Event Program Manager

Chabot Space & Science Center is a non-profit science center and observatory dedicated to inspiring and educating learners of all ages about the Universe and planet Earth. Chabot’s mission is to spark and engage curiosity, deepen access and inclusion within science education, and provide opportunity for pathways into careers in the sciences.

Situated on a beautiful 13-acre campus nestled in the redwoods of Oakland’s regional parks, Chabot Space & Science Center includes immersive exhibits, hands-on learning activities, science festivals, a state of the art planetarium, and is home to the official NASA Ames Visitor Center. Chabot’s research-level astronomical observatory, featuring three large scale telescopes, is the largest observatory complex free for regular public viewing in the Western United States.

At Chabot, we:  

• Conduct ourselves with honesty, transparency, and ethical behavior, maintaining the trust and confidence of our community.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, valuing the diverse perspectives, ideas, and skills of our staff, volunteers, and partners, recognizing that collective efforts drive positive change.
• Encourage creativity and innovation, embracing new ideas, and approaches that advance our mission and optimize our impact and promote ongoing professional development, fostering a culture of learning, growth, and continuous improvement, where individuals are empowered to reach their full potential and contribute their unique strengths.  
• Treat all individuals with dignity and respect, appreciating their unique backgrounds and experiences, fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone.
• Actively seek partnership and collaboration, recognizing that working together with others strengthens our ability to make a meaningful difference in the communities we serve.
• Measure our success by the positive impact we make in our community, always seeking ways to address emerging needs, adapt to changing circumstances, and make meaningful and lasting change.
• We believe that everyone deserves a career they love. We strive to build a diverse team that reflects the people we serve; this is made possible through our commitment to fostering a culture of diversity, inclusion, equity, and connectedness. 

Event Program Manager Job Summary:

As the Event Program Manager within the Earned Revenue Department at Chabot Space & Science Center, you will play a pivotal role in developing and delivering incredible event experiences for our visitors to build loyalty, repeat business and attract new audiences. This person leads a collaborative team of event and program professionals who facilitate the museum floor and engage audiences of all ages at private rentals, outdoor learning programs, teambuilding sessions, slumber parties, and more. The position requires a pro-active problem solver and strategic creative thinker, someone who can pivot to meet the needs of the visitor and the institution, a person who can motivate their team, manage competing priorities with exceptional time management skills, deliver excellent customer service, and has experience working with audiences of all ages in fast-paced small-to-large scale events. This position requires a passion for people, exceptional leadership skills, and a commitment to excellence in event planning and execution. The schedule for this position will need flexibility including weekend availability and late nights.

Duties/Responsibilities:

Team Management:

• Lead and inspire a team of event program production staff, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Develop and implement comprehensive training programs to equip staff with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver exceptional events. Create manuals and documentation specific to the department.
• Take a visionary approach, planning strategies based on Chabot’s culture of inclusion, flexibility and care for visitors, clients, vendors, volunteers, and staff.
• Take initiative to develop strategies needed to support the vision for the Earned Revenue Department, its roles and responsibilities to the institution.
• Collaborate with various departments, including facilities management, education, programs and marketing, to coordinate event operations effectively.

Day-of Event Production:

• Functions as manager-on-duty or manager-on-call for events and programs orchestrated within the Earned Revenue Department. Works with production staff to deliver workshops and experiences such as overnights, outdoor education programs, paint & sip programs, rental events, birthday parties, and other programs.
• Directs team to execute all event-related tasks, everything from parking plans to guest experience, facility preparation, and reset.
• Maintains department inventory and oversees supply organization. Provides recommendations for purchase of necessary equipment.
• Provides excellent customer service support as an event host. Deploys flexible problem-solving strategies to ensure successful event despite unforeseen challenges.
• Builds and maintains relationships with vendors and enforces museum event policies.
• Adheres to and provides guidance for safety protocols.
• In collaboration with the Director of Strategic Sales, handles customer service and conflict resolution for difficult and/or complicated guests and/or vendors. Works to identify issues for resolution in advance of an event day.
• Assesses and responds to emergencies according to Chabot’s safety policies. Responsible for the safety and well-being of guests, staff, and volunteers at events and initiates safety intervention protocols as needed.

Event Planning:

• Creates and organizes event plan in advance and communicates between all event participants including volunteers, staff, and leadership.
• Demonstrates excellent customer service and professionalism when conducting meetings and facility tours with clients and vendors in preparation of an event. Responds promptly to telephone, email, web call, and in-person questions. Follow up with consistent communication to ensure all parties are well informed of event policies. Proactively schedules check-in meetings with clients & vendors.
• Assists in producing final invoices and receipts leading up to an event, and ensuring all necessary permits and documentation are received before an event can take place.
• Manage Planetarium facility use at events, including programming customized lighting, Planetarium Dome content, and sound. Execute Planetarium content as needed per event, including ceremonies, award shows, presentations, and Dome content programs. Determines audio visual requirements and needs for each event and in various spaces, advising adjustments as needed.

Administration:

• Represents Chabot Space & Science Center at networking forums to raise awareness of the earned revenue programs.
• Participate in Chabot Team and All-Staff meetings as needed.
• Monitor guest feedback and implement necessary improvements.
• Maintains team schedules and resources.
• Identifies value-added opportunities for events during planning process.
• Assists in processing payments and reservations within the organizational calendar as needed.
• Management and maintenance of Chabot’s event liquor licenses and inventory and oversight of all food and beverage operations related to special events, including compliance with licensing requirements.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Proven track record of effectively leading and developing teams, with strong interpersonal and conflict resolution skills.
• Exceptional organizational abilities, with the ability to prioritize tasks, systemize staff scheduling, delegate responsibilities, and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong collaborative, interpersonal, and communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to engage diverse audiences. Possess diplomacy and adeptness in working across multiple departments and levels.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and experience with CRM systems.
• Self-starter with demonstrated ability to coordinate multiple activities under tight deadlines and manage high-pressure situations.
• IT/AV experience required. Comfortable setting up projectors, audio, and theater equipment.
• Demonstrated organizational, interpersonal and communication skills. Ability to anticipate, identify and resolve issues independently, think creatively and offer solutions.
• Comfortable with public speaking.
• Passion for science education and a commitment to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in hospitality, event management, museum studies, or related experience.
• Minimum of 4 years of experience in event management or hospitality leadership, preferably within a museum, science center, or cultural institution.
• 2 years’ experience in customer service roles.
• Spanish speaking skills a plus.

Work Environment:

Must be committed to working in a diverse workforce with dignity and respect, appreciating unique backgrounds and experiences, and fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for everyone.

Physical Requirements:

The physical requirements listed below are characteristic of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ability to sit, stand, and walk for extended periods of time.
• Ability to lift 25 pounds.
• Ability to work indoors in environmentally controlled conditions, or outdoors in seasonal temperatures.
• Ability to work in a sometimes loud and active environments for an extended period.
• Ability to work in crowded environments.

CHABOT IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Chabot is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our employees are people with differing strengths, experiences, and backgrounds who share a passion for bringing science to the full range of our community – sparking excitement about a universe of possibilities beyond our planet. Diversity not only includes race and gender identity but also age, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, religion, and many other parts of one’s identity. All our employees’ points of view are key to our success, and inclusion is everyone’s responsibility.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $70,000.00 - $76,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

Ability to Commute:

• Oakland, CA 94619 (Preferred)

Ability to Relocate:

• Oakland, CA 94619: Relocate before starting work (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $70,000 - $76,000