Manager, Philanthropy Events and Awards

Socket.dev; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 72,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

Science History Institute seeks a Philanthropy Events and Awards Manager to plan and execute a donor-centric event portfolio, from nominations to ceremonies. The role oversees budgets, venues, vendors, invitations, registrations, run-of-show, on-site management, and post-event follow-up to advance fundraising and stewardship goals.

Located in Philadelphia, the position requires in-office attendance at least three days per week at 315 Chestnut Street.

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years of professional experience in event planning, awards, or program administration, or comparable relationship-driven coordination work.
• Demonstrated experience managing budgets and negotiating with venues, caterers, and production vendors
• Experience managing a recurring cycle of deadlines and external committees, or comparable experience coordinating multiple stakeholder groups on a fixed calendar
• Exceptional project-management skills, including the ability to manage multiple simultaneous events and deadlines, and keep internal and external partners informed
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong attention to detail
• Poise, discretion, and hospitality in working with donors, honorees, committee members, board members, and senior leadership
• A commitment to our mission to tell the stories behind the science
• Proven ability to work with confidentiality and sound judgment
• Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team
• Proven ability to understand and use relationship-management databases, with some data entry experience
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, Zoom, and project-management software

Responsibilities

• Manage the annual calendar of Philanthropy events, including regional dinners, award ceremonies and dinners, lectures, donor components of exhibition openings, and donor cultivation events
• Develop and manage event budgets; track expenses against budget and report variances to the Director of Philanthropy
• Identify and secure venues, caterers, and vendors; review contracts and flag terms, minimums, and deadlines requiring negotiation or approval
• Build and manage detailed production timelines, run-of-show documents, and staffing plans; maintain all events with dates, to-dos, and responsibilities in the Institute’s project-management system.
• Manage invitation production and mailing with the Institute’s print vendor, and electronic invitations and reminders through the Institute’s email platform
• Manage registration, RSVP tracking, seating, and name badges; produce accurate day-of guest materials and briefing documents
• Serve as on-site lead for event execution, including vendor supervision, load-in and load-out, and troubleshooting
• Coordinate audiovisual, production, and video needs with internal staff and external vendors
• Manage travel and accommodation arrangements, as well as hospitality for honorees, speakers, and VIP guests
• Coordinate post-event acknowledgments, follow-up correspondence, and debriefs; document lessons learned for future events
• Provide logistical support for board, committee, and Office of the President meetings and events as requested

Skills

Event planning

Budget management

Vendor negotiation

Communication skills

Project management

Stakeholder coordination

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Zoom

Project-management software

Job description

Overall Purpose of Job

The Philanthropy Events and Awards Manager plans and executes the Institute’s donor-centric event portfolio and administers the awards program, from nomination through ceremony. This position is responsible for the full arc of each event—budget, venue, vendors, invitations, registration, run of show, on-site management, and post-event follow-up—and for ensuring that every event and award advances a fundraising, stewardship, or relationship-building objective. The Philanthropy Events and Awards Manager serves as the Institute’s primary point of contact for Philanthropy events and partners with frontline fundraisers on guest lists, seating, and cultivation strategy. This position is located at 315 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA and requires in office attendance of at least three days per week.

Essential Functions

Event Planning and Execution

• Manage the annual calendar of Philanthropy events, including regionaldinners, award ceremonies and dinners, lectures, donor components of exhibition openings, and donor cultivation events
• Develop and manage event budgets; track expenses against budget and report variances to the Director of Philanthropy
• Identify and secure venues, caterers, and vendors; review contracts and flag terms, minimums, and deadlines requiring negotiation or approval
• Build and manage detailed production timelines, run-of-show documents, and staffing plans; maintain all events with dates, to-dos, and responsibilities in the Institute’s project-management system.
• Manage invitation production and mailing with the Institute’s print vendor, and electronic invitations and reminders through the Institute’s email platform
• Manage registration, RSVP tracking, seating, and name badges; produce accurate day-of guest materials and briefing documents
• Serve as on-site lead for event execution, including vendor supervision, load-in and load-out, and troubleshooting
• Coordinate audiovisual, production, and video needs with internal staff and external vendors
• Manage travel and accommodation arrangements, as well as hospitality for honorees, speakers, and VIP guests
• Coordinate post-event acknowledgments, follow-up correspondence, and debriefs; document lessons learned for future events

Other

• Provide logistical support for board, committee, and Office of the President meetings and events as requested

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years of professional experience in event planning, awards, or program administration, or comparable relationship-driven coordination work, preferably in a nonprofit development, museum, cultural, or scientific society setting
• Demonstrated experience managing budgets and negotiating with venues, caterers, and production vendors
• Experience managing a recurring cycle of deadlines and external committees, or comparable experience coordinating multiple stakeholder groups on a fixed calendar
• Exceptional project-management skills, including the ability to manage multiple simultaneous events and deadlines, and keep internal and external partners informed
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong attention to detail
• Poise, discretion, and hospitality in working with donors, honorees, committee members, board members, and senior leadership
• A commitment to our mission to tell the stories behind the science
• Proven ability to work with confidentiality and sound judgment
• Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team
• Proven ability to understand and use relationship-management databases, with some data entry experience
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, Zoom, and project-management software
• Schedule flexibility to work occasional weeknights and weekends as required

Physical Requirements

• Ability to engage in domestic and international travel
• Ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand
• Ability to operate office machinery, including computer, copier, scanner and telephone

*The starting annual salary for this position is: $80,000. Salary may be slightly higher based on candidate's experience.

The Science History Institute provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination and harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. The Science History Institute is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and strongly encourages applicants from underrepresented groups such as women, racioethnic minorities, LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities to apply.

About the Science History Institute

Founded in 1982, the Science History Institute collects, preserves, interprets, and shares the lesser-known and sometimes overlooked stories from the history of science and technology. And we don’t just mean discoveries made in laboratories. We dive deep into the history of scientific successes and failures, with a focus on expanding knowledge and broadening our understanding of how science and society intersect.We tell the stories behind the science. Visit the Institute’s museum and library, listen to our podcasts, read our magazine and blog, attend our programs, and browse our digital collections. It’s all free so you can be free to discover the science in your life. Learn more at sciencehistory.org or follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram.