Director of EventsIntercollegiate Studies Institute

Founded in 1953, the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI) is a nonprofit organization that educates for liberty, equipping future leaders to embrace and defend the principles and virtues that make America good, free, and prosperous. 

The ideal candidate shares ISI’s mission and wants to coach junior events staff and play a crucial role in translating ISI’s brand into high-quality events, both at the organization’s headquarters and at venues in other parts of the country.

Reporting to the Executive Vice President, this is a full-time, salaried position with benefits based at ISI’s Kirby Campus headquarters on a historic 20-acre preserve in Wilmington, Delaware’s Brandywine Valley, 2 hours north of Washington D.C.. ISI’s campus also features a newly-constructed event hall and digital media studio. Many ISI team members commute from PA or MD.

• Serve as the event planning and execution lead for 4-6 events/conferences annually which attract 200+ guests each, such as ISI's Gala for Western Civilization (for benefactors), Homecoming Weekend (for programs alumni and professionals), and student-focused conferences; as well as a range of smaller events throughout the year (e.g., happy hours, luncheons)

• Provide strategic advice to the President & CEO, EVP, and other senior leaders about all aspects of event budgeting, planning, and execution

• Manage 1 – 2 associate events planners

• Ensure that the look and experience of events align with ISI’s brand identity (collegiate, sincere, principled, traditional)

• Select venues, approving menus, developing seating plans

• Manage event set-up, tear down, and follow-up processes

• Maintain and optimize event budgets and projections, collaborating with the CFO as needed

• Coordinate travel for all event participants and/or work with relevant teammates (such as associate event planners) to do so

• Coordinate with the Director of Digital Media to ensure audio/visual and photographic needs are met

• Support the ISI communications team in event marketing

• Order and manage inventory of promotional materials and giveaways used at events (i.e. folders, pens, notebooks, books)

• Ensure all registration tables and key event rooms have ISI tablecloths, backdrops, banner bugs, brochures, etc., and are in prominent/visible locations, and that signage is appropriate to the needs of the event and directs guests to event locations

• Conduct site visits and final inspections on the day of the event to ensure everything adheres to ISI’s standards

• Solicit feedback and produce after-action summaries with a spirit of continual improvement

The Events Manager should be well-organized and possess a sound knowledge of all aspects of event management. Excellent communication and attention to detail are skills vital in this role.

• 5+ years of experience in event planning, including hands-on experience planning events that involve 100+ guests

• Outstanding vendor management skills

• Keen appreciation for branding and visual presentation

• Enthusiastic commitment to coaching junior events team members

• Flexibility, optimism, and creative problem-solving

• Willingness to occasionally work on nights/weekends