Director, Gala Events

Boston Symphony Orchestra; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 96,000 - 118,000; Full time

Job summary

The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is seeking a Director of Gala Events to lead planning and execution of its fundraising galas and donor engagement efforts. You will drive end-to-end event design, logistics, and day-of execution, managing budgets, staff, and cross-department collaboration to ensure exceptional guest experiences.

Working with a Senior Director of Special Events, you will translate strategy into polished events, travel to Tanglewood as needed, and oversee a small team while

Qualifications

• 4+ years of progressive and demonstrated experience in large-scale event planning and production in fundraising galas and ticketed events.
• Experience in fundraising including soliciting ticket sales and table sponsorships.
• Proven experience managing, developing, and motivating staff.
• Experience managing vendor relationships and contracts, including venues, caterers, and production partners.
• Ability to travel to Tanglewood in the Berkshires as needed between July through August, and to work evenings and weekends.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage high-stakes deadlines.
• Exceptional organizational and communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate across personalities and functions.
• Commitment to donor service and excellence in execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end planning for development events, including three annual fundraising galas and three family donors events, translating strategy into executable plans.
• Develop event concepts, guest flow, programming, and event flow documents reflecting standards and goals.
• Build and manage event calendars, timelines, and project trackers for internal and vendor deliverables.
• Coordinate invitations and collateral with Marketing and vendors, and proofread materials before final sign-off.
• Manage venue logistics, contracts, permitting, insurance, and equipment rentals.
• Ensure compliance with health, safety, accessibility, and regulatory requirements.
• Develop contingency plans and risk mitigation for each event.
• Serve as on-site lead, directing staff, volunteers, and vendors for seamless guest experience.
• Lead pre-event briefings and manage on-site command structure and problem solving.
• Oversee setup, load-in/out, and breakdown with stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Development Strategy to set, track, and report fundraising goals.
• Support frontline fundraisers with assignments and donor engagement.
• Align event plans with donor needs and stewardship objectives.
• Elevate donor experience through guest services and consistent touchpoints.
• Provide fundraisers with briefs, materials, and day-of support.
• Partner with Facilities, Marketing, IT, and other departments for venue and technical support.
• Maintain cross-departmental transparency to prevent silos.
• Coordinate with vendors and partners to ensure outputs meet standards and timelines.
• Lead staff development and performance feedback for team.
• Develop staffing plans and direct volunteers at events.

Skills

Event planning

Staff management

Vendor management

Budgeting

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Tools

Tessitura CRM

Job description

ABOUT THE BSO

Founded in 1881, the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is one of the premier orchestras in the world. The BSO is committed to bringing world class music and performances to the local and international communities. The key to our success has been our employees, from the musicians onstage to those behind the scenes.

About the Role

The Director of Gala Events leads the planning and execution of the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s (BSO) fundraising gala events. While the Senior Director of Special Events sets fundraising strategy, the long-range events plan, and key stakeholder relationships, this position turns that vision into polished, memorable events that deepen donor relationships and advance and achieve giving goals.

This role is hands‑on in event design, production, and day‑of execution, and owns event‑level operations and logistics from planning through breakdown. It manages two direct reports and partners with multiple departments including, but not limited to: Facilities, Development Operations, Marketing, and IT to secure the support needed. The Director is a creative, detail‑oriented leader who is calm under pressure, collaborative, and committed to excellence in the guest experience.

Responsibilities

Event Planning & Design

• Lead end-to-end planning for development events, including three (3) annual fundraising galas and three (3) family-oriented donor engagement events, translating the Senior Director’s strategic direction into clear, executable plans.
• Develop event concepts, guest flow, programming, and event flow documents that reflect Development House Standards and the goals of each event.
• Build and manage event calendars, planning and production timelines, and project trackers covering all internal and vendor deliverables.
• Coordinate production of invitations and event collateral with Marketing and vendors, and proofread and circulate all materials ahead of final sign-off.

Event Operations & Logistics

• Manage venue logistics, contracts, permitting, insurance, and equipment rentals.
• Ensure compliance with health, safety, accessibility, and regulatory requirements.
• Develop contingency plans and risk mitigation strategies for each event.

Event Execution

• Serve as the lead on site, directing staff, volunteers, and vendors to deliver a seamless guest experience.
• Lead pre-event briefings and manage the event-day command structure, including real-time problem solving and quick response to on‑site changes.
• Oversee event setup, load-in, load-out, and breakdown in coordination with relevant stakeholders.

Fundraising and Donor Experience

• Collaborate with the Director of Development Strategy and Analytics to set, track, report on and achieve fundraising goals,
• Coordinate closely with frontline fundraisers to follow up on solicitation assignments.
• Work with Senior Director of Events and frontline fundraising to align event plans with donor needs and stewardship objectives.
• Elevate the donor experience through thoughtful guest services, hospitality, and consistent, high-quality touchpoints before, during, and after events.
• Provide fundraisers with the briefings, materials, and day‑of support they need to engage donors effectively.

Cross-Departmental Collaboration

• Partner with Facilities, Development Operations, Marketing, IT, and other departments to secure the venue, facilities, ticket holds, invitation list generation, and technical support each event requires.
• Communicate event needs, timelines, and deliverables clearly and proactively, and hold partners accountable to agreed timelines, so colleagues can plan and deliver their areas efficiently.
• Participate in the cross-departmental meetings led by the Senior Director and maintain transparency across functions to prevent silos and reduce friction.

Vendor & Creative Partner Collaboration

• Serve as the internal point of contact for event vendors and creative partners, including caterers, florists, designers, production teams, and rental providers.
• Select, brief, and manage partners to bring event concepts to life, communicating deliverables clearly and maintaining respectful, solutions-oriented relationships while ensuring all outputs meet Development House Standards and timelines.

Team Leadership

• Supervise and mentor the Associate Director of Stewardship Events and the Assistant Manager of Development Events and Fundraising Events, providing clear direction, development, and performance feedback and fostering a collaborative, high‑performing team culture grounded in service and excellence.
• Build staffing plans for all event phases, including staff and volunteer roles, and assign and direct volunteers at events in coordination with the Senior Director and the BSO Association of Volunteers.

Budgeting & Evaluation

• Manage individual event budgets with transparency and accuracy, tracking expenses against plan and reporting to the Senior Director, who oversees the overall events program budget.
• Document event procedures, timelines, and outcomes to support performance analysis, process improvement, and the Senior Director’s events guidelines.
• Lead post-event debriefs with internal teams to evaluate outcomes and integrate feedback.

Required Education and Experience

Required

• 4+ years of progressive and demonstrated experience in large-scale event planning and production in fundraising galas and ticketed events, including ticketing setups, sales, and day‑of management.
• Demonstrated success in event fundraising, including soliciting ticket sales and table sponsorships.
• Proven experience managing, developing, and motivating staff.
• Experience managing vendor relationships and contracts, including venues, caterers, and production partners.
• Ability to travel to Tanglewood in the Berkshires as needed between July through August, and to work evenings and weekends in support of events.
• Proven ability to lead cross‑functional teams and manage high‑stakes deadlines.
• Exceptional organizational and communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate across personalities and functions.
• Commitment to donor service and excellence in execution.

Preferred

• Experience recruiting, training, and managing event volunteers.
• Strong creative sensibility and attention to detail in guest experience and event design.
• Proficiency with project management platforms, event systems, and CRMs (Tessitura experience is a plus).

Salary Range: $96,000 - $118,000

The BSO is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.