Strategic Events & Development Leader

Socket.dev; Olympia (WA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

Wellness program

Paid holidays and PTO

401(k) retirement plan

Job summary

Hands On Children’s Museum in Olympia is seeking a Development Manager to lead fundraising initiatives and manage high-profile museum events. You will partner with the Development Director to execute annual plans, build sponsorships, and coordinate cross-department efforts to deliver engaging events for families.

Ideal candidates have 3+ years of event management in nonprofits, excellent communication skills, and strong budgeting abilities.

Qualifications

• 3+ years managing a variety of events in a nonprofit setting.
• Bachelor’s degree and sales experience preferred.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills; ability to interact with a wide range of stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Develops and implements strategies to retain and grow sponsorship support from businesses and individuals.
• Coordinates with the Database Manager to ensure donor gifts and sponsorships are properly recorded.
• Coordinates with multiple Museum departments, educators, partners, and stakeholders to manage museum events.
• Manages all phases of event planning, including budgeting, logistics, staffing, and on-site management.
• Works with Development leadership to prepare and monitor budgets and post-event financial analysis.
• Align event strategies with fundraising objectives to maximize sponsorship and donor engagement.
• Manages procurement, tracking, promotion, and display of auction items.
• Stewards event sponsors in conjunction with the Development Director.
• Negotiates contracts, discounts and in-kind contributions with event vendors.
• Works with Communications to develop promotional materials and digital strategy for events.
• Prepares detailed advance sheets identifying responsibilities and coordinates with facilities for setup and teardown.
• Serves as on-site point of contact during events and trains staff and volunteers as needed.
• Completes post-event wrap-up including donor reports, evaluation, and budget reconciliation.

Skills

Event planning

Fundraising

Communication skills

Project management

Non-profit experience

Budgeting

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

CRM systems

Microsoft Office

Project management software

Job description

Hands On Children’s Museum in Olympia is seeking a Development Manager to lead fundraising initiatives and manage high-profile museum events. You will partner with the Development Director to execute annual plans, build sponsorships, and coordinate cross-department efforts to deliver engaging events for families.

Ideal candidates have 3+ years of event management in nonprofits, excellent communication skills, and strong budgeting abilities.