Events Manager

New York Focus, New York’s only statewide nonprofit newsroom, is seeking its inaugural events manager to design, manage, and execute our year-round events portfolio.

New York Focus launched in 2020 to fill a critical gap in the state’s media ecosystem: Almost half of New York’s newspapers have died in the last two decades. Since launching nearly five years ago with a small team operating on a shoestring budget, we’ve grown significantly. We’re currently a full-time team of 14, and on track to grow to nearly 20 by early next year.

Now, we are looking to begin offering a diverse range of convenings that bring our journalism to life and deepen our relationship with the communities we serve — from intimate member salons and neighborhood storytelling nights to public forums, summits, and large-scale civic festivals. Our hope is that these events will advance our reporting and impact, while also serving as a vital engine for membership growth, sponsorships, and donor engagement.

This position is crucial to our mission of giving New Yorkers across the state the information they need to fully participate in local democracy. We are looking for a confident, creative, and detail-oriented events professional with experience planning and promoting events of varying sizes and managing projects at all stages — from conception and pre-event planning to on-site execution and post-event analysis.

This position can be based anywhere in New York state. You will report to the director of development and work closely with our publisher, audience team, and editorial team. Please submit a résumé and cover letter to hires@nysfocus.com.

Key Responsibilities

In this role, you will:

• Facilitate and participate in event ideation and brainstorming efforts with New York Focus staff, speakers, and other stakeholders
• Lead event production, including venue planning, vendor management, and site visits
• Manage speaker scheduling, preparation, and communications
• Oversee run-of-show, A/V, accessibility, livestreaming, and troubleshooting on-site
• Draft and edit event-related materials, including invitations, programs, and promotional content
• Coordinate with design/creative staff on signage, programs, and digital assets
• Create and execute promotional campaigns, including email, social, and partner outreach
• Manage RSVPs, ticketing, and contact databases (Eventbrite, Donorbox, etc.)
• Partner with Development to design sponsorship packages and steward sponsors/donors
• Manage programming budget, with support from Director of Development and/or Publisher
• Track and report on sponsor deliverables, donor engagement, and revenue performance
• Run post-event evaluations, measuring attendance, audience conversion, and financial ROI
• Develop dashboards that connect event participation to membership and donor pipelines

About You

The ideal candidate will have:

• 2–5 years of event production, partnerships, or development experience
• Strong writing, communication, and copy-editing skills
• Demonstrated ability to balance editorial integrity with sponsor/donor needs
• Highly organized, with the ability to juggle multiple projects while meeting deadlines
• A detail-oriented approach with commitment to quality and timeliness
• Collaborative and diplomatic, with strong relationship-building skills
• Familiarity with event management and CRM tools (e.g., Eventbrite, Mailchimp, Salesforce, etc.)
• Comfort working under pressure and in fast-paced environments
• Commitment to accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion in event design

This role requires some travel, as well as evening and weekend events.

Compensation

$80,000 to $90,000, depending on experience level, plus medical, dental, and vision insurance and other benefits.

To Apply

Please submit a resume and cover letter to hires@nysfocus.com. The cover letter should explain your reasons for wanting to work at New York Focus, the skills and experience you would bring to the role, and your vision for launching and growing events.

About New York Focus

New York Focus is an independent newsroom investigating how power works in the Empire State. Our stories have spurred legislation, shaped regulation, and driven national news cycles. The newsroom is small and collaborative, and this job is a chance to be creative and enterprising in a workplace that is still building its identity.

We are committed to an inclusive workspace, and we strongly encourage applications from people of color, women, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities. Consistent with federal, state, and local law, we are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, veteran status, or other protected categories.