Purpose of Role
The Senior Associate of Event Sales, Obama Presidential Center, will be responsible for the solicitation of clients for event sales in spaces across the Obama Presidential Center campus. In addition to driving event sales, the Senior Associate of Event Sales will be responsible for planning, organizing, and executing a wide range of events; such as corporate events, meetings, social events and others all while ensuring seamless and memorable experiences for both internal and external participants. These spaces will include an auditorium, program rooms, an athletic center, and multiple other spaces ranging in size from 25 to 1,000 + guests. This role requires excellent organization and project management skills and a passion for selling. The Senior Associate of Event Sales should strive to sell, create and implement impactful events that inspire and empower our clients, event planners, foundation partners, etc. to connect within our community through revenue driven events that embody our mission, vision and strategic values.
As the Senior Associate of Event Sales, you’ll be reporting directly to the Manager of Event Sales.
Core Job Responsibilities
Integrate event rental sales including promotion, scheduling, pricing, and support into client-facing engagement. These plans will include collaborating with other Foundation teams to support internal and external revenue driving events.
Build and maintain a working knowledge of Obama Presidential Center assets to further event sales; including events management technology, rental equipment, and event spaces.
Actively support strategic event planning. Collaborate with the Manager of Events to define event objectives at the Obama Presidential Center, define target audience, and conduct thorough research to connect with event planners, Destination Management Companies, etc globally to drive engaging events to the Obama Presidential Center.
Collaborate with the Contract Revenue team, Food & Beverage Operator, Facilities Team and Security Team and others to implement event logistics that consistently meet standards.
Cultivate and manage relationships with vendors, sponsors, and partners to maximize opportunities, and ensure successful collaborations.
Serve as a key point of contact for all venue space logistics, working closely with Obama Presidential Center Scheduler and other team leads for establishing priorities in space utilization.
Identify potential risks and challenges associated with events and develop contingency plans. Implement risk mitigation strategies to ensure the smooth execution of events.
This list of duties is not exhaustive. This position will be instrumental in supporting the revenue team and will be expected to assist in any capacity needed to achieve individual, team, and foundation goals and initiatives.
Key Deliverables / Outcomes
Managing sales across client groups and engaging a diverse customer base to meet and exceed sales goals as set by the Manager of Events.
Implement operational policies and procedures to support the Manager of Event Sales, including but not limited to working closely with the Senior Associate, OPC Scheduler, to ensure space commitments and staffing needs are properly anticipated.
Build and maintain relationships with clients, event planners, corporations, and community organizations through prospecting, direct solicitation, and site visits.
Work closely with the Manager of Events to pitch sales plans and implement marketing campaigns for event spaces.
Work closely with Event Coordinator to ensure attention to detail in event logistics execution and in adhering to timelines.
Engage with diverse stakeholders toward an organizational mission with a commitment to customer service, inclusive operations, and attention to detail.
Required Qualifications
Extensive knowledge of sales practices, event logistics and best practices for both large and small scale operations, particularly with 5+ years of professional experience in the event industry with experience at a cultural institution as a plus, and a track record of planning and executing successful events.
Experience in venue management including knowledge and experience working with multiple internal teams and third party vendors to, meet or exceed sales targets or revenue goals of $2-4 million.
Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to effectively collaborate with and influence a variety of internal and external partners.
A resilient self-starter, detail oriented and highly organized individual with a bias for action and ownership — comfortable navigating ambiguity and ability to create structure and process in a fast-paced environment.
Flexibility of hours including but not limited to early morning, late night, weekends, and holidays across campus in both indoor and outdoor environments. Ability to work out of the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park and/or other Obama Foundation locations in Chicago.
The salary range for this role is between $79,040 and $98,800.
Don’t check off every box in the requirements listed above? Please apply anyway! Studies have shown that marginalized communities – such as women, LGBTQ+ and people of color – are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. The Obama Foundation is dedicated to building an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible workplace that fosters a sense of belonging – so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to still consider submitting an application. You may be just the right candidate for this role or another one of our openings!
Equal Opportunity Employer
The Foundation is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at careers@obama.org if you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application.