Job Description

The Executive Director, Engagement & Events is a critical leadership role in Institutional Advancement, reporting to the Vice President/Chief Advancement Officer. The EDEE convenes and partners with key internal and external stakeholders and advises on the creation and execution of coordinated strategies designed to maximize the lifetime engagement and philanthropic support of CalArts’ alumnx, families, and friends constituencies.

Working closely with the Chief Advancement Officer, the EDEE helps to develop and implement engagement, cultivation, and stewardship experiences that build a sense of community and affinity. This newly created position will reimagine CalArts’ engagement and special events opportunities during a pivotal time of growth for the Institute. Engaging all constituents, the EDEE’s team has the opportunity to showcase the talents of students, faculty, and alumnx and to celebrate honoraries associated with the CalArts community. With world-class artists learning and teaching at CalArts, Advancement’s engagement activities and special events are highly collaborative opportunities to work with students, faculty, staff, and volunteer leadership to achieve growing fundraising goals.

The Advancement division has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build its infrastructure and grow the staff because of restricted private philanthropy. With a dynamic President and Chief Advancement Officer, as well as a highly motivated staff of fundraising professionals - the growing advancement efforts at CalArts support a strategic vision rooted in increased access and equity for all students. In addition to increasing endowed scholarship dollars, giving opportunities will fund curriculum innovation as well as campus-wide infrastructure and facility upgrades to ensure sustainable growth and exemplary student experiences.

The successful candidate will be highly adept at understanding the entire donor cycle and be actively involved in advising on all aspects of constituent relations, from identifying potential friends of CalArts, to understanding the diverse interests and talents of the alumnx base, to honoring the experiences of families whose students attend CalArts. They will lead strategy on all engagement and special events from start to finish while ensuring their staff is successful at engaging a wide and diverse body of constituents who bring different strengths to the CalArts community. In addition, EDEE will collaborate with their Advancement colleagues to identify appropriate cultivation opportunities for CalArts’ individual, corporate, alumnx, and family prospects.

Qualifications

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

The EDEE will lead a team of engagement and special events professionals in the overall strategic implementation of alumnx and family engagement. Engagement is critical to the CalArts’ community and will help support enterprise-wide philanthropy-based commitments from all CalArts audiences.

Constituent Engagement

• Engage key partners across the institute in the planning, directing, and executing of engagement experiences that are aligned with the CalArts community and other stakeholders
• Maintain exemplary relationships with campus leadership, volunteer leadership, and key stakeholders of the Institute
• Support the Vice President/CAO role in the ongoing cultivation and engagement of the highest priority constituents in order to ensure their overall experience with CalArts is purposeful and meaningful.
• Lead the EE staff with high expectations, guiding them to follow best practices in all aspects of strategic engagement activities and events
• Oversee the successful launch of the Cattern House’s (new presidential residence) Engagement and Events program, including the ongoing strategic planning for the appropriate and effective use of the residence year-round

Events Management

• Lead the strategic vision of Advancements’ entire suite of external audience experiences. This includes but is not limited to annual engagement and fundraising events, school-based initiatives for alumnx and students, 2-4 campus/institute-wide experiences, regular and ongoing monthly digital learning workshops, year-round cultivation activities at the Cattern House, and in 2022-23 lead the series of celebrations honoring CalArts’ 50th Anniversary, including the return of an institute-wide Alumnx Reunion
• Promote and institutionalize a comprehensive understanding of the overall responsibilities of special events fundraising. This includes establishing best practices in prospect management, event management, goal setting, communications, and data maintenance. Align practices and policies with advancement operational functions to ensure that special events serve the strategic priorities of the Institute
• Collaborate with the Vice President/CAO and senior leadership to develop strategies to meet current and future goals of special events - from brand recognition to public relations opportunities, to constituency engagement success

