Job  Board

The deadline to submit an application is June 5, 2025. Please submit both a resume and cover letter to be considered.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY:

The Ford Foundation seeks an experienced Senior Manager of Event and Venue Operations who will be responsible for the day-to-day event and venue operations of the Center for Social Justice and lead the management and execution of external-facing events at the foundation.

Reporting to the Global Director, Event Strategy and Production, the Senior Manager is an event producer, strategist, and tactician who can build and refine processes and workflows and manage institution-wide projects with operational excellence. The ideal candidate will be detail-oriented, strategic, and adaptable, able to work independently and as part of a team. 

Additionally, the Senior Manager partners closely with internal operations teams to ensure cross-departmental alignment, manages the weekly event application review process, operationalizes venue management policies and procedures, creates new systems and workflows to enhance efficiencies, and tracks building usage and analytics to refine venue management decisions. Finally, this leader nurtures and develops their team and orchestrates high-stakes convenings, including high-level government or diplomatic officials. The Senior Manager and team are expected to operate with diplomacy and discretion while working with grantees, tenants, and other partners.

HOW YOU WILL CONTRIBUTE: 

Ford Foundation is a leader in convening events and engagements related to social justice. Strategic, well-crafted events are a powerful way to advance our mission and build momentum for change. Events include, but are not limited to, conferences, summits, seminars, talkbacks, film screenings, symposiums, artistic and cultural programming, and other gatherings. The Senior Manager is crucial in furthering the institution's vision as a convening hub for staff, tenants, grantees, and partners. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Venue and Operations Management

Lead the day-to-day event and venue operations of the Center for Social Justice.

Partner with peer internal colleagues to build, interrogate, refine, overhaul, and operationalize new systems, tools, and processes.

Manage and refine the application review process to more efficiently and effectively respond to a high volume of event requests and inquiries.

Direct and communicate with expert knowledge of the various event spaces, setups, capacities, and services to guide internal and external stakeholders.

Review, audit, and operationalize event guidelines and procedures to ensure that all Center engagements remain in alignment with foundation policies.

Lead and report on regular event analytics, reporting, and tracking, ensuring data integrity and accuracy, and make strategic recommendations around venue usage.

Partner with the Office of Communications to create and publish event and venue resources and collateral.

Event Logistics & Coordination

Lead the management, coordination, and logistics of external events at the Center for Social Justice.

Project-manage and produce complex, high-level engagements, including serving as event lead in the foundation’s work to support events related to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and other thematic weeks.

Manage events from agenda to execution, leading kickoff and check-in calls with clients, and coordinate necessary production elements.

Manage, coach, and mentor temporary staff, providing leadership, input, and advice when needed, addressing challenges, and giving feedback to ensure event expectations and deliverables are met; supervise contractors and vendors, as required.

Lead weekly event operations meetings across teams (A/V, catering, facility, property management, and security) to coordinate logistics, troubleshoot issues, promote best practices, and ensure cross-team alignment.

Manage entering all event services and details, tracking event progress, conducting walk-throughs, ensuring venue agreements, verifying certificates of insurance, and finalizing room setups, A/V, catering, and security needs.

Develop standard templates for timelines, BEOs, client communications, staffing plans, etc.

Act as event producer and strategist to produce internal (Ford) events as necessary.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience, and a minimum of 6 years of experience with event management, production, logistics and venue coordination.

Demonstrated experience planning complex events and projects, building new systems and efficiencies, and leading teams to manage and scale large projects.

Proven entrepreneurial, innovative, and collaborative self-starter with strong project management skills.

High degree of emotional intelligence to partner and engage effectively with different clients, audiences, and stakeholders, including across foundation departments and with vendors and other external relationships.

Ability to identify and communicate problems, offer constructive and thoughtful solutions, including leading efforts to integrate newly aligned approaches.

Ability to work with minimal direct supervision and manage multiple events/projects.

Committed team player who can mentor and coach junior members of the team.

Ability to contribute to a positive, productive, supportive, and motivating environment.

Brings resourcefulness, flexibility and strong organizational skills.

Ability to problem-solve, exercise discretion, escalate issues with manager as appropriate, and follow up appropriately on process and procedural issues.

Willingness to work flexible hours regularly, including early mornings and late evenings.

Ways of working and engaging that align with the Foundation’s mission, core values, and commitment to creating a culture of excellence.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

This position is primarily a sedentary role. However, the position requires movement around the building, occasional lifting of event materials, and frequent written and verbal communication with clients and partners. 

The Ford Foundation is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its programs, and operations. As part of this commitment, the Foundation will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If a reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application process, please contact, talentacquisitionhr@fordfoundation.org.

SALARY: The Ford Foundation is committed to practicing salary transparency. The starting salary for this position is $150,000. We review global compensation on a regular basis to ensure market competitiveness and equity. The starting salary for this position has been carefully crafted in alignment with the market.

EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Permanent.

LOCATION: This position is based in the foundation’s New York office. We operate in a hybrid model and require staff to be in the office three days per week.

About Us

 

The Ford Foundation is an independent, nonprofit grant-making organization. For more than 80 years it has worked with visionary people on the front-lines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. With headquarters in New York, the foundation has ten regional offices in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

Introduce Yourself

We're always looking to grow our talent pool! If interested, please click Get Started to learn more.