Senior Associate Director, Special Events & Gala Strategy

The Shed; New York (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The Shed in New York seeks an Associate Director of Special Events to lead strategy and execution of fundraising events, including the annual gala, donor cultivation, and stewardship. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, you will shape the vision, build budgets, manage staff, and partner with senior management and volunteers to advance The Shed's mission.

The ideal candidate has 6–8 years of experience in cultural events, proven success in major fundraising, and strong analytics, with

Qualifications

• Six to eight years of experience leading special events teams in cultural or arts organizations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and execution of institutional and development-focused events.
• Develop budgets for each event and manage department budgets.
• Oversee Gala and other high-visibility fundraising events.
• Cultivate relationships with board members, volunteers, vendors, and donors.
• Ensure high-quality execution and timely delivery of events.

Skills

Event leadership

Fundraising events

Donor stewardship

Budgeting

Project management

Excel/Sheets

Tools

Tessitura

VenueOps

Job description

The Shed in New York seeks an Associate Director of Special Events to lead strategy and execution of fundraising events, including the annual gala, donor cultivation, and stewardship. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, you will shape the vision, build budgets, manage staff, and partner with senior management and volunteers to advance The Shed's mission.

The ideal candidate has 6–8 years of experience in cultural events, proven success in major fundraising, and strong analytics, with