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

• A strategic and creative-minded nonprofit or higher education advancement executive with a track record developing compelling and successful experiences for prospective donors
• Strong leadership skills. Ability to lead staff to follow a shared vision. Inspire trust through authenticity and transparency. Ability to build small collaborative groups, run meetings with a diverse body of staff and volunteers, delegate to both direct support and peers, and lead discussions of strategy with campus leadership
• Excellent relationship management and interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with donors, volunteers, and staff; display superior judgment and diplomatic skills; excellent verbal and written communications skills
• Commitment to excellence, self-motivation, and a professional demeanor, especially in the stressful environment of event production and day-of logistics. Able to command an army of vendors, producers, artists, and volunteers, all striving towards reaching shared timelines and event launch
• Process enthusiast. Strong organizational skills, highly sophisticated in establishing systems and tracking details, large and small, critical and simple
• The ability to handle multiple tasks with organization and accuracy as well as a confident, calm demeanor
• Commitment to serving diverse constituents. Ability to effectively convey messages to different audiences in a variety of formats
• Emotional intelligence to interpret and act on emotions in themselves and others
• A collaborative, team-oriented attitude. Maintain a positive presence on campus and extend a good‐ natured grace and enthusiasm in all personal interactions
• Ability to collaborate with a large team and attend to competing needs. Works effectively with coworkers to promote and maintain a positive work environment while supporting strategic partnerships and collaborative relationships across the CalArts campus
• Grit to maintain composure when things go wrong and a sense of humor to stay sane and keep a positive attitude no matter what happens
• High level of self-motivation to proactively move multiple tasks forward while documenting and sharing progress, and meeting strict deadlines
• Proficiency in Google Suite, internet research, and a strong knowledge of marketing channels as related to event promotion and volunteer engagement
• Proficiency in utilizing fundraising and special events databases and software

All team members must:

• Demonstrate strong organizational, written, and oral communication skills. Think strategically and creatively and perform with expertise in order to support the advancement of CalArts
• Work with high level of self-motivation to proactively move multiple tasks forward while documenting and sharing progress, and meeting strict deadlines
• Have experience and confidence in donor database management and ease in functioning in CRM systems
• Be tech savvy and able to use best practices to improve and reinforce business processes, ensuring effective time management and outcomes-based work performance
• Possess strong computer skills: Google suite, CRM databases, mail merges, presentation software, video integrated meeting systems, and digital event registration products
• Maintain confidentiality with regard to donor relations at all times
• Commit to serving diverse constituents in an environment that embraces inclusiveness, diversity, equity and access
• Collaborate effectively with a large team and attend to competing needs
• Work with coworkers to promote and maintain a positive work environment while supporting strategic partnerships and collaborative relationships across the CalArts campus
• Possess the emotional intelligence to interpret and act on emotions in themselves and others
• Utilize personal skills in dealing with people with diplomacy, tact, maturity
• Demostrate grit by maintaining composure when things go wrong as well as a sense of humor to stay sane and keep a positive attitude no matter what happens

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor level degree required, Masters degree preferred
• Expert manager with a track record of successful coaching and role modeling and holding employees accountable
• Program management, volunteer management, special events, and fundraising background (minimum 10 years combined)
• Extensive knowledge and expertise in managing all aspects of fundraising special events - both small and intimate, and large and celebratory
• Budget management and experience being an effective steward of funds in the nonprofit and higher education sphere
• Experience in the arts disciplines is a requirement, higher education preferred

FURTHER INFORMATION

The Advancement Division works in a hybrid model, spending a minimum of 2 days per week on campus or at in-person meetings, and the remainder of days working from home. Because the division is responsible for fundraising events, applicants must be available to work additional hours during evenings or weekends, and at peak periods of the year. During certain brief times during the academic calendar, there will be restrictions on vacation approvals to ensure the division can adequately support the fundraising initiatives that align with the Institute’s highest priority activities.

Application Instructions

This position is available immediately. If you are interested, please follow the link to Interfolio below:

Executive Director, Engagement & Events - ID:106077

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

California Institute of the Arts shall abide by the requirements of 41 CFR §§ 60-1.4(a), 60-300.5(a) and 60-741.5(a). These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Moreover, these regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.