Event Lead

Foundation & Friends of the Botanic Gardens Ltd; Sydney; On-site; AUD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Foundation & Friends of the Botanic Gardens Ltd in Sydney CBD NSW seeks an experienced Event Lead to plan, coordinate and deliver its annual program of member, donor, volunteer and supporter events, exhibitions and activities. You will manage budgets, timelines and suppliers, ensuring exceptional experiences that deepen engagement with the Botanic Gardens community.

You will report to the Supporter Engagement Manager, overseeing multiple concurrent projects with autonomy while building

Qualifications

• Five+ years independent event delivery experience.
• Strong budgeting, planning and risk assessment skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent events and stakeholders.
• Hands-on CRM, ticketing, and communications tooling experience.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Own the annual calendar of events and translate priorities into project plans and budgets.
• Lead end-to-end delivery of member, donor, volunteer and public events, exhibitions and activities.
• Coordinate venues, contractors, catering, AV, accessibility, insurance and safety requirements.
• Manage event administration, promotions and post-event reporting.

Skills

Event management

Budgeting

Stakeholder management

CRM systems

Data accuracy

Communication

Tools

CRM databases

Ticketing platforms

ThankQ

Job description

Foundation & Friends of the Botanic Gardens Ltd – Sydney CBD NSW

Foundation & Friends of the Botanic Gardens (Foundation & Friends) is a not-for-profit organisation that is devoted to supporting, protecting, and enhancing the Botanic Gardens of Sydney (BGS) which includes the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, the Domain, the Australian Botanic Gardens Mount Annan, and the Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens Mount Tomah.

The vision of Foundation & Friends is for 'a thriving, connected community thatleads fundraising and philanthropy to help the Gardens realise their vision.' That is the people,communities, institutions, and industries that are informed and inspired by our Botanic Gardens, publicspaces and the Australian Institute of Botanical Science. We aim to motivate them to recognise the importance of plants in their lives and to support their conservation.

It is an exciting time to be joining the team at the Foundation & Friends as it is delivering its strategic springboard for future growth, enhancing its support of one of Australia’s oldest cultural institutions.

About Foundation & Friends

Foundation & Friends of the Botanic Gardens (Foundation & Friends) is a not-for-profit organisation that is devoted to supporting, protecting, and enhancing the Botanic Gardens of Sydney (BGS) which includes the Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, the Domain, the Australian Botanic Gardens Mount Annan, and the Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens Mount Tomah.

The vision of Foundation & Friends is for 'a thriving, connected community thatleads fundraising and philanthropy to help the Gardens realise their vision.' That is the people,communities, institutions, and industries that are informed and inspired by our Botanic Gardens, publicspaces and the Australian Institute of Botanical Science. We aim to motivate them to recognise the importance of plants in their lives and to support their conservation.

It is an exciting time to be joining the team at the Foundation & Friends as it is delivering its strategic springboard for future growth, enhancing its support of one of Australia’s oldest cultural institutions.

Purpose of the position

The Event Lead independently plans, coordinates and delivers Foundation & Friends' annual program of member, donor, volunteer and supporter events, exhibitions and activities. Working within agreed budgets, timelines and organisational priorities, the role takes end-to-end ownership of delivery, from concept and planning through execution, evaluation and reporting.

The role creates consistently excellent experiences that deepen relationships with our community, attract new audiences and provide meaningful opportunities for people to join, renew or upgrade their membership, participate, give and support transformational philanthropy for the Botanic Gardens.

Reporting to the Supporter Engagement Manager, the position operates with substantial day-to-day autonomy, managing multiple concurrent projects, suppliers, volunteers, committees and internal stakeholders, while escalating significant risks, financial commitments and strategic decisions appropriately. The Lead is both an exceptional event operator and a collaborative programming partner, identifying fresh, creative pathways to engagement and improving the systems that make delivery effective and scalable.

Key responsibilities

A. Event leadership, project management and delivery

• Own the annual calendar of events and experiences, translating agreed priorities into clear project plans, milestones, schedules, budgets, risk assessments, run sheets, event staffing and evaluation.
• Lead end-to-end delivery across, member tours, talks, walks, workshops art classes, exhibitions, volunteer events, fundraising events and major public experiences, including the New Year's Picnic.
• Coordinate venues, access, production, contractors, catering, AV, ticketing, accessibility, insurance requirements, safety, contingency planning, bump-in/bump-out and on-site operations as relevant.
• Lead event administration and processes, ensuring accurate promotional activity to populate events.
• Manage several events concurrently, proactively resolving problems, maintaining high standards, meeting deadlines and escalating material risks early.
• Work within event budgets, purchase commitments, income and expenditure; reconcile outcomes and deliver timely post-event reporting and recommendations.

