Director, Event Sales & Production

American Humane

Washington, DC

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JOB DETAILS

JOB TYPE

Full-time

SKILLS

Alliance/Partner Management, Analysis Skills, Bond Market, Brand Marketing (Branding), Budget Management, Business Skills, Campaigns, Catering Services, Conservation, Contract Negotiation, Corporate Funding, Cross-Functional, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Database Technology, Delivery Driving, Donor Development, Donor Relations, Event Management, Event Strategy Development, Exceeded Sales Goal, Expense Management, Financial Analysis, Fundraising, Leadership, Lift/Move 20 Pounds, Logistics Management, Maintain Compliance, Marketing, Meet Sales Quota, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Negotiation Skills, Organizational Skills, People Management, Performance Analysis, Performance Management, Performance Metrics, Physical Demands, Problem Solving Skills, Product Pricing, Profit & Loss, Profit & Loss Management, Quality of Care, RSVP (Reservation Protocol), Record Keeping, Reporting Skills, Return on Investment (ROI), Revenue Growth, Sales, Sales Pipeline, Sales Strategy, Salesforce.com, Stewardship, Strategic Planning, Sustainability, Time Management, Willing to Travel

LOCATION

Washington, DC

POSTED

26 days ago

American Humane Society (AHS) is seeking a Director, Event Sales & Production. This position will be hybrid, based at the DC or Palm Beach office location and reports directly to the Chief Communications Officer.

For nearly 150 years, American Humane Society (AHS) has led the way in protecting animals and strengthening the bonds between animals and people. We respond first when animals need rescue, shelter, or protection. Through our groundbreaking programs – from our “No Animals Were Harmed®” certification in Hollywood to our farm and conservation welfare standards – we set the highest level of care and compassion in animal protection.

Working at AHS means being part of something bigger. With offices in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and Palm Beach, we provide a supportive, professional environment where your work makes a real difference in animals’ lives. American Humane Society is committed to fostering a welcoming workplace. As we seek to fill this position, we highly encourage high-performing applicants from all backgrounds to apply.

Position summary:
Reporting to the Chief Communications Officer, the Director, Event Sales & Production is responsible for the strategic development, revenue generation, and end-to-end execution of American Humane Society’s premier fundraising and donor engagement events.

This role blends high-level event production with proactive revenue leadership, with a strong emphasis on cross-functional collaboration, particularly in close partnership with the Development team, to drive attendance, sponsorship, and overall event success. The Director is accountable for achieving ambitious revenue, attendance, and engagement goals by directing coordinated efforts across Development, Partnerships, and other internal stakeholders to secure sponsorships, drive table sales, and maximize participation.

Serving as a forward-facing ambassador for the organization, the Director partners closely with internal relationship holders to collaboratively engage board members, corporate partners, major donors, and executive leadership in the planning and execution of events. In this role, the Director helps shape and support relationship strategy through events, ensuring experiences are tailored, mission-aligned, and designed to deepen engagement while achieving financial and participation goals.

This position oversees all aspects of event execution from concept through post-event follow-up, ensuring seamless delivery while driving measurable philanthropic impact and strengthening long-term donor engagement.

Responsibilities:
Event Sales & Revenue Leadership

Accountable for directing and achieving revenue targets for assigned events, including sponsorships, table sales, ticket sales, and other integrated fundraising components.
Develop sponsorship packages, pricing strategies, and sales materials in collaboration with Development, Partnerships and Marketing.
In close collaboration with Partnerships and Development, actively cultivate, solicit and close corporate sponsorships, table commitments, and high-value ticket sales.
Partner with board members, executive leadership, and Development and Partnership colleagues to drive peer-to-peer outreach and secure attendance commitments.
Provide regular reporting on sales pipeline, revenue pacing, and attendance projections, with clear strategies to meet or exceed goals.

Strategic Event Production

Lead the planning and execution of a portfolio of high-profile events including galas, donor cultivation dinners, premieres, VIP receptions, and mission-driven experiences.
Oversee event budgets, timelines, run-of-show documents, contracts, and vendor negotiations.
Manage venue selection, catering, production, entertainment, décor, and technical elements to ensure exceptional, on-brand experiences.
Maintain full ownership of event P&L, balancing revenue growth with expense management.
Manage event staff, volunteers, vendors, consultants, and contracted production teams.
Ensure compliance with organizational policies and brand standards across all event touchpoints.

