EVENTS & PARTNERSHIP DIRECTOR

Organization: Cayton Children’s Museum—Santa Monica, CA

Department: Advancement

Works closely with: Administration & Operations, Marketing, Museum Experience staff

Reports To: Chief Advancement Officer

Status: Temporary through May 31, 2026 - Full-Time, Salaried, Exempt

POSITION SUMMARY

The Events Director plays a central role in the Cayton Children’s Museum’s advancement, fundraising, and mission-driven hospitality. This position leads event- and rental-based earned revenue, including private rentals, buyouts, birthday parties, filming, and brand activations, while also serving as the primary operational and production partner to the Chief Advancement Officer on the museum’s most important fundraising and donor engagement events. The focus of this role is to increase earned revenue by creating strategies to generate private rentals and museum buyouts to meet revenue targets.  This role requires knowledge of market and prospect research and a proven track record of cultivating new relationships with corporate clients, third parties and community organizations as well stewarding current relationships with donors, partners, and internal teams. The Events Director must demonstrate team leadership while employing a results-oriented approach to creating multiple high-quality events.

This dual focus makes the Events Director a unique hybrid role overseeing:

  • Playmakers Gala (annual cornerstone fundraising event)
  • Women’s Philanthropy Circle Spring Event
  • Donor cultivation, stewardship, and partner-hosted donor events
  • Private rentals and full-museum buyouts
  • Corporate events, nonprofits, civic partners, and brand activations
  • Filming and location rentals
  • Birthday party program
  • Seasonal fundraising farm-to-table dinners at the WRLC Regenerative Farm in partnership with SMMUSD

The Events Director builds and maintains a sophisticated network of event production companies, planners, caterers, rental houses, and vendor partners to ensure the museum’s events—fundraising and earned—are executed at the highest level.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Leadership of Fundraising & Advancement Events

Serve as the primary operational partner to the Chief Advancement Officer for all major fundraising events.

Playmakers Gala (Annual Fall Event)

  • Lead full event production, planning, vendor management, budgeting, and execution.
  • Manage run-of-show, program flow, production assets, AV, staging, catering, guest experience, and décor.
  • Coordinate with Development on guest lists, sponsorship benefits, donations, paddle raise, and follow-up stewardship.

Women’s Philanthropy Circle Spring Event

  • Co-lead planning, production, and guest experience.
  • Support donor cultivation and stewardship strategies tied to the event.

Donor Cultivation & Stewardship Events

  • Produce smaller gatherings, partner-hosted events, VIP previews, salons, and stewardship activations.
  • Ensure excellence in hospitality and donor experience.

WRLC Regenerative Farm Fundraising Dinners (at SMMUSD site)

  • Lead seasonal fundraising dinner series at the Will Rogers Learning Community Regenerative Farm.
  • Ensure full compliance with SMMUSD permitting, facilities, custodial, insurance, and district protocols.
  • Recruit chefs, secure partner restaurants, manage FF&E needs, production logistics, and guest experience.

2. Event- & Rental-Based Earned Revenue Leadership

Lead earned revenue streams associated with event rentals with enthusiasm and a commitment to excellence:

  • Private rentals & buyouts
  • Corporate events & brand activations
  • Nonprofit and civic rentals
  • Birthday parties (all tiers, all time blocks)
  • Filming & location rentals

This role does not oversee admissions, memberships, programs, field trips, workshops, or other earned revenue categories.

Responsibilities include:

  • Sales, outreach, and proactive pipeline building
  • Pricing strategy and tiered package development
  • Contracting, COIs, staffing plans, and execution oversight
  • Regular revenue forecasting and reporting


3. Vendor & Event Production Company Partnerships

  • Build and maintain an Approved Vendor Network including producers, planners, caterers, rental companies, décor teams, AV/lighting, and staging vendors.
  • Maintain strong, ongoing relationships with LA event producers and creative agencies.
  • Oversee vendor compliance with safety protocols, insurance, museum protection standards, and brand alignment.
  • Serve as the primary liaison with external production teams on complex events.


4. Mission-First Scheduling & Play4All Alignment

  • Ensure no event compromises the museum’s core operating hours or Play4All commitments.
  • Avoid early closures, late openings, or full-day disruptions except in rare, pre-approved scenarios.
  • Maximize closed days (Mon–Tue) for rentals, filming, and farm fundraising dinners.
  • Coordinate with Visitor Experience and Operations to ensure safety, staffing, and smooth transitions.

