Job Description
Title: Events & Meetings Coordinator
Reports to: Governance and Operations Manager
Location: In-person, Philadelphia (with some remote flexibility)
Travel: Minimal, approximately 5-10%
FLSA Status: Regular, Full-Time, Exempt
Salary: $75,000-$84,000
About William Penn Foundation
The William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, is committed to expanding access to resources and opportunities that promote a more vital and just city and region for all. We do this through funding programs in the Philadelphia region in arts and culture, children and families, democracy and civic initiatives, environment and public space, and workforce training and services. Learn more at www.williampennfoundation.org.
Position Overview
The Events and Meetings Coordinator will be responsible for three objectives within the Foundation’s operational strategy:
1. Learning Communities event planning, execution, and oversight
2. Foundation events and meetings planning, execution, and oversight
3. Front desk and shared administrative support
Events and Meetings Responsibilities
- Manage all aspects of Foundation event and meeting needs, including coordination, planning, and management of space needs and logistics, vendor management and contracts, catering, invites, RSVP response, coordination with lead staff and guest parties, building security, technology setup and operation, and all other event needs.
- Event Planning and Logistics: Independently manage all aspects of events, including venue selection, catering, décor, and on-site setup/teardown.
- Set-up and operate all audio-visual and technology needs for in-person, remote, and hybrid meetings and participants.
- Organize and coordinate annual organization planning activities including scheduling planning meetings, drafting agendas, managing meeting logistics, and coordinating meeting follow-up.
- Manage a Foundation-wide master calendar of meetings, events, and convenings to provide transparency and coverage for support.
- The Foundation utilizes an offsite meeting space located less than a half mile from our main office. The Events and Meeting Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating and traveling between both locations on a daily/weekly basis, ensuring the offsite space is fully prepared for meetings and events, including maintaining adequate supplies and upkeep of shared spaces such as the kitchen and room setup.
Front Desk and Other Shared Administrative Responsibilities
Some of the duties may include:
- Front desk responsibilities include responding to all incoming telephone calls, taking accurate messages or routing as needed. Forwarding messages from general mailbox.
- Greet visitors and attend to their related needs and requests.
- Create a neat, organized, and welcoming reception area.
- Provide program and administrative staff with support in scheduling, meeting planning, travel arrangements (for staff and guests), staff business expense reimbursements, and other administrative needs.
- Operate office voice mail system, digital faxing needs, and postage meter.
- Handle all mail receipt, distribution, and deliveries (control sheets), with special attention paid to time sensitive material such as proposals. Date-stamp and forward mail in absence of Senior Administrative Support Specialist.
- Prepare and coordinate delivery/receipt for UPS, FedEx, etc.
- Serves as primary liaison to vendors and building management for routine maintenance and security requests.
- Maintains, tracks, and orders building/office access/key cards for current and new staff.
- Creates schedule for ensuring front desk coverage.
- Prepare morning coffee and maintain shared kitchen and common areas.
Expected Competencies & Qualities
- Works independently and takes initiative to identify needed tasks to support the team.
- Extremely strong ability to track and advance multiple simultaneous projects.
- Expert planning, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills, including comfort and experience asking and answering challenging questions.
- Attention to detail, effective time management on multiple timeframes and priorities, and ability to take charge to ensure successful meetings and events.
- Familiarity and competence with relevant software and tools for document preparation, meeting facilitation, and event management.
- Expertise and comfort setting up and facilitating technology for meetings and events.
- Expertise in event logistics, vendor coordination, and participant management.
- Open, accessible communicator who brings curiosity and a commitment to continuous learning.
- Adaptive, flexible to change and committed to continuous improvement.
- Active and empathetic listener.
- Commitment to equity and inclusion in everyday practice and interactions.
Required Education, Training, and Experience
- A minimum of 6 years of relevant work experience.
- Experience executing highly effective administrative support for multiple stakeholders.
- A minimum of 5 years of project management experience.
- A minimum of 5 years of events management, events logistics, and vendor coordination experience.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, and virtual meeting technology (Zoom, Teams, AV set up and troubleshooting).
- Experience with CRM or database software.
Preferred Education, Training, and Experience
- On-boarding and training experience for new employees/board members.
- Experience with 501(c)3 nonprofits; foundation experience.
- Bachelor’s degree in business administration, hospitality, communications, marketing, or a related field
Physical Demands/Work Environment
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to walk, bend, sit, talk, lift, hear, and/or use hands and arms to operate general office equipment (computer, telephone, file cabinets, copier, fax machine and printer) using ordinary ambulatory skills. The employee may occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds including chairs, tables and other meeting furniture. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate. Personal computer usage requires good hand-eye coordination, arm, hand, and finger dexterity, including ability to grasp, and visual acuity to use a keyboard and operate equipment. As stated above, this position will require traveling back and forth daily between the Foundation’s offsite meeting space, which is .3 miles away.
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
The William Penn Foundation is an equal opportunity employer