Pride & Events Manager

POSITION: Pride & Events Manager REPORTS TO: Chief Development & External Affairs Officer STATUS: Exempt, Full-Time, Regular COMPENSATION: $70,304–$80,000 annually, depending on experience BENEFITS: Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance; Employee Assistance Program; 403(b) Retirement Plan; Paid Holidays, Sick, and Vacation LOCATION: Sacramento, CA (this position is not eligible for full-time remote) JOB SUMMARY: The Pride & Events Manager leads the planning and production of the Sacramento LGBT Community Center's signature events, including the Sacramento Pride March & Festival, Mama's Makin' Bacon Drag Brunch Fundraiser, Q-Prom, Chosen Family Feast, World AIDS Day, advocacy events, and selected arts, cultural, fundraising, and community engagement events. This role supports the Center’s mission and work to uplift a diverse and culturally rich LGBTQ+ community. This position implements the Center's annual events plan and serves as the primary operational lead for Sacramento Pride. The Pride & Events Manager oversees event production from planning through evaluation, ensuring events are delivered safely, inclusively, accessibly, on schedule, and within budget while advancing organizational goals and community impact. The successful candidate will bring significant experience managing large-scale events, strong project and budget management skills, sound judgment, adaptability, and a commitment to creating welcoming and affirming experiences where LGBTQ+ people of all backgrounds can participate and thrive. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Event planning, production, and operations Sacramento Pride program leadership Volunteer, partner, and stakeholder engagement Revenue generation and marketing support Financial, vendor, and operational management Event Planning and Production Implement the Center’s annual events plan in collaboration with and under the direction of the Chief Development & External Affairs Officer. Manage assigned events from concept through post-event evaluation, including planning, budgeting, timelines, registration and ticketing, accessibility, safety, logistics, vendor coordination, on-site operations, registration and sales performance monitoring, and corrective action as needed to achieve established goals. Develop, maintain, and continuously improve event-management systems, procedures, templates, inventories, production schedules, records, and archival documentation that support effective event delivery and organizational continuity. Provide event-planning tools and technical assistance support for program-led events as assigned based on capacity and organizational priorities. Manage the organized storage, maintenance, inventory, and distribution of event equipment and supplies. Sacramento Pride Program Leadership Lead year-round planning and production of the Sacramento Pride March & Festival and associated Center-sponsored Pride Month events. Develop and manage the Pride master work plan, production schedule, budget, site plan, and related operational documents. Coordinate all Pride-related infrastructure, vendors, contractors, performers, exhibitors, public agencies, permits, licenses, insurance, inspections, accessibility requirements, safety planning, and event operations. Develop and implement safety, emergency-response, and severe-weather plans in collaboration with organizational leadership, public agencies, contractors, and community partners. Directly coordinate and supervise event load-in, build-out, live operations, breakdown, and storage. Foster meaningful inclusion of historically underrepresented BIQTPOC communities, transgender and nonbinary people, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ elders and youth. Maintain collaborative relationships with regional Pride organizations, community partners, and public agencies. Volunteer, Partner, and Stakeholder Engagement: Recruit, coordinate, train, schedule, and support event committees, volunteers, interns, temporary staff, contractors, and cross-functional event teams, establishing clear roles, deadlines, and communication practices. Develop and maintain partnerships that improve the quality, accessibility, cultural responsiveness, and inclusiveness of Center events. Coordinate the review and execution of approved third-party and collaborative events with internal departments and external stakeholders. Maintain clear, timely, accurate, and professional communication with staff, volunteers, sponsors, community partners, vendors, performers, public agencies, and event participants. Revenue Generation and Marketing Support: Partner with the Chief Development & External Affairs Officer and Development team to maximize event revenue through earned-income opportunities, sponsorships, strategic partnerships, in-kind support, cost-saving opportunities, and operational efficiencies. Coordinate and document the fulfillment of event-related sponsor benefits, including signage, exhibit space, tickets, acknowledgments, stage recognition, and on-site activations. Provide the Communications & Marketing Manager with timely, accurate event information, production updates, audience insights and sales goals, sponsor requirements, visual assets, and deadlines needed to support successful promotion and participant engagement. Monitor marketing and sales performance and collaborate on strategies to improve. Collaborate on timely, accurate, accessible, inclusive, and mission-aligned event communications, publications, signage, scripts, stage programs, multi-media, and promotional materials aligned with approved plans. Ensure accurate collection and recording of sponsor, donor, vendor, volunteer, and participant information within organizational systems. Financial, Vendor, and Operational Management Develop and manage event budgets in partnership with the Chief Development & External Affairs Officer and Finance team, monitoring revenue, expenses, commitments, risks, and variances and recommending corrective action when needed to maximize return on investment. Manage vendor, contractor, venue, and service provider/performers relationships, including procurement through competitive bidding, proposal review, negotiations, agreements, insurance documentation, performance monitoring, documentation, and payment coordination in accordance with the Center’s financial operations policies and approval processes. Ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, permits, insurance requirements, accessibility standards, safety protocols, and organizational policies. Use technology and data systems to improve registration, ticketing, applications, volunteer coordination, communications, on-site flow, and information management. Track, analyze, and report event performance metrics, financial results, attendance, participation, sponsorship deliverables, and other established outcomes, using findings and post-event evaluations to recommend or implement changes that will strengthen future events; Lead formal evaluation meetings to gather feedback and report on event performance to the Chief Development & External Affairs Officer, Leadership Team, and Board committees as requested. Coordinate timely acknowledgments, event follow-up activities, and thank-you communications. GENERAL DUTIES: Functions as a strategic member of the Development & External Affairs team; routinely collaborates with Program and Operations teams as well as external groups and stakeholders involved in assigned events. Facilitate or participate in cross-departmental, staff, committee, production, and Leadership Team meetings when event expertise or coordination is needed. Support internal employee steering committees as assigned. Provide guidance and mentorship to less experienced internal staff, community activists/advocates, and leaders at developing LGBTQ and allied organizations locally and across the country. Maintain strict confidentiality and the highest level of integrity and professional boundaries in relationships with all program leadership team members, staff, clients, media, and donors. Participate in the Center’s rotating Leader On-Call Program to support on-site staff and clients during after-hours emergencies. This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice. QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE: Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects, strict deadlines, budgets, vendors, logistics, public agencies, sponsors, volunteers, and cross-departmental teams. Experience developing budgets, monitoring revenue and expenses, identifying risks, planning for contingencies, and recommending practical adjustments. Strong organizational, analytical, interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to remain calm under pressure. Demonstrated ability to recruit, train, coordinate, motivate, and support volunteers and event teams with differing roles, priorities, and reporting relationships. Experience documenting event plans, standard operating procedures, checklists, timelines, and other systems that strengthen efficiency and continuity. Experience with municipal or governmental special-event permitting is strongly preferred. Familiarity with Sacramento-area venues, vendors, community organizations, and public agencies is preferred. REQUIREMENTS: Mission and Community Knowledge: Commitment to the Center’s mission and demonstrated understanding of LGBTQIA2S+ communities, including how gender identity, sexual orientation, race, disability, age, economic status, immigration status, HIV status, housing instability, mental health, substance use, and other lived experiences intersect. Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, accessibility, anti-racism, and civil rights. Education: Bachelor’s degree in event management, hospitality management, business administration, marketing, public relations, or similar field; Six (6) or more years of progressively responsible event management experience may be substituted for formal education. Equivalent combination of education, training, certifications, and relevant professional experience may be considered. Experience: A minimum of five years of event-production experience or equivalent experience, including large-scale events with significant volunteer involvement and gross revenue of $500,000 or more, such as festivals, peer-to-peer walks, runs or rides, galas, conferences, or comparable public gatherings. Computer/Office Equipment Skills: Superior proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneDrive, and Teams. Experience with Canva and social media tools is required; familiarity with donor-management, graphic-design, and event-management software is preferred. Language Skills: Fluency in English is required. Bilingual candidates who can speak, read, write, translate, and respond to media inquiries in Spanish are encouraged to apply. Transportation: Access to reliable automobile transportation, a valid driver’s license, and proof of insurance. Regular regional travel and occasional air travel are required. The position may occasionally require driving rented vehicles, including moving trucks or recreational vehicles. Availability: Ability to work a flexible schedule, including regular evenings and weekends and extended hours during peak event periods. Physical Demands: Ability to sit or stand for extended periods, ascend and descend stairs, operate office equipment, and move objects weighing up to 50 pounds. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. Background Check: Offers of employment may be contingent upon satisfactory completion of a criminal-history background check. Employment Eligibility: Employees must be legally permitted to work in the United States. Drug-Free Workplace: The Sacramento LGBT Community Center is a drug-free workplace; employees may be subject to drug testing. ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION: The Sacramento LGBT Community Center works to create a region where all LGBTQ+ people can thrive. We support health and wellness, advocate for equity and justice, and work to uplift a diverse and culturally rich LGBTQ+ community. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY: The Sacramento LGBT Community Center is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All individuals, including those of color, women, persons with disabilities, and persons who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex are encouraged to apply. The Center maintains a policy of non-discrimination with respect to employees, volunteers, interns, and applicants. No aspect of employment will be influenced in any matter by actual or perceived race, color, religion, religious creed, ancestry, sex, age, national origin, marital status, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, physical or mental disability (including HIV or AIDS), medical/mental condition, genetic information, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by statute; nor as to any individuals associating with an individual of any legally protected class. TO APPLY: Please submit application materials through our career portal at . No phone calls please. Posting will remain up until position is filled. The Sacramento LGBT Community Center works to create a region where all LGBTQ+ people thrive; we support health and wellness, advocate for equity and justice, and work to uplift our diverse and culturally right LGBTQ+ community.