Job Description

Grade: 7
Location: Washington, DC
Closing: March 10

Come join a team of dedicated staff at an exceptional time in the Smithsonian's history during the creation of two new Smithsonian museums. The National Museum of the American Latino and the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum share the experiences and perspectives of Latinos and women across history and deepen our shared understanding of what it means to be an American. These museums build on the legacy and impact of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, which has helped transform the nation's understanding of American history since its opening in 2016. Following the success of the Smithsonian's first comprehensive capital campaign, the largest ever undertaken by a cultural organization, the Smithsonian has built a model fundraising organization. This position offers exciting opportunities for the successful candidate to make a significant impact on the future of the Smithsonian. There is no better time to join this amazing Institution.

About the Events Assistant
The Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) seeks an Events Assistant to serve as a member of its Advancement team. This is an entry level opportunity for an energetic professional with strong time management, organizational, and problem-solving skills. The Events Assistant position involves event planning, scheduling, and designing for receptions, dinners for corporations and organizations, exhibition openings, donation ceremonies, staff receptions, and donor cultivation events.

The role is responsible for managing NZCBI's central event calendar ensuring coordination with various departments, providing administrative support by initiating purchase orders and financial arrangements for vendor services and prepares Smithsonian forms, memorandum, and briefings outlining event arrangements. The events assistant will serve as a point of contact for space rental inquires and ticket buyers and member events. Reporting to the special events manager, the event assistant is a collaborative member of the Engagement team within the office of Advancement.

The successful candidate must possess customer service skills and communicate in an effective and timely manner. Candidates must have the initiative and ability to work independently on multiple projects concurrently, and at times under short deadlines. The incumbent must be able to staff events with the flexibility to work early mornings and late nights and occasional weekends. The candidate must have experience planning and coordinating reception-type events for a cultural organization to ensure appropriateness of event components, protocol, and etiquette.

About the National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute and Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute includes a 163-acre exhibition complex in the District of Columbia, within the US National Park Service's Rock Creek Park, and a 3,200-acre conservation research facility outside Front Royal, Virginia, contiguous with the Shenandoah National Park and the Appalachian Trail. The Institute's goals include excellence in animal care, research on endangered species, and education and high-quality visitor experience. On-going renovation and upgrade of the facilities to meet the highest standards of animal care and state-of-the-art research and education requirements, with over 100 buildings, some over 100 years old, requires a major investment of funds, only some of which is provided by the Federal appropriation to Smithsonian and the Zoo. Support for public programming and research is significantly dependent upon revenue from concessions income, special events, donations, grants, and contracts.

The Smithsonian Institution is a unique complex of 21 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park, and nine research centers. The Smithsonian is dedicated to its founding mission, "the increase and diffusion of knowledge" and as such we use our resources to encourage curiosity, ignite wonder and spark the joy of learning. Its exhibitions, programs, collections, and outreach touch the lives of millions of Americans every year, as well as many who visit us from abroad.

Benefits and Application Instructions
The Smithsonian Institution offers a competitive salary and a comprehensive package of benefits. This is not a federal position but has similar requirements and benefits. Interested candidates should submit their resumes and a cover letter to oastaffing@si.edu by March 10, 2023. Please include the position title in your e-mail subject line. Resumes should include a description of your paid and non-paid work experience that is related to this job; starting and ending dates of job (month and year); and average number of hours worked per week.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The Smithsonian Institution is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that a workforce comprising a variety of educational, cultural, and experiential backgrounds support and enhance our daily work life and contribute to the richness of our exhibitions and programs. See Smithsonian EEO program information.

The Smithsonian Institution provides reasonable accommodation to applicants where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation should contact the Human Resources Specialist listed. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more, please review the Smithsonian's accommodation procedures .