving, Board Relations, Gift Planning, Major Gift, Principal Gift, and Campaign teams.
• Work in close partnership with the Director of Special Events on select signature events.
• Manage portfolio of events, ensuring adherence to best practices and tracking outcomes from kickoff to debrief; maintain communication and transparency with stakeholders throughout the process.
• Collaborate with field officers and stakeholders across the Foundation, Hospital, and School of Medicine to design events that bolster our philanthropic priorities and effectively communicate strategic messages to donors and prospects.
• Partner in the production of internal and external communications for events, including itineraries, briefings, invitations, correspondence, and other collateral.
• Project-manage event meetings and agenda from draft to execution and post-event debriefs with an aim to learn from each event, incorporate feedback for future events, and create documentation.
• Work in close collaboration with colleagues in other Development program areas to ensure coordinated strategies and clear communications related to all donor events.
• Evaluate, refine, and enhance annual events and event models.
• Ensure excellent customer service, client support, and seamless navigation of Foundation events with meticulous attention to detail.
• Produce and manage event production timelines and effectively communicate both internally and externally with stakeholders.
• Select and partner with appropriate venues and vendors for each event (caterers, photographers, audio-visual, valet, etc.)
• Manage invitation lists for events, including tracking responses and regularly routing lists of responses to event stakeholders.
• Produce reports on event attendance and prepare post-event data to ensure high return on investment.
• Partner with Event Communications and Advancement Services colleagues in the integration of our new CRM and event platform systems.
• Responsible for ensuring event and attendance data is accurately captured in the CRM database and report on attendance.
• Manage all aspects of event budgeting, including forecasting, payment of expenses, collecting revenues and reconciling post-event in an accurate and timely manner.
• Keep abreast of latest event trends, conduct market research for best practices and incorporate fresh new ideas to elevate guest experience.

Other Responsibilities:

• Understands, supports, and always models Foundation’s Core Values and Cultural Touchstones.
• Takes responsibility for career development and seeks opportunities to enhance Special Events department and broader Foundation’s skills and knowledge.
• Demonstrates initiative, seeing things holistically, taking on emergent tasks, duties, and assignments to ensure the success of special events.
• Recommends new approaches, procedures, and processes to effect continual improvements in the efficiency of department and excellence in services performed.
• Excellent presentation, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Actively seek, receive and implement feedback from customers and team members to improve and enhance stakeholder experience.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.
• Regular and predictable attendance is required.

YOU MUST HAVE...

• A Bachelor’s Degree in a related discipline and/or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years' experience in planning, executing, and managing in-person events.
• Approach challenges with a solutions-oriented mindset, demonstrating adaptability and a willingness to go the extra mile to meet customer needs.

 IT'S AN ADDED PLUS IF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH...

• 5+ years of experience working in nonprofit, fundraising, science or healthcare, or a corporate event, conference planning, or field marketing role.
• Strong aptitude to learn how to navigate technology platforms. Experience with Microsoft products, Raisers Edge, Classy.org, InDesign, Photoshop, Swoogo, Monday.com.
• Experience producing virtual events.
• Experience partnering and/or managing event volunteers.
• Experience executing successful fundraising galas.
• Experience working with an Assistant and overseeing their work.

YOU'LL BE SUCCESSFUL IF YOU'RE...

A self-starting and resourceful manager of projects and events who is successful with minimal supervision in a high-stakes environment

• Ability to establish priorities, manage shifting priorities, and seamlessly manage numerous time-sensitive projects
• Ability to independently anticipate roadblocks, create viable solutions to problems, and manage up and around to decision makers to efficiently decide on the appropriate path forward
• Ability to manage a high volume of work that is characteristic of rhythms of intensity (e.g. preceding event day) while maintaining exceptional attention to detail
• Ability to follow through and execute without dropping balls or taking missteps
• Ability and excitement to complete necessary administrative tasks (e.g. capturing notes, disseminating and tracking next steps, forecasting and tracking budget)

An adaptable and growth-oriented professional who is able to learn quickly and with purpose

• Ability to receive and retain a high volume of information
• Ability to learn new content quickly
• Comfortability with iterative work that involves frequent and thorough feedback loops
• Comfortability with a fast-paced and high-stakes working environment that strives for excellence in everything we do

A relational professional who is able to work with a wide range of stakeholders with a customer service mindset:

• Ability to anticipate and deliver on the needs of partner teams (internal to LPFCH) while differentiating approach to meet people where they are and bring out their best ideas and contributions
• Ability to build relationships with LPCH faculty and Board Members and partner with them to execute and find success in events with which they are involved
• Ability to manage vendors successfully including clear expectations, monitoring progress to outcomes, and providing immediate and direct feedback when things are off track
• Embrace and incorporate feedback
• Possesses the confidence, presence, and composure to be successful with building credibility with external stakeholders and senior LPFCH leadership

A strategist who is able to successfully manage against ambiguity, shifting priorities, and curveballs:

• Understands the mechanics of managing project working groups from work or experience in a similar or analogous context
• Ability to connect the dots across many stakeholders and many projects to successfully keep all initiatives on track
• Ability to choose strategies and actions that are most important to reaching desired outcomes and minimizing risk

A strong written communicator with the ability to manage self and others to strong outputs:

• Ability to partner with partner teams (internal to LPFCH), faculty, and senior leadership to establish clear program themes and narrative arcs
• Ability to gracefully provide feedback to faculty to help them to create presentations that are accessible to all audiences
• A solid to strong command of the written word, producing email communications, documents, project plans, etc. that are free from errors and professional

Motivated by the LPFCH mission and values:

• Possessing a genuine interest in improving the health and well-being of children and mothers
• Deeply committed to the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging
• Inspired by four cultural values: Commitment to Children's Health, Excellence, Integrity, and Gratitude

Mindset and Values:

• Team-oriented and derives joy from helping others succeed
• Comfort with ambiguity; energized by responsibility of driving forward clarity
• Enjoys iterative work

Working at the Foundation

WE OFFER EXCELLENT BENEFITS & PERKS, INCLUDING…

• Generous leave, including PTO, holidays, Summer Fridays, and a sabbatical (after 7 years of employment) 
• Annual bonus
• Retirement plan + employer match
• Premium Medical and Dental coverage
• FSA + dependent care FSA
• Employer-paid life insurance
• Legal services plan 
• Commuter Benefits, including CalTrain “Go Pass” Program
• 4-week paid maternity and paternity leave for new parents
• Stipend for home office and mobile phone
• If remote, frequent opportunities to visit our beautiful HQ in Palo Alto 

WE’RE DYNAMIC…

The Foundation is a dynamic organization in a rapidly changing industry. Therefore, the responsibilities associated with this position will evolve and grow in accordance with LPFCH's business needs and growth plans. More specifically, the incumbent may be required to perform additional and/or different responsibilities based on the future growth plans for the Foundation.

WE STRIVE TO EMBODY OUR CULTURAL TOUCHSTONES…
 

Mission-first - We can never lose sight of why we exist and who we are here to serve.

Good of the whole - We share responsibility for overall results, think of what’s best for the team and organization, and act as responsible stewards of resources.

Bold and bendy - We’re unapologetically ambitious for our mission, creative, and take risks by trying new things.  

Sweat the big stuff- We’re clear on our priorities, calibrating effort and resources to audience and impact: the higher the return, the greater the investment.

Make it happen - We’re focused on outcomes; only as much process as necessary to make good decisions and take action.  Prepared with ideas and solutions for every challenge.

Community matters- We embrace diversity and practice inclusion.

The Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 

#LI-Hybrid  

PI254891153