Special Events Manager

Context

Our vision is to bring hope to every one of our patients across London, when they need us most, where they need us most. Our mission is to use everything we know, our specialist skills and unmatched experience to save lives and ensure the best outcomes for every one of our patients and their families. We’re a charity that works alongside the NHS and our life-saving service is made possible by our supporters. 

This is an exciting time to join London’s Air Ambulance Charity. Following our largest-ever fundraising appeal, we launched an ambitious 15-year strategy that will guide the service through to our 50th anniversary in 2039. This strategy sets a bold direction for the future - ensuring we continue to deliver world-class, life-saving care across one of the most complex and demanding urban environments in the world.

We attend more incidents requiring life-saving treatment at the scene than any other air ambulance service. Every day, our teams deliver cutting-edge clinical care in high-pressure situations, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in pre-hospital medicine. Our new strategy calls on us not only to deliver exceptional care today, but to invest in innovation, research, training and education - so that tomorrow we can save the patient we could not save today. It also challenges us to tell this broader, more powerful story of impact: from improved patient outcomes to pioneering advancements that shape trauma care far beyond the capital.

As part of the philanthropy, partnerships and events team, the Special Events Manager will plan and deliver a portfolio of exciting and unique fundraising and cultivation events.

About the role

As the Special Events Manager, you’ll play a central role in driving the charity’s ambitious fundraising goals by planning and delivering a portfolio of new, creative and impactful fundraising and cultivation events.

Under the guidance of the Senior Special Events Manager, you’ll support on the innovative development of the special events portfolio, incorporating and delivering fresh and exciting fundraising, stewardship and cultivation opportunities within the calendar.

You’ll work closely with the philanthropy and partnerships teams to design and plan events that inspire, engage and educate our major donors, corporate partners and prospective supporters. These events are all about helping our key audiences understand our mission and inspiring future support. These currently range from intimate dinners, innovation focused demos, galas, webinars, pledging moments and panel discussions.

Key responsibilities

Strategy and calendar design

• Support the Senior Special Events Manager to develop and deliver a special events strategy and calendar, in line with the team’s goals and the 15-year organisational strategy that aims to promote the work of London’s Air Ambulance Charity, strengthen relationships with existing philanthropists and partners, and broaden our reach to new philanthropic audiences
• Work strategically with other fundraising teams to develop and implement a bespoke supporter journey for all key event stakeholders
• Develop sector networks to forge beneficial relationships, keeping fully abreast of relevant trends and developments and integrate them into our own events.

Event planning

• Take charge of planning exciting and unique cultivation, stewardship and fundraising events to enhance our relationships with key audiences including high-net-worth individuals, corporate partners and trusts and foundations
• Work with communications to design the messaging and assets that will engage and inspire our supporters
• Source and manage key third-party suppliers critical to event success, including venues, catering, tech and logistics
• Manage events to budget and cross team KPIs as well as produce event review reports to identify learning and provide insight for future decision making.

Managing relationships

• Working in partnership with our Philanthropy Board to create bespoke experiences
• Build effective relationships across the wider organisation, including with senior leaders and subject matter experts, to bring the charity's work and impact to life at our events
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across fundraising and marketing, particularly philanthropy, partnerships, communications and marketing to design and execute events
• Managing relationships with our gift-in-kind supporters to make sure we keep securing event venues, prizes and other services at little or no cost to maximise our fundraising
• In collaboration with the Senior Special Events Manager, you’ll generate and lead on the delivery of significant beneficiary event opportunities.

General responsibilities 

• To be an ambassador and advocate of London’s Air Ambulance Charity at external events and meetings and actively seek opportunities to promote and support our work
• Actively promote the core values and behaviours of London’s Air Ambulance Charity whilst working towards achieving the strategic objectives of the charity
• Have a strong working knowledge of London’s Air Ambulance Charity’s vision, mission and impact
• To comply with general data protection regulations, ensuring that information on supporters remains confidential. 

The above list is not exclusive and the job holder may be required to undertake other duties as required.

We are a charity that delivers an advanced trauma team to London’s most critically injured patients, due to the nature of our work you may occasionally be exposed to information relating to the work that we do. 

About the person

We’re looking for someone creative and organised who is confident working with multiple stakeholders, under pressure to tight deadlines. You’ll have strong written communication skills and experience producing innovative event concepts and engaging content. You’ll have the ability to build and maintain positive, productive relationships with a range of stakeholders, including event committees, attendees and hosts, as well as experience managing relationships with supporters and suppliers. You’ll be proactive, curious, and highly organised with the diplomacy and tact needed to engage major donors.

Essential knowledge and experience

• Significant event management experience
• Experience of writing engaging content, for example, scripts, event briefs, invitations and emails
• Providing excellent stewardship and maintaining productive relationships with key event stakeholders
• Creating solutions or responses to problems related to event coordination
• Experience of supporter and supplier relationship management
• Experience of monitoring income and expenditure budgets
• Experience of multi-tasking and prioritising activities
• Experience of working under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Experience of working in a team.

Desirable knowledge and experience

• Experience of managing special events, galas and high-profile ticketed events
• Strategic development and implementation of new event concepts
• Experience working with and developing relationships with high-net-worth individuals or event committees
• Experience of using a CRM database (ideally Microsoft Dynamics)
• Experience of using project management software (ideally Monday)
• Understanding of the Equality Act and good working practices in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Skills and personal attributes

• Excellent communication and negotiation skills
• A collaborative teamwork approach, looking to drive ultimate benefit to the charity
• Diplomatic and persuasive with the combination of personal sensitivity and tact that is needed when working with prospective major donors
• Exceptional organisation skills
• Independent self-starter
• Tenacious and resilient approach to challenges and objections
• Creative and imaginative.

Our benefits

Working environment

• Hybrid working for most roles, with time split between our offices at Mansell Street or The Royal London Hospital and remote working
• Flexible working arrangements for most roles, with a 35-hour working week (for full-time employees) and core hours of 10:00-16:00
• A collaborative culture built around our values: compassionate, courageous and pioneering
• Access to a variety of learning and development opportunities to support your career growth
• A commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion and belonging, supported by our employee-led network, All Inclusive.

Supporting your wellbeing

• 27 days of annual leave plus bank holidays (pro rata for part-time employees)
• Additional office closure between Christmas and New Year, giving you an extra three days leave each year
• Additional annual leave awarded for long service
• One day's paid moving leave each year
• One day's paid volunteering leave each year to support causes that matter to you
• Compassionate leave
• Enhanced sick pay, providing up to five weeks full pay in a rolling 12-month period from day one of employment
• Access to a free and confidential Employee Assistance Programme, offering support for emotional, financial and legal matters, plus a wellbeing app.

Supporting your financial wellbeing

• Generous pension scheme with a 10% employer contribution when you contribute 5%
• Medicash health cash plan, helping you claim back the cost of everyday healthcare expenses
• Access to a wide range of employee discounts through sites including Blue Light Card, Health Service Discounts and Perks at Work
• Season ticket loan
• Cycle to Work scheme.

Supporting your family

• Enhanced maternity pay, offering company maternity pay at 75% of your annual salary for weeks seven to 26 of maternity leave
• Life assurance cover equivalent to four times your annual salary.