B. Supporter engagement, audience development and program innovation

• Partner with the Supporter Engagement, Philanthropy and Marketing teams to develop programming that inspires, connects and strengthens relationships with members, donors, volunteers, prospective supporters and the wider community.
• Identify creative new formats, partnerships and audience opportunities, balancing strong established programs with thoughtful experimentation.
• Embed appropriate pathways for event participants to join, renew or upgrade membership, make donations, attend further activities and deepen their connection to the Gardens.
• Contribute to donor cultivation and stewardship experiences, working sensitively with philanthropy colleagues on invitations, guest journeys, recognition and follow-up.
• Use audience feedback, attendance, conversion and engagement data to improve program relevance, reach and impact.

C. Systems, data integrity and operational excellence

• Own accurate event records and workflows across CRM, ticketing, registration and communications systems, ensuring reliable audience segmentation, guest lists, payments, attendance and follow-up.
• Maintain high standards of data quality, privacy, consent, financial reconciliation and documentation, coordinating with CRM, finance and marketing colleagues.
• Build repeatable templates, project trackers, checklists, schedules, reporting tools and standard operating procedures to support consistent delivery.
• Coordinate event-related communications, invitations, booking pages, confirmations and post-event follow-up with the Marketing and Supporter Engagement teams.

D. Volunteer, committee and stakeholder relationships

• Work respectfully and effectively with volunteer leaders, committees and long-standing supporters, recognising their specialist knowledge, contribution and distinctive role in Foundation & Friends' programs.
• Establish clear roles, communication, briefing, rostering and support arrangements for volunteers and committees while maintaining accountability for delivery.
• Build productive relationships with Botanic Gardens of Sydney teams, speakers, artists, suppliers, venues, partners and other stakeholders.

E. Governance, safety and continuous improvement

• Apply organisational policies, delegated authorities, procurement practices, child-safe and work health and safety requirements as relevant to each event.
• Maintain sound risk, contingency and incident-management processes and ensure timely escalation of issues.
• Contribute to team planning and other reasonable duties aligned with the position.

Selection criteria

Essential

• At least five years' relevant experience independently managing and delivering a varied portfolio of events, including complex or large-scale events, with demonstrable accountability for outcomes.
• Outstanding event and project management capability: detailed planning, prioritisation, budgets, supplier management, logistics, risk management and reliable execution across concurrent deadlines.
• Demonstrated ownership, initiative and sound judgement; ability to work autonomously, solve problems and elevate appropriately.
• Strong systems literacy, including hands‑on experience with CRM databases, ticketing/registration platforms, email or marketing communications tools, spreadsheets and project management systems.
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy, recordkeeping, guest information, financial reconciliation and follow‑through.
• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills, including confidence working with senior stakeholders, donors, members, committees and volunteers.
• Experience working collaboratively across teams to deliver high‑quality audience or customer experiences and measurable engagement outcomes.
• Commercial and financial acumen, with proven ability to work within event budgets and report on performance.
• Capacity and willingness to work outside standard hours, including evenings and weekends, for scheduled events.

Desirable

• Experience in membership, fundraising, philanthropy, arts, cultural, environmental or not‑for‑profit organisations.
• Experience delivering donor stewardship or fundraising events, and designing event journeys that support acquisition, retention or conversion.
• Experience working with volunteer‑led committees or community programs.
• Experience with exhibitions, public programs, workshops or ticketed outdoor events.
• Familiarity with ThankQ or comparable nonprofit CRM and ticketing environments.

Key relationships

Internal: Supporter Engagement Manager; Executive Director; Philanthropy, Marketing, CRM/Data, Finance, Growing Friends and Events colleagues; Board and relevant committees. External: members, donors, volunteers and committee leaders; Botanic Gardens of Sydney teams; speakers, artists, suppliers, venues, community and event partners.

Working arrangements and conditions

• Full-time, 37.5 hours per week, with regular evening and weekend work aligned to the events calendar. Flexibility and additional hours are managed in accordance with organisational policies and applicable employment requirements.
• Primarily based at Cottage 6, Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, with event work across Gardens sites and other venues; flexibility to be agreed with the line manager.
• Remuneration, superannuation and other benefits subject to final approval, applicable employment arrangements and Foundation & Friends policies.
• The position description describes the principal accountabilities and may be updated as organisational priorities evolve.

What success looks like

• Events are delivered safely, smoothly, on time and within approved budgets, with consistently positive guest and stakeholder feedback.
• Event systems, guest data and reporting are accurate, complete and readily usable for supporter follow‑up.
• Members, donors, volunteers and new audiences have meaningful opportunities to deepen their engagement and support.
• Volunteers and committees feel valued, well briefed and supported, with clear roles and effective collaboration.
• The events program evolves through evidence‑based improvements and creative new opportunities that contribute to membership and philanthropic ambitions.