Garden Event Manager

The Garden at Elm Bank, a premier wedding and event venue located in Wellesley, is looking to grow our Functions and Events Department team! Our unique garden location, operated by our growing non-profit organization, Massachusetts Horticultural Society, is looking for personable Event Managers to oversee and execute our weddings, social, and professional events for our 36-acre property. We hosted approximately 90 events during our 2024 season.  Event spaces range from our carriage house to a spacious and fully customizable lawn where clients can create the tented reception of their dreams.

We are looking to fill these positions immediately and have a team of passionate Event Managers ready to support and deliver a variety of events at our stunning property beginning in April. The ideal candidates should be flexible to working limited and varying weekday and weeknight shifts, and a more consistent schedule of weekend afternoons and into the late evenings. The schedule of shifts would vary, but include Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with shifts varying from 6 to 12 hours in length, depending on event needs. We’re hiring multiple candidates for this position to ensure a manageable and consistent schedule depending on the candidates’ needs and availability.

This is a seasonal, part-time role with the expectation of 20 hours, weekly. Our ideal candidate is self-motivated, familiar with event management, and passionate to help us grow our brand and business. We would love a candidate who has experience within the event industry, but we are willing to train the right person! Staffing schedules are established at least one month in advance.

Position Overview:

The role of the Event Manager is to oversee and execute events on site. This includes coordination and direction of vendor access, management of guest arrival and parking, provision of golf car transportation, customer service, and solving problems. The Event Manager also maintains detailed site knowledge such as access points for systems controls, cleanup protocols, and emergency responses. Limited minor clean up, bathroom checks, moving tables/chairs with caterers as needed is required, although these should not be routine or major elements of the role. This position is responsible for the safety and security of the site and for late night closing of the buildings and grounds after events. We are looking for a personable and confident professional who enjoys working with people!

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Serve as the primary contact for the caterer, event planner, and customer for the duration of their event.
• Maintain safety and security of the site including key holder responsibility for monitoring gates and property access. This includes late night, end of event lockups and shutting down of the property.
• Provide exceptional customer service when working with clients throughout the delivery of their event.
• Cultivate and maintain positive client relationships through kindness, support and understanding of their needs.
• Having excellent time management skills to prioritize the event day needs. Must understand and be comfortable enforcing timing constraints.
• Must maintain procedural consistency and enforce our policies and procedures of the property in a polite and confident manner.
• All systems must be executed efficiently and steadily, as finalized by our Event Producers and communicated via the client’s custom planning form, the Banquet Event Order.
• Coordinate and collaborate with vendors and clients to ensure timely delivery, install, and pickup times.
• Foster an environment of openness and collaboration within the organization, and externally with clients, and vendors.
• Build relationships with our exclusive and preferred vendor teams to ensure impeccable service and pleasant experiences each time they work with our team and venue.
• Assist with set up and break down as necessary including moving, lifting, storing, chairs, tables, and related items.
• Manage and supervise events independently alongside other Event Managers. Must be able to assign tasks and lead on-site events including timeline and task management.
• Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with others. Lead by example.
• Build and protect our brand and brand image.

Qualifications & Skills:

• Experience working within catering, or event planning/ management is preferred.
• Must be personable and enjoy working with people using patience, courtesy, and kindness.
• Must be able to remain calm, think on your feet to solve problems, and troubleshoot under pressure.
• Attention to detail is imperative.
• Ability to retain many details to share with the clients pertaining to our property’s policies, organization structure, unique history of our location and what Massachusetts Horticultural Society (Mass Hort) does including education, membership, garden tourism, community initiatives and events.
• Ability to work independently with little direction.
• Effective and concise communication skills, both oral and written.
• Strong record-keeping and organizational skills.
• Thoughtful eye for cleanliness and design
• Must be able to lift 25 pounds, bend, and crouch.
• Ability to solve minor cleaning and maintenance issues.
• Possession of a valid driver's license and good driving record. Must be able to operate a golf cart to conduct work.
• Responsible for maintaining a consistent and regular attendance record.
• CORI check required.

Timeline:

• Looking to interview in February, train in March, and begin work in April
• Training will be accommodating to applicants’ current schedule and likely an evening or weekend
• 2025 Event Schedule is currently live so applicants and trainees will be able to evaluate this during the interview and training process

Salary : $20 - $25