- Company Name
- Make-A-Wish® UK
- Job Title
- Special Event Manager
- Job Description
-
**Job title:** Special Event Manager
**Role Summary:**
Lead, deliver and expand the organisation’s high‑profile event portfolio, maximising net income, stewarding supporters and donors, and identifying new fundraising opportunities. Manage the oversight of key events, coordinate cross‑functional teams, ensure regulatory compliance, and drive performance through data‑driven insights.
**Expectations:**
- Proven experience managing event budgets of £200k+ and events for 200+ attendees.
- Hands‑on experience partnering with event agencies and sponsors.
- Strong grasp of fundraising, data protection, safeguarding, advertising and influencer regulations.
- Competence in Salesforce CRM, financial reporting, and ROI analysis.
- Ability to use MS Office suite (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and other event‑planning technology.
**Key Responsibilities:**
- Build and nurture relationships with committee members, donors, suppliers, speakers and agencies.
- Project manage flagship and high‑value events, ensuring seamless execution and budget control.
- Generate income and in‑kind gifts for owned and third‑party events.
- Oversee stewardship of third‑party events through the Events Officer.
- Serve as primary contact for agencies and suppliers, leading meetings and ensuring success.
- Manage internal and external stakeholders, including internal teams, volunteers, and external partners.
- Attend all events, representing the organisation professionally.
- Contribute to the special events strategy with senior leaders.
- Create, monitor and optimise event budgets, focusing on cost reduction and revenue maximisation.
- Conduct event performance evaluations and report insights to drive continuous improvement.
**Required Skills:**
- Excellent written and verbal communication; ability to influence across all organisational levels.
- Negotiation and stakeholder management.
- Leadership and motivation of team members and volunteers.
- Regulatory & ethical compliance: fundraising laws, data protection, safeguarding, advertising/influencer rules.
- CRM utilisation (Salesforce) – data accuracy, reporting, analytics.
- Financial management: budget planning, financial recording, expense and invoicing oversight, ROI calculation.
- Analytical: data interpretation, performance metrics, reporting.
- Technological proficiency: MS Office (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel), event‑planning tools, project management software.
**Required Education & Certifications:**
- Bachelor’s degree in Event Management, Hospitality, Business, Marketing or a related field (or equivalent experience).
- Professional certifications in project or event management (e.g., PMP, Certified Meeting Professional, Certified Executive in Management) preferred.