Senior Events Specialist

Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The Senior Events Specialist at Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona in Tucson leads the planning, strategy, and execution of complex events, including fundraising, cultivation, and community engagement. The role collaborates with internal teams to optimize engagement, recruitment, and marketing tools, and may supervise other event staff.

Responsibilities include building long-term donor relationships, managing budgets and contracts, tracking KPIs, conducting post-event ROI evaluations, and

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in project management, events planning, fundraising, donor and sponsorship solicitation.
• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Sales, Event management or a related field.
• Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office Applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, etc.).

Responsibilities

• Acts as primary relationship manager for corporate sponsors and donors.
• Leads the planning and execution of special, community, and third-party events, including kickoff meetings, coordination, and event wrap-ups.
• Coordinates all event operations and logistics, including fundraising and sponsorship activities, while collaborating with internal teams to optimize engagement, recruitment, and marketing tools.
• Develops and implements cultivation and retention activities for sponsors, teams, and participants.
• Responsible for tracking and evaluating events annually against KPIs such as attendance, fundraising outcomes, and participant satisfaction.
• Responsible for utilizing CRM to track community engagement activities and identify future opportunities.
• Partners with the Community Events Manager to cultivate and maintain corporate sponsor and donor relationships, including solicitation and closing of gifts.
• Coordinates venue selection, site visits, and vendor communications to ensure alignment with organizational mission and event goals.
• Collaborates with Marketing to develop event themes, logos, and collateral materials, ensuring timely delivery.
• Conduct post-event evaluations to assess ROI and drive future event growth.

Skills

Donor relations

Project management

Event planning

Public speaking

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Communications or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

CRM tools (Salesforce)

Job description

Position Summary:The Senior Events Specialist is responsible for the planning, strategy, and execution of complex Community Food Bank (CFB) events, including fundraising, cultivation, and community engagement activities. This role develops event goals, implements plans, and evaluates outcomes to ensure success and continuous improvement. The position may also provide supervision to Event Specialists and the Outreach Coordinator. Evening, weekend, and off-site work is occasionally required.Key Responsibilities:Acts as primary relationship manager for corporate sponsors and donors.Builds long-term donor relationships and closes gifts in support of fundraising goals.Leads the planning and execution of special, community, and third-party events, including kickoff meetings, coordination, and event wrap-ups.Coordinates all event operations and logistics, including fundraising and sponsorship activities, while collaborating with internal teams (i.e. Volunteer Services, Operations, Marketing, Finance, and Donor Services) to optimize engagement, recruitment, and marketing tools.Develops and implements cultivation and retention activities for sponsors, teams, and participants.Responsible for tracking and evaluating events annually against Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) such as attendance, fundraising outcomes, and participant satisfaction, identifying opportunities for continuous improvement.Responsible for utilizing CRM to track community engagement activities and identify future opportunitiesPartners with the Community Events Manager (CEM) to cultivate and maintain corporate sponsor and donor relationships, including solicitation and closing of gifts.Supports the CEM with community outreach, public speaking, and other engagement methods to strengthen visibility and relationships.Coordinates venue selection, site visits, and vendor communications to ensure alignment with organizational mission and event goals.Responsible for reviewing contracts for all special, community, and third-party events, involving the CEM as needed.Collaborate with the CEM to manage and track event budgets, ensuring financial accountability and identifying cost-saving opportunities.Collaborates with Finance and the CEM on the events billing, invoicing, and reconciliation processes.Collaborates with Marketing to develop event themes, logos, and collateral materials, ensuring timely deliveryConduct post-event evaluations to assess Return on Investment (ROI) and drive future event growth.Performs other duties as assigned.Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the staff member for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.Qualifications:An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered if applicable and must be directly related to the functions and body of knowledge required to successfully perform the job.Minimum Qualifications:Three (3) – Five (5) years of experience in project management, events planning, fundraising, donor and sponsorship solicitation role and a proven record of engaging with prospective corporate donors and solicitating/closing major gifts.Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Sales, Event management or a related field.Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office Applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, etc.).For company insurance purposes, at least 21 years of age; possess a current Arizona Driver’s License with a safe driving record.Preferred Qualifications:Experience working or volunteering at a nonprofit and/or food bank.Bilingual in English and Spanish.Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:Knowledge of project management and event planning with the ability to manage multiple projects.Skills in innovation, problem solving, and creative problem solving.Skills in effective and respectful communication with appropriate individuals to relay the details and status of upcoming events.Ability to conduct tours of CFB (Tucson location) and be comfortable with public speaking.Ability to effectively communicate with employees, volunteers, donors, and partner organizations.Strong time and management skills, long range planning.Ability to work without a high-level of direction.Strong written and verbal communication skillsDemonstrated interest in learning internally and externally and incorporating new information into role.Ability to work with people from diverse economic, social, and political backgrounds.Core Competencies:Planning & OrganizingRelationship BuildingCollaborationJudgment & Problem SolvingResults OrientationCommunication & InfluenceInitiative & IndependenceAdaptabilityPhysical Requirements:Light Work – ability to exert 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.Expectations:CFB is dedicated to fostering a workplace where our Core Values of Dignity, Integrity, Collaboration, and Impact are actively demonstrated and supported in all aspects of our work.CFB works diligently to maintain a culture of fairness, responsibility, trustworthiness and teamwork to advance our mission: We change lives in the communities we serve by feeding the hungry today and building a healthy, hunger-free tomorrow.CFB is a drug and tobacco free work environment.CFB is committed to having a workforce that reflects diversity at all levels and is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants are considered for employment, and staff members are treated during employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.