Reports to: Director of External Affairs

Employment Status: Full-time, Exempt

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens welcomes over 100,000 visitors annually to experience the beauty of our gardens, the richness of our decorative arts collection, and the lasting legacy of Marjorie Merriweather Post. Our fundraising events play a vital role in supporting Hillwood’s mission, engaging our community, and generating essential support for exhibitions, programs, and operations.

We are seeking a Development Special Events Officer who will focus on using fundraising events as strategic tools for revenue generation, donor cultivation and stewardship, and brand enhancement. This role is ideal for a development professional who understands how to leverage events to deepen engagement with current and prospective donors, patrons, and members, while driving growth in philanthropic support.

About the Role:

The Development Special Events Officer oversees all aspects of Hillwood’s two major annual fundraising events—from concept development to post-event stewardship. This includes working closely with volunteer co-chairs to build and support effective event committees, coordinating donor benefits, and developing budgets that prioritize strong net revenue outcomes. You will play a lead role in identifying, cultivating, and stewarding donors through event participation, and will ensure accurate and timely solicitation and acknowledgment of contributions. Strong recordkeeping and tracking in our Tessitura database will help inform ongoing donor strategy and prospect qualification.

About Us:

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is committed to fostering a positive and inclusive work environment where all voices are valued. As a private cultural institution, Hillwood offers stable, year-round employment, free from government funding cycles, and strives to provide meaningful experiences for both visitors and staff.

We Offer:

• A fabulous work culture that inspires your best work.
• Flexibility with a hybrid work environment.
• Support for career development with internal and external opportunities to learn and grow.
• Medical, dental and vision insurance.
  • Our most popular medical plan has an upfront deductible of $1,650 per year for a single coverage and $3,300 per year for dependent/family coverage with a Health Savings Account (HSA) tied to the plan.
  • Hillwood will contribute up to $1650 annually into your HSA if you elect single coverage or up to $3300 annually if you elect dependent/family coverage for the 2025 plan year prorated based on the effective month of your coverage.
  • Employee contribution rates for medical plans are based on the coverage level selected at the employee’s base annualized salary. Essentially, those with higher salaries pay more for their medical coverage. The maximum employee contribution is $170 per biweekly payroll, most employees pay much less for medical insurance.
• Retirement Savings Plan. Hillwood matches up to 5%. The Hillwood contribution is 100% vested upon reaching three years of service.
• Life and accidental death and dismemberment, short & long term insurance at no cost to the employee.
• Flexible spending account for dependent care.
• Metro commuter benefits of up to $100 per month or free on-site parking.
• Best in class paid time off – new hires accrue up to 3 weeks of vacation during the calendar year, new hires also accrue up to 80 hours of paid sick leave, and 11 paid holidays per calendar year.
• Mental health and wellness support.
• Discounts in the shop and Hillwood café.
• Free admission to the museum and festival days for employee and their families and friends.

Key Responsibilities:

• Plan and execute two major fundraising events annually, from concept through post-event follow-up
• Collaborate with the Director of External Affairs and Development team to align event strategy with overall fundraising and engagement goals
• Work closely with volunteer leadership and co-chairs to build engaged and productive event committees
• Manage event budgets ($50,000+) with a focus on strong net revenue outcomes
• Identify, solicit, and steward donors and sponsors; coordinate benefits and acknowledgments
• Maintain accurate donor records in Tessitura to support moves management and long-term cultivation
• Negotiate vendor contracts and manage event timelines, ensuring smooth execution and brand alignment

Qualifications:

• Proven experience planning and managing successful fundraising events
• Track record of cultivating and stewarding donors
• Strong communication, project management, and organizational skills
• Ability to work collaboratively across departments and with volunteer leaders
• Proficiency with CRM systems (experience with Tessitura a plus)
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment that values innovation and teamwork

Hillwood is seeking applicants from all backgrounds and educational levels to ensure we get the best, most creative talent on our team. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage people who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color and people with marginalized identities to apply for open positions. We strive to make the hiring process as accessible as possible. Please do not hesitate to share what will make the process best for you. We cannot guarantee all accommodation; our team will make accommodations where possible with sufficient notice. When sending your resume via the ADP Careers portal, please let us know of any accommodation you may find helpful while engaging in our process.

This position is compensated at $80,000 annually. View the full position description.

To apply for this position, visit HERE