Program Events and Digital Engagement Manager

Join our entrepreneurial team working to advance discovery science, collaborative philanthropy, and holistic approaches to strengthening science and democracy. We are looking for a highly collaborative program events and digital engagement manager to produce exceptional experiences for our civic science, Scholars, and philanthropic networks across in-person, virtual, and hybrid formats.

About the Foundation

The Rita Allen Foundation is a venture philanthropy organization that invests in transformative ideas in their earliest stages to leverage their growth and promote breakthrough solutions to significant problems. It enables early-career biomedical scholars to do pioneering research, seeds innovative approaches to fostering informed civic engagement, and develops knowledge and networks to build the effectiveness of the philanthropic sector. We support discoveries in their earliest stages that will ultimately improve human health, democracy, and understanding.

The core of this position—ensuring seamless participant experiences—is key to our work to develop fields and networks collaborating to advance discovery science, philanthropic practice, and civic science. Our programs include a number of national and international philanthropic collaborative initiatives, including the field-leading Rita Allen Foundation Scholars program, and the Civic Science Fellows program, a signature effort co-created with our Civic Science Funders Collaborative partners and a vibrant cross-sector community. With diverse roots and across ecosystems, we work to seed, incubate, and mobilize leaders and networks—co-creating a future where all people shape science to expand its benefits and frontiers.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced program events and digital engagement manager to produce exceptional experiences for our civic science network across in-person, virtual, and hybrid formats. This role manages approximately 20-25 events and programs annually while building a vibrant online community between gatherings. You'll coordinate Foundation partner retreats, execute engaging virtual programs, and steward digital platforms that connect civic science practitioners, funders, and researchers nationally.

This position combines event production excellence with digital community building—ensuring seamless participant experiences whether people are gathering in Princeton, joining from across the country via Zoom, or engaging asynchronously through our online platforms. Reporting to the Strategic Engagement lead and working closely with our President, our highly collaborative team, and philanthropic partners, this role will be central to our efforts to support innovative leaders and advance a culture of civic science.

In our work together, you will:

MAJOR EVENTS MANAGEMENT – 50%

• Plan and execute seamless event logistics and production elements for events, including annual Scholars Symposiums, Civic Science Funders Collaborative retreats and gatherings, Civic Science Connect network programs, and additional emergent dinners, meetings, and events
• Responsible for all event research, coordination, vendors, budget tracking, speaker communications, systems, outreach, on-site management, and real-time problem-solving, as well as overseeing post-event follow-up, including surveys, thank you communications, and materials distribution

VIRTUAL AND HYBRID EVENT EXCELLENCE – 30%

• Design integrated virtual and hybrid experiences that engage both in-person and remote participants, including quarterly Civic Science Fellows Plenaries and alumni network sessions
• Create engaging program formats that maximize interaction and minimize "Zoom fatigue"
• Coordinate sophisticated AV technology for streaming, interaction, and audience engagement
• Manage technology integration ensuring seamless connection between physical and virtual spaces
• Provide technical moderation for sessions, including technical support and troubleshooting
• Research and pilot new virtual engagement tools and platforms, creating templates and best practices for high-quality virtual programming
• Produce and edit post-event video content for network distribution

ONLINE COMMUNITY AND NETWORK ENGAGEMENT – 15%

• Coordinate email newsletters related to events and civic science programming and Scholars community achievements
• Manage and steward online community platforms for civic science network and Scholars, including designing and implementing engagement strategies to activate network participation between live events; welcoming and onboarding new network members; monitoring metrics; and planning content calendars for consistent network engagement

WEBSITE AND DIGITAL PRESENCE – 5%

• Update civic science website event pages with current information and registration details
• Post event recaps, recordings, presentations, and resources in accessible formats
• Maintain event calendar with accurate dates, descriptions, and links
• Track website analytics for event pages and recommend improvements
• Coordinate with communications colleagues on website updates and design

We are looking for:

• A gathering expert with meticulous attention to detail, who can create in-person, online, and hybrid environments that support learning, relationships, and field-building.
• A highly organized and effective communicator skilled at writing for interdisciplinary audiences, with a demonstrated track record of program communications that help build relationships and engagement with leaders in philanthropy, scientific institutions, the social sector, government, and/or business.
• An energetic project manager with a drive to reach ambitious goals through creative approaches and collaboration with others, able to collaborate with peers and external partners to deliver on evolving opportunities for impact and connection. This is the kind of team member who loves rolling up their sleeves and contributing to every stage of a project to produce the best results.
• An agile collaborator—one who excels when working with a diverse mix of people, embracing an iterative team-based process of content creation and decision making, and advancing projects with enthusiasm for working in teams—with the ability to coordinate complex processes and produce deliverables on deadline.
• Able to learn, use, and adapt tools and processes essential to advancing our programs and communications, which currently include Fluxx grants management software, ClickUp, Airtable, WordPress, Mailchimp, Canva, Salesforce, Survey Monkey, LinkedIn, and the Microsoft Office suite. Comfort with AI-assisted workflows for content, video, and communications tasks, or a strong desire and willingness to learn, is a plus.
• Experience working in an events or project management role for 4-8 years, along with experience in academic, philanthropic, media, government, community organizing, public-benefit, or nonprofit spaces.
• Preferably, a degree in a STEM field, the social sciences, humanities, communication, journalism, administration, or interdisciplinary studies—or equivalent lived and professional experience. Awareness of issues related to philanthropy, ethics, equity, and the practice of science are strongly desired.

To Apply

Please apply through the job posting on Idealist.org. Include a résumé and cover letter describing your interest in this position. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis; we encourage you to apply promptly.

Our office is located in downtown Princeton, New Jersey. A hybrid working arrangement is possible for this position, with on-site event management required.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds. The Rita Allen Foundation is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sexual orientation or expression, gender, marital status, age, physical or mental disability, military status, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic as established under law. All individuals are welcomed and encouraged to apply.

We offer a highly competitive benefits package, including health, dental, and life insurance; a defined-contribution retirement plan; and a generous paid-time-off program.