Event Specialist- Conference

FOCUS Catholic; Golden (CO); On-site; USD 48,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Dental insurance

Health Savings Account

Life insurance

Long-term disability insurance

403(b) retirement plan

LifeLock Identity Protection

Paid time off

Paid parental leave

Paid holidays

Job summary

FOCUS Catholic is seeking an Event Specialist to help plan and execute SEEK, the national conference. SEEK is a five‑day event held at two city‑wide venues, inviting attendees to an encounter with Christ and the Gospel.

The Specialist will coordinate multiple locations, coach campus staff, and partner with vendors to deliver a world‑class experience. Reporting to a Conference Manager, you will drive projects in a collaborative planning environment, supporting the on‑ground team for locations you

Qualifications

• Experience planning and implementing events of varying size and scope.
• Strong project management with ability to meet deadlines across multiple projects.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to drive projects with multiple stakeholders and find win‑win solutions.
• Ideally 2+ years as a campus missionary.
• Ideally SEEK committee experience.

Responsibilities

• Report to Manager of Events.
• Manage special projects and respond to tickets within 48 hours.
• Enter deadlines 6–18 months prior and track progress weekly.
• Maintain 90% on-time status in SEEK Master Plan.
• Ensure expenses stay within 5% of project budget and review invoices.
• Proficient with Smartsheet, Passkey and Cvent.

Skills

Event planning

Project management

Communication

Deadline driven

Campus missionary experience

SEEK committee experience

Tools

Smartsheet

Passkey

Cvent

Job description

The role of a Event Specialist is to assist in planning and executing SEEK, FOCUS’ national conference. SEEK is a five‑day event designed to invite attendees into an encounter with Christ and the Gospel message and is held annually in two city‑wide venues concurrently. As SEEK continues to grow, the Event Specialist plays a key role in removing obstacles to encounter and supporting the delivery of a formative and lifechanging event.

As part of a large planning team, the Event Specialist manages specific project areas, coaches committees of campus staff, and partners with external vendors to execute a world-class conference experience. This role includes planning multiple conference locations and then passing off projects to the on the ground team for the locations s/he does not attend.

Specialist: The role will report to a Conference Manager for training during the first conference cycle, followed by more independent management of the projects the second conference cycle.

Position Responsibilities

Core Responsibilities

• Report to Manager of Events.
• Be available and willing to take on special projects as needed.
• Email Communication – stay up to date, respond within a timely manner (less than 48 hours), and keep inbox below 100 unread emails weekly. Respond to phone calls and voicemail within 1 business day. Always put an out of office reply on phone and email when on PTO or not checking email for longer period of times.
• Respond to direct support tickets no later than 48 hours
• Enter reasonable deadlines for project plans 6-18 months prior to event and track progress weekly. Inform manager on any dealys and strategize solutions for accomplishing all planning tasks.
• 90% on time status of deadlines in SEEK Master Plan.
• Ensure all expenses for assigned projects are tracked and within 5% of project budget, unless extraordinary circumstances occur and are approved by (Sr) Director of Conferences. Post-event: ensure all invoices within owned projects are reviewed and paid on time. Assist with bill review and splits as required. Proficiency in relevant technologies / tools including Smartsheet, Passkey and Cvent

Conference Projects

• Determine communication channels and frequency with relevant external vendors
• Master key technology required for technical execution
  • Senior level: Advanced proficiency in specialized areas
• Assist in external vendor search as needed
• Coordinate and manage all aspects of project areas, including project planning and expense tracking. Manage internal stakeholders needs and work with teammates to accommodate all requests.

Committee Coaching

• Build out roles for committees and onsite counter parts 12 months out
• Meet with Committee Head Weekly to onboard and ensure project completion up to 80% Train and on-board committee heads within 15 days of committee selection

Cultivate Divine Intamcy

• Pray in community, including scheduled department prayer time (Holy-half hour minimum) and DSC- Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3p.m.
• Avail yourself of other spiritual opportunities
• Be a consistent witness for Jesus Christ, and maintain a courteous, Christ-like attitude in dealing with people outside of FOCUS. Live out the moral life in Christ (see e.g. Oath of Fidelity and relevant policies)

Qualifications

• Proven experience in planning and implementing small and large events.
• Project management and ability to meet deadlines for multiple projects simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to drive projects forward with multiple stakeholders, while finding win-win solutions.
• Ideally 2+ years of experience as a campus missionary
• Ideally SEEK committee experience

For this role, we anticipate paying $48,000 - $65,000/year. This range is an estimate. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the provided range and will be adjusted based on various factors including qualifications, experience, abilities, geographic location, and duties.

Personal Mission Partner Development (MPD) is one way in which FOCUSinvites others to be on mission with us through the gift of their financial support. In this position, the Event Specialistwill be expected to fundraise a minimum of $4,000 per month to support their work with FOCUS. To thrive in serving the mission, the candidate will receive world-class training in this area and ample time to engage in their fundraising efforts.

As a FOCUS staff member, you and your family will have access to several benefits that are designed to help care for the whole person and make your career at FOCUS rewarding. You will receive:

• Medical, Vision and Dental insurance
• Ability to contribute to a Health Savings Account
• Employer-provided life insurance
• Long-term disability insurance
• Option to purchase additional life insurance for yourself, your spouse and your child(ren)
• 403(b) retirement plan with a discretionary employer-match for eligible staff
• Option to purchase LifeLock Identity Protection
• Integrity-based Paid Time Off
• Paid parental leave
• We observe many paid holidays recognized by fellow Americans and also some of the feast days of Holy Mother Church. In addition, we recognize the Sacred Christmas Respite by closing the office from December 24-January 1 each year.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold (full-time, part-time or temporary), and your tenure with FOCUS. Specific benefits may change at FOCUS's discretion.