Guest Strategy & Room Composition

In collaboration with CEO, CCO and SVP & Chief Growth Officer (CGO), lead strategic guest list development to ensure balanced representation of donors, prospects, sponsors, influencers, and mission stakeholders.
Drive RSVP tracking and room-fill strategy in partnership with Major Gift Officers, Corporate Partnerships, and executive leadership.
Coordinate targeted outreach campaigns to maximize attendance and engagement.
Provide leadership with real-time data and recommendations to optimize guest composition and revenue outcomes.

Philanthropic & Stakeholder Engagement

In close coordination with Development & Partnerships, serve as a forward-facing liaison to board members, top donors, corporate partners, and VIP stakeholders before, during, and after events.
Collaborate with Development to identify cultivation opportunities and align events with donor pipeline strategy.
Design meaningful, personalized guest experiences that deepen engagement and inspire philanthropic investment.
Coordinate post-event stewardship strategy, ensuring timely follow-up and clear next steps for high-priority prospects.

Execution & Cross-Functional Collaboration

Partner closely with Communications, Marketing, Development, and Partnerships to align messaging, branding, and fundraising goals.
Coordinate sponsor recognition, visibility benefits, and fulfillment deliverables.
Support executive leadership and VIP protocol during events, including seating strategy and real-time issue resolution.

Reporting & Performance Management

Track and analyze event performance metrics including revenue, sponsorship fulfillment, attendance, engagement indicators, and ROI.
Provide post-event analysis and strategic recommendations to improve future outcomes.
Maintain accurate records within CRM and revenue tracking systems in collaboration with Development Operations.

Essential experience, knowledge, skills and abilities:

8+ years of progressive experience in event production, sponsorship sales, and revenue-generating events, including proven leadership of event strategy, execution, and revenue generation.
Proven success leading cross-functional efforts to meet or exceed revenue targets through sponsorships, table sales, and ticket sales.
Demonstrated experience leading and managing high-profile, donor- and corporate-facing events.
Strong business acumen and comfort managing event P&L responsibility.
Exceptional organizational skills and ability to think strategically while shifting gears quickly in fast-paced environments.
Polished, professional presence with strong negotiation and relationship-building skills.
Proven ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across teams.
Experience working with senior executives, board members, and VIP stakeholders.
Willingness to travel and work evenings/weekends as required by event schedules.
Ability to approach events with strategic foresight while managing detailed logistical execution.
Demonstrated initiative, sound judgment, and discretion in handling sensitive or confidential information.
Strong work ethic with portfolio of measurable results.
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint); Salesforce experience helpful; able to quickly learn and adapt to new software or database systems.

Direct reports:

No employees, but vendors and contractors would report to this position. Potential for number of direct reports to grow as the organization grows.

Physical demands and work environment:

Position will be a hybrid of office/telework with the position based out of the Washington, DC or Palm Beach, FL office location and regular telework schedule based on organizational policy, need and manager discretion.
Must be comfortable with animals, particularly dogs, in the office and at events.
Regular travel, in particular in Washington, DC and Palm Beach, FL locations, is required for on-site event execution, with frequency and distance dependent upon the employee’s primary work location; limited potential for international travel.
Non-standard hours, including some evenings and weekends, required for event execution.
While performing the duties of this position, the employee will regularly be required to:
- Look at and work on a computer screen for extended periods of time,
- Talk, hear and exchange information over the telephone, virtually and in person,
- Sit or stand for extended periods of time,
- Lift items up to 20 pounds as needed.

American Humane Society’s core values define our workplace, and these values serve as the cornerstone for interactions in advancing our mission and institutional goals. Employees are expected to adhere to all organizational policies and to act as role models, demonstrating American Humane Society’s core values:

Compassion – Being kind and caring in our interactions with others.

Accountability - Holding ourselves to the highest standards. Following through on commitments and owning our actions, behavior, and decisions.

Respect for All – Being professional, listening to others and honoring diversity in all its forms.

Loyalty to Mission – Staying focused on our purpose and our mission – our nation’s most vulnerable depend on us.

Sustainability - Contributing to being a great place to work and achieving our shared mission and goals to make a difference, now and in the future.

Honesty, Integrity, Trust – Demonstrating transparency, as trusted stewards of donor resources, supporting our leadership and one another.

American Humane Society (AHS) is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to fostering a welcoming, supportive workplace where our work makes a real difference in animals' lives.

Job Details:

Director, Event Sales & Production

American Humane

Washington, DC

About the Company

American Humane

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