Senior Project Lead, Special Events & Community Engagement

Trevor Day School seeks a full-time Senior Project Lead, Special Events & Community Engagement, to direct the end-to-end operational project management, technical execution, and strategic production of institutional advancement events. Operating as a critical project lead within the Development team, this role engineers high-impact experiences that advance institutional fundraising, major-donor stewardship, and cultivation goals. This is a specialized, project-intensive position responsible for managing complex event logistics, external vendor contracts, and dedicated advancement database systems. This is a 12-month position.

• Under the direction of the Director of Development and in collaboration with the broader Trevor Leadership team, the Senior Project Lead, Special Events & Community Engagement is a strategic partner who oversees the design, planning, and implementation of all Development/Alumni-related special events to help advance constituent relations and fundraising goals, including but not limited to parent receptions, dinners, Special Visitors Day, phone-a-thons, alumni relations events, as well as targeted donor receptions.

• Build and manage master operational timelines, critical paths, and project milestones for major institutional events, including Centennial initiatives.  

• In collaboration with senior administration, optimize opportunities to strengthen relationships and demonstrate public appreciation for donors and benefactors at major organizational events, including Commencement, a back-to-school night, and Homecoming, among others.

• Tailor event programming for specific audiences, including parents, donors, trustees, and alumni, ensuring a high quality, mission-aligned experience for all constituents.  

• Define event objectives and track performance metrics to ensure actionable engagement to achieve long-term goals, including fundraising, donor cultivation, stewardship, and community building among a wide cross section of stakeholders.  

• Serve as the operational lead for event-related data integration across Raiser’s Edge, Almabase, and Greater Giving. Oversee RSVP tracking, audience segmentation, financial data entry, and post-event analytical reporting. Utilize Adobe Creative Cloud, Canva, MailChimp, and digital platforms to design, program, and distribute targeted invitations, registration portals, and promotional assets.

• Direct budget tracking, cost forecasting, and financial reconciliations for event operations in collaboration with the Business Office. Manage third-party contract negotiations and vendor relationships (catering, production, technology, security).

• Collaborate with senior members of school administration and other business units to ensure messaging and brand positioning remain consistent across all experiences.

• Stay current with industry trends to continuously improve the guest experience and ensure events are innovative and engaging.

• Collaborate with the Director of Development and other members of senior administration and Trustees on executing a VIP stewardship plan for leadership donors, which may include special events, reports, and other strategic touchpoints.  

• Co-produce strategic briefings and remarks for school leadership and event VIPs.  

• Guide and support the Parents Association (PA) leadership with their own event productions to ensure proper procedures and protocols are followed, while serving as the primary day-to-day liaison to the PA.

• Work with the PA on coordinating, updating, and maintaining PA event records, and any related sponsored event information in Greater Giving.

• Assist in overseeing logistics for volunteer and staff coordination, ensuring clarity of roles and responsibilities during events.

• Attend regular school operations meetings to review needs for upcoming departmental events.

• Is a visible and engaged community member actively working to create a welcoming environment for every member of the school community.

• Perform additional responsibilities as required to support the team’s objectives and needs.

Required Skills/Qualifications

• The ideal candidate will hold a bachelor’s degree and have a minimum of three years of professional event planning experience, ideal