Impress employers and recruiters.
Choose from hundreds of resume examples.

Target Resume Now

About the Role

The New Museum seeks a collaborative, strategic, and highly organized Special Events Manager to manage the Museum’s special events program. This role plays a critical part in generating earned revenue through venue rentals while supporting fundraising, patron, and membership programs, exhibition openings, and internal institutional events. The position is responsible for developing rental business opportunities, maintaining strong client and vendor relationships, and ensuring exceptional event execution that reflects the Museum’s mission and standards. The Special Events Manager serves as the primary point of contact for clients, vendors, and internal stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of each event. This position serves as a key operations manager within the Museum’s event portfolio and supervises the Special Events Coordinator. The New Museum opened an expanded campus designed by OMA in March 2026, featuring new event spaces, making this an outstanding moment to join.

Responsibilities

Manage all rental events from inquiry through execution, including site visits, client meetings, proposals, contracting, planning, production, vendor coordination, and post-event follow-up.
Serve as the primary point of contact for prospective clients, clients, and stakeholders throughout the planning process.
Oversee all aspects of event setup, breakdown, load-in/load-out activity, and onsite operations.
Ensure events are executed in accordance with Museum standards, event guidelines, and operational requirements.
Support, manage, and execute production of internal Museum events.
Develop and implement annual and long-term rental sales strategies to achieve departmental revenue goals for rental events of $1.6M- $2M annually.
Build, maintain, and grow a portfolio of rental clients and strategic event partners.
Conduct site visits and presentations for prospective clients.
Identify and cultivate new rental business opportunities and market segments.
Collaborate on marketing initiatives that increase awareness of the Museum’s event spaces.
Plan and support fundraising events, exhibition openings, donor receptions, patron dinners, member events, and Museum-wide celebrations.
Coordinate guest management, invitations, RSVPs, seating plans, communications, and hospitality arrangements.
Prepare and manage event proposals, contracts, invoices, permits, insurance certificates, and related documentation.
Track event revenue, expenses, deposits, reporting, and forecasting.
Maintain accurate event records and planning materials.
Manage the Museum’s events calendar and oversee scheduling of internal and external events.
Coordinate security, facilities, audiovisual services, maintenance, equipment rentals, and other operational requirements.
Develop and maintain strong vendor and partner relationships.
Evaluate vendor performance and identify new partnerships that enhance event quality and efficiency.
Supervise the Special Events Coordinator.
Support departmental reporting, evaluation, and process improvement initiatives.
Conduct field research and regularly share updates on event trends, environmental impacts, new business platforms to support ongoing strategy and planning for the Museum’s events program and venue rental business.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
Minimum of three to five years of experience in event sales, venue rentals, event production, fundraising events, or event-related fields.
Strong project management, organizational, communication, and client relationship skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Tripleseat required.
Experience with Raiser's Edge, ACME, Zkipster, Asana, or comparable platforms preferred.
Knowledge of museum environments preferred; knowledge of contemporary art a plus.
Ability to work evenings and weekends as required.

Skills

Event sales
Venue rentals
Event production
Fundraising events
Project management
Organizational skills
Communication skills
Client relationship skills
Microsoft Office proficiency
Tripleseat proficiency
Raiser's Edge experience (preferred)
ACME experience (preferred)
Zkipster experience (preferred)
Asana experience (preferred)
Museum environments knowledge (preferred)
Contemporary art knowledge (a plus)

Location

New York

Work Type

Full-Time

Experience Level

3-5 years

Education Level

Bachelor's degree

Salary/Compensations

$85,000.00-$95,000.00

Benefits

Medical
Dental
Vision
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
Employer funded Health Reimbursement Program through the Difference Card
Commuter Benefits Program through the Difference Card
Voluntary Short Term Disability Plan
Long-Term Disability
Life Insurance
Retirement Plan
Other voluntary benefits
15 days of paid time off
8 sick days
13 holidays

About the Company

The New Museum's mission is 'New Art, New Ideas.' Founded in 1977, it has been a leader among contemporary art museums for over 40 years, presenting contemporary culture in a critical and scholarly context. It is among the most respected internationally for its risk-taking curatorial program. The Museum is a center for exhibitions, information, and documentation about living artists from around the world, focusing on emerging and under-recognized voices. In 2007, the New Museum opened its first permanent building at 235 Bowery designed by SANAA. Since then, over 4 million have visited or attended programs and events. The Museum has featured 155 exhibitions with over 600 artists from 60+ countries and hosted over 1,200 public programs. The Museum opened an expanded campus designed by OMA in March 2026.

Equal Opportunity

The New Museum of Contemporary Art believes that all persons are entitled to Equal Employment Opportunity and does not discriminate against its staff members or applicants for employment because of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, gender identity and expression, sex, age, disability, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, genetic information, or veteran or citizenship status provided they are qualified and meet the requirements for the job.
The New Museum provides reasonable accommodation to candidates with disabilities.
As per New York State Guidelines, all candidates hired must be vaccinated with the COVID vaccine.