Senior Director, Special Programs

Baylor College of Medicine; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 111,000 - 131,000; Full time

Job summary

Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, is seeking a Senior Director of Special Programs to lead a comprehensive fundraising events program for alumni, patients, donors and prospects. The role emphasizes strategic event production, budgeting, reporting and donor stewardship, with supervisory responsibility for the Special Programs staff.

The position requires strategic oversight, collaboration with Development, Prospect Research, Data Analytics and Communications teams, and a track record of

Qualifications

• Five years of relevant experience.
• Experience leading/coordinating non-profit events (500+ attendees).
• Management experience required (2+ years).
• 8+ years in special events.
• Experience in higher education and/or healthcare preferred.
• BBCRM experience is preferred.
• Experience with event management systems: GiveCampus, Almabase, Cvent, or equivalent.
• Proficient use of MS Office, Teams, Planner and SharePoint.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership for new and existing events, including cultivation, educational and fundraising events.
• Responsible for overall program KPIs, budgeting, and analysis to optimize ROI.
• Defines a long-term plan for event strategy over the next 3-5 years.
• Manages the Special Programs team and leads of various events.
• Responsible for a defined strategy for substantial events approved by leadership and collaboration across Development, Prospect Research, Data Analytics and Communications.
• Project manage events including budgeting, venue selection, vendor negotiations, timelines, volunteer recruitment, outreach and on-site management.
• Provides strategic consultation on event planning and donor engagement to maximize outcomes.
• Serves as a visible leader during event execution and handles challenges.

Skills

Event leadership

Non-profit fundraising

Team management

Event planning

Attention to detail

Tools

BBCRM (Blackbaud CRM)

Cvent

GiveCampus

Almabase

MS Office

SharePoint

Teams

Job description

Job Title: Senior Director, Special Programs

Division: Institutional Advancement & Alumni Affairs

Work Arrangement: Hybrid

Location: Houston, TX

Salary Range: $111,118 - $130,728

FLSA Status: Exempt

Work Schedule: Flexible

Summary

The Senior Director of Special Programs is responsible for the development and implementation of a comprehensive fundraising events program, focused on creating numerous engagement opportunities for alumni, patients, donors and prospects. This position will report to the Executive Director, Annual Giving and Engagement and will be responsible for event fundraising management, organizing and managing all aspects of event production that fulfill the desired goals and objectives, including financial reporting, budgeting and project management, as well as facilitating volunteer planning committees, vendor relationships and working with gift officers and leadership on special donor events and stewardship. The Senior Director of Special Programs will also have supervisory responsibilities for all Special Programs staff.

Internal title: Senior Manager, Special Programs; working title: Senior Director, Special Programs

Job Duties

• Provides strategic leadership, planning and implementation for all new and existing events, including cultivation, educational and fundraising events, as well as special donor meetings, that support Baylor College of Medicine's strategic plan and fundraising goals.
• Responsible for overall program KPIs, budgeting, and analysis to continuously optimize and increase ROI. Reviews individual event performance and stays on top of industry best practices to identify opportunities to enhance outcomes across both directly managed and team-led events.
• Defines a long-term plan for event strategy over the next 3-5 years that supports the priorities outlined in the Office of Advancement and Alumni Affairs business plan.
• Manages the Special Programs team, including two Associate Director direct reports, and assigns as leads of various events, providing guidance and oversight.
• Responsible for a well-defined strategy outlined in a strategic brief for all our substantial events that are approved by leadership and support the department’s goals and objectives. Partners with teams across the office including Development, Prospect Research, Data Analytics and Communications Teams on the components of the event strategy to define KPIs, maximize outcomes and ensure alignment.
• Project manage events, as the event lead, including budgeting, strategic mailing list development, venue selection, vendor selection, management and contract negotiations, establishment and monitoring of timelines, volunteer recruitment and management, outreach and solicitation strategy, promotions, collateral and program development, on-site requirements and day-of-event management and coverage. Provide project management guidance to direct reports as needed.
• Provides strategic consultation to departments across the institution on event planning, fundraising and constituent engagement strategies, as requested or directed by leadership, to maximize event effectiveness and philanthropic outcomes.
• Serves as a visible and decisive leader during event execution, confidently managing unexpected challenges, directing event operations, making real-time decisions and ensuring successful outcomes without requiring extensive oversight from leadership.
• Builds out and clearly defines Baylor's third-party / community events program, volunteer program and event sponsorships. Guides team to work collaboratively with Advancement staff to ensure appropriate leveraging of event volunteers, attendees and donor / sponsor relationships. Acts as a liaison to community groups, organizations and vendors, or guides team as needed.
• Responsible for Events Program systems and processes including oversight of the roll-out of new platforms and technologies to support various events. Ensures event activity and revenue is properly tracked in our CRM and that established protocols are followed. Ensures reporting requirements are completed in timely and accurate manner.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
  

Minimum Qualifications

• Five years of relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications and Skills

• At least 5 years of experience leading/coordinating special events (small and large (500+)) for a non-profit with proven track record of success.
• At least 2 years of management experience.
• 8+ years of overall experience working in special events.
• Experience in an institution of higher education and/or healthcare is preferred.
• Experience with fundraising donor management systems, preferably Blackbaud CRM (BBCRM).
• Experience with Event Management systems: GiveCampus, Almabase, Cvent, or equivalent.
• Proficient use of MS Office (including Word, Excel and PowerPoint), Microsoft Teams, Planner and SharePoint.
• Attention to detail and ability to work independently, under deadlines and multi-task.

Work Authorization Requirement:

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application and throughout the duration of employment.

Baylor College of Medicine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Equal Access Employer.

Baylor College of Medicine fosters diversity among its students, trainees, faculty, and staff as a prerequisite to accomplishing our institutional mission and setting standards for excellence in training healthcare providers and biomedical scientists, promoting scientific innovation, and providing patient-centered care. Baylor College of Medicine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Equal Access Employer.