5. Event Product Development & Guest Experience

  • Elevate the birthday party program for quality, efficiency, and profitability.
  • Develop corporate and nonprofit rental packages, brand activation opportunities, and VIP family event offerings.
  • Create polished collateral, sample floorplans, pricing sheets, and digital venue packets.
  • Leverage Playmakers Gala photography and layouts as high-quality sales assets.

6. Filming & Location Rentals

  • Create filming look books, rate cards, floorplans, and logistical plans.
  • Build relationships with location scouts, studios, and production companies.
  • Manage insurance, permitting, SMMUSD coordination (when applicable), load-in/load-out, and protection of spaces.

7. Marketing & Communications Collaboration

  • Work with Marketing to develop event collateral, invitations, floor plans, and web presence.
  • Ensure fundraising events and rentals reflect the Cayton’s mission and hospitality standards.
  • Provide high-quality photo/video assets for future promotion.

8. Team Leadership & Operations Oversight

  • Supervise the Events Manager, birthday team members, and part-time/on-call event staff.
  • Establish KPIs for conversion, revenue, guest satisfaction, and operational excellence.
  • Oversee contracting, billing, insurance, production timelines, and event execution.

9. Compliance, Systems & Reporting

  • Maintain accurate records in event management and CRM systems.
  • Ensure compliance with city permitting, insurance, fire/life safety, and SMMUSD requirements.
  • Produce regular revenue reports, event analysis, and updates for the CAO and leadership team.

QUALIFICATIONS

  • 7+ years experience in event production, fundraising events, venue rentals, or hospitality.
  • Experience partnering with Advancement/Development teams on donor-facing events.
  • Knowledge of both contributed revenue through fundraising events and earned revenue through rentals.
  • Strong vendor, production, and event producer relationships in the LA area.
  • Experience with film/location rentals is highly desirable.
  • Effective relationship management and interpersonal skills.
  • Excellent hospitality skills, displaying sound judgment and diplomacy.
  • Ability to work weekends and evenings regularly.
  • Commitment to child-centered, mission-driven work.

SCHEDULE OPTIONS

Full-Time (Exempt)

  • Wednesday–Sunday typical schedule with events flexibility.
  • Evenings and weekends required.

COMPENSATION

Full-Time (Exempt)

$78 – 98K annually

LEGAL & WORKING CONDITIONS (CALIFORNIA COMPLIANT)

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Cayton Children’s Museum is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We comply with all applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by California or federal law.

At-Will Employment

Employment with the Cayton Children’s Museum is at will. Either the employee or the Museum may terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause or notice, subject to applicable law.

Required Pre-Employment Background Check

Because this position works in a public environment serving young children and families, employment in this role is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. This includes, as permitted by law, criminal history, sex-offender registry screening, and identity verification.

All screenings are conducted in compliance with the California Fair Chance Act (AB 1008). A criminal conviction does not automatically disqualify an applicant; any consideration is made on an individualized basis and aligned with legal requirements.

Physical Requirements (ADA Compliant)

The following physical requirements represent those necessary to perform the essential functions of this position, with or without reasonable accommodation:

  • Ability to stand and remain on feet for extended periods during event setup, execution, and breakdown.
  • Ability to walk, bend, kneel, climb stairs, and move throughout the museum and the WRLC Regenerative Farm site.
  • Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull up to 30–40 lbs occasionally (event equipment, furniture, supplies).
  • Ability to work in environments with varying noise levels, lighting conditions, crowds, and sensory stimulation consistent with event and museum settings.
  • Ability to use carts, dollies, and basic event equipment with proper training.

Work Environment

  • Work occurs in both office and public environments, including galleries, event venues, outdoor spaces, and the WRLC Regenerative Farm (in partnership with SMMUSD).
  • Exposure to variable weather, temperatures, crowds, noise, and active public spaces is expected.
  • Evening, weekend, and holiday work is required during event periods.
  • Travel between museum locations and the WRLC Regenerative Farm may be required.

Meal and Rest Break Compliance (for Non-Exempt Option)

For the hourly/non-exempt version of this role, the museum provides meal and rest periods in accordance with the California Labor Code and Industrial Welfare Commission (IWC) Wage Orders. Event scheduling will be arranged to ensure compliance.

 

Overtime (for Non-Exempt Option)

Non-exempt employees are eligible for overtime pay in accordance with California law. Overtime must be approved in advance by the supervisor.

 

Reasonable Accommodation

The Cayton Children’s Museum provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities or medical needs, consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), and all applicable laws. Applicants requiring accommodation may contact HR during any stage of the application or employment process.

 

Job Description Disclaimer

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the position. Duties may be modified at any time to meet the evolving needs of the organization, in accordance with applicable employment laws.