The Associate Director of Events will work towards meeting the strategic priorities of a program by developing and managing plans and strategies. TNC California is looking to elevate our “TNC Experiences” to a new level of excellence, both in terms of the qualitative excellence and creativity of the events we deliver to our audiences and world-class internal systems and processes to deliver more predictability, better planning and efficiencies, and increased collaboration with internal stakeholders. The Associate Director of Events will be expected to produce extraordinary events, but also reshape the system those events are produced within.

The Associate Director will manage a team that partners in-depth with our Development team, our Conservation teams, and our internal Marketing teams (primarily Content and Campaigns) to develop and deliver compelling donor experiences via single day engagements and multi-day adventures, as well as virtual events aimed at donors, partners, and broader audiences. This individual and his/her team will also oversee event programming and logistics for organization-wide meetings and/or special events, evaluate and select vendors and direct payments, and be a key thought partner in how we deepen the relationship between TNC CA and our volunteer leaders, donors and partners. They will be responsible for ensuring the programmatic work is a collaborative and well-integrated effort across the organization, including organizing relevant internal communications and integrating current marketing and brand messaging and priorities across all events. They will reinforce consistency in the organization’s policies and procedures and provide direction to both a team and peers to develop and drive key indicators of progress and success. They will lead diverse activities, develop complex processes, project outcomes, and initiate solutions in order to improve effectiveness. The Associate Director of Events will leverage constructive and effective relationships with a wide range of people, including staff, public and private sector colleagues, vendors, and donors. They will serve as the direct liaison with senior leadership, and in select cases, the Board of Trustees and the California Leadership Council (CLC) as well as key leadership teams at our World Office.

• Strategic and creative lead for conception and implementation of awareness/engagement programs across multiple experience areas: thought leadership events (e.g. conservation summits), adventures, salons, field trips, virtual events (e.g. webinars, press briefings).  Define goals for each, create rich agendas with exemplary execution to meet those objectives, then measure and refine.
• Manage and develop team of internal and external partners to deliver world class programs with consistency and impact (~60 events per year of varying sizes, in various TNC preserves and event locations).
• Work across Marketing team to develop theming and translate event content for other owned channels (web, social, PR).
• Work in close collaboration with CA Development and Conservation teams to create attractive and effective opportunities to move prospects and donors through a pipeline of content-driven engagement opportunities.
• Manage responsibility for administrative or professional staff, including training, professional development, establishing clear directions, setting “stretch” objectives, and overseeing the execution of day-to-day work.
• Continuing the growth of our TNC CA Ambassador program and partnerships to amplify our message. Past special event guests include Jane Goodall, Alexandra Cousteau, Adam McCay, Meryl Streep, and celebrity scientists across various conservation disciplines.
• Develop and administer budget, evaluate results and develop corrective strategies, as needed.
• Direct or participate in negotiations for complex, high profile or sensitive agreements (e.g. trip outfitters).
• Ensure that programmatic commitments, Conservancy policies and procedures, and financial standards are met and managed for ethical compliance.
• They will be required to use the Conservancy’s key systems and applications, including CRM.
• Maintain confidentiality of frequently sensitive and emotionally-charged information.
• Make strategic decisions; decisions made may have program-wide impact and may bind the organization financially or legally.
• Minimize legal risk to the Conservancy and ensure legal compliance with applicable state and local regulations.
• Manage strategic initiatives through collaboration with stakeholders in order to enhance performance in accordance with short and long-term objectives.
• Act independently to resolve complex issues within program area.
• Manage responsibility and accountability for meeting strategic goals and objectives.
• Travel frequently and likely to work irregular hours and some weekends.