Shady Side Academy (SSA) seeks an enthusiastic and innovative Associate Director of Special Events and Engagement with a background in administering complex events ranging in size and type from intimate to large-scale and in-person to virtual. SSA offers a unique and valuable education that is relational and robust, cultivates a balanced and informed worldview, and leverages real-world learning experiences to create leaders at the nexus of technology and the liberal arts. Accordingly, this role will oversee a strategic approach to high-visibility events, providing a holistic brand experience, raising the academy's profile, and advancing institutional goals. Reporting to the Chief Marketing Officer, this position acts as the project manager for the successful planning and implementation of high-profile academy-wide events throughout the year that engage our community, cultivate positive relationships, and build brand awareness and loyalty. A successful candidate for this role will collaborate across departments—including Admissions, Alumni and Development, and the President’s Office—to build experiences and assets that reinforce an integrated customer journey (not just a moment in time) and delight constituents.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research to understand the event and experience needs of our internal and external community.

• Own the events strategy to provide consistent, inclusive, and remarkable events.

• Brainstorm, coordinate, and execute external-facing events generating leads within our target demographic by adding value and entertainment to attendees' lives.

• Proactively seek and solve for issues through internal community events that lift community engagement and loyalty.

• Continuously raise the bar for remarkability and delight moments.

• Curate and bring to life exceptional in-person, hybrid, and remote marquee events.

• Balance the needs of multiple stakeholders while participating as a member of a collaborative team environment.

• Develop and gain consensus with partners on an overall event plan.

• Partner with the Calendar Coordinator to prioritize high-impact events and ensure event dates and details are accurate on school calendars.

• Mentor cross-departmental collaborators and event planners to grow better together.

• Collect, evaluate, and interpret data measuring the performance of events to build systems that seek efficiency and iterative growth.

• Evening and weekend work is required.

Qualifications & Qualities

• Minimum of three years experience in event management or planning.

• Dexterous in cloud-based event management platforms, project management software, and CRMs

• Proven ability to provide engaging, successful events of all scales with the highest levels of client satisfaction

• Dedication to creating unique experiences that achieve results while leaving a lasting impact on attendees

• Demonstrable passion for planning cadence, maintaining deadlines, and efficient multi-tasking

• Authentic, outgoing, clever, and possessing sound business acumen

• A firm believer in building meaningful internal and external relationships

• Positive attitude, commitment to iterative growth, and a personality suited for creative leadership