Production Manager, Special Events

This is a Full Time Job

Reports To: Director of Special Events
Department: Special Events
Status: Full-time, Exempt

About Central Park and the Central Park Conservancy
Central Park is one of the most famous and beloved urban public spaces in the world. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1857, the 843-acre park was the first purpose-built public park in the country and is a National Historic Landmark. The Central Park Conservancy, a private not-for-profit organization, was founded in 1980 to rescue the Park which had fallen into serious disrepair. Since that time, the Conservancy has overseen the investment of approximately $1 billion in the restoration of the Park, and now hosts over 40 million visitors a year.

The Conservancy's mission is to preserve and celebrate Central Park as a sanctuary from urban life. The City of New York has formally entrusted the care of the Park to the Conservancy which is responsible for every aspect of its care, including landscape maintenance, capital improvements, and the visitor experience. Committed to sharing the best practices in urban park management, the Conservancy also serves as a resource for other NYC parks and for public-private partnerships around the world. The Conservancy employs roughly 400 people and has an operating budget of $80 million.

The Conservancy recently completed a seven-year plan, Central Park Conservancy, A Plan for the Stewardship of Central Park: 2020-2027, which focuses on the ongoing capital investment of the last four decade's investment of more than $1 billion into Central Park.

Job Summary
The Production Manager, Special Events plays a key role on the Special Events team and is responsible for assisting in the logistical planning, and execution of annual fundraising and stewardship events as well as public programming and organization-wide events, hosted by the Central Park Conservancy (CPC).

Summary of Essential Job Functions
• Meet objectives in various stages of planning, implementing, and executing Central Park Conservancy events to include, but not limited to, Taste of Summer, Starlight Dinners, Annual Gala, CPC Film Festival, key Women's Committee events such as the Frederick Law Olmsted Awards Luncheon, Women's Committee Fall Luncheon, Play for the Park Tennis Tournament, and Playground Partners Annual Family Party, as well as a robust calendar of other Major donor/Member receptions, cultivation, staff, and volunteer events.
• Coordinate site visits and vendor meetings to review in park logistics of events.
• Support Director of Special Events with onsite logistics to include vendor supervision and management of load in, set up, execution and breakdown.
• Prepare Emergency binders to include all information needed for pre-event onsite DOB and FDNY inspections.
• Assist in preparation of comprehensive event documents to include event physicals, production schedules, vendor contact lists, day of event timelines and event supply bring with lists.
• Manage onsite volunteers and staff as needed at events.
• Help manage compliance with vendor insurance requirements to include health and safety obligations.
• Process vendor contracts and purchase orders for special events, including all Women's Committee event contracts, using internal platforms such as SpringCM and Workplace
• Oversee ordering of office supplies and field materials needed for events and manage event related inventory.
• Contribute to overarching organizational goals by participating in philanthropy team meetings.
• Work collaboratively with other departments such as operations, communications, finance, IT, Visitor Experience, capital projects, and the Conservancy President's office as needed in order to effectively meet event related objectives.
• Complete work and delegated tasks within tight deadlines.
• Support special projects for other departments as needed.

Minimum Requirements
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 5+ years' experience in special events production or in related field.
• Strong knowledge of NYC events industry and vendor contacts.
• Familiarity with aspects of event fundraising, solicitation, and volunteer management.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively, as a team.
• Demonstrates organizational skills and can prioritize and multitask in a fast-paced work environment.
• Strong written and communication skills.
• Possess maturity, tact, and have common sense and the ability to think creatively.
• Must be flexible and able to work some nights / weekends.
• Valid US driver's license required and must be comfortable driving in NYC
• Ability to work outside in all weather conditions.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, etc.)

Salary range: $70K to $81K (based on level of experience)

Note: This is an on-site position.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION
The Central Park Conservancy's work is guided by the belief that Central Park, and all public parks, must be managed and actively protected as an inclusive and democratic space for all.

Working closely with our New York City partners, we will always strive towards creating and sustaining a sense of belonging for all visitors and advocating for equitable and accessible public use of the Park.

In service of this belief, we are committed to fostering a workforce and organizational culture that is as diverse as Central Park itself and the dynamic city it serves.

Safety Requirements:
Establishment and maintenance of a safe work environment is the shared responsibility of this organization and employees at every level. The Conservancy will make every effort to assure a safe environment and follow federal, state, and local safety regulations. Employees are expected to obey safety rules and to exercise caution in all their work activities. Accordingly, employees should be aware of any hazards, which could cause an injury or accident (e.g., spills, obstacles in walkways, etc.). If an employee discovers a potentially dangerous condition, he/she should alert other employees and notify his/her supervisor immediately.

Disclaimer:
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed