Special Event Manager

Special Events Manager

Safe and Sound Schools

Joplin, Missouri (In-Office Preferred | Remote Applicants Considered)

Full-Time

Reports To: Associate Director of Development

About Safe and Sound Schools

Safe and Sound Schools is a national nonprofit organization committed to supporting school crisis prevention, response, and recovery to protect every school and every student, every day.

Our work brings together educators, safety professionals, mental health experts, and communities to create safer learning environments through training, advocacy, and collaboration.

We are seeking a highly organized, collaborative, and mission-driven Special Events Manager to lead the planning and execution of impactful national events, conferences, summits, and partner-hosted programs.

Position Overview

The Special Events Manager is responsible for planning, coordinating, and executing Safe and Sound Schools’ events, including conferences, workshops, summits, trainings, and partner-hosted events.

This role serves as a central coordinator across internal teams, vendors, speakers, sponsors, and event partners to ensure seamless event delivery and an exceptional attendee experience.

The ideal candidate thrives in fast-paced environments, demonstrates exceptional organizational skills, and can balance strategic planning with hands-on execution.

Before Applying – Required Candidate Questions

To be considered for this role, applicants must answer the following questions within their application submission:

1. Multi-Tasking & Prioritization

Describe a time you managed multiple high-priority projects or events simultaneously. How did you organize competing priorities, deadlines, and communication to ensure successful outcomes?

2. Experience & Value

What experience, strengths, or perspective would you bring to the Special Events Manager role at Safe and Sound Schools?

3. Out-of-State Event Coordination

Have you coordinated out-of-state or multi-day events? If so, please describe how you managed relationships and communication with vendors, employees, speakers, volunteers, and event venues to ensure the event was successful.

4. Problem Solving Under Pressure

Event environments often require quick decisions and adaptability. Please describe a challenging issue that arose during an event and how you handled it.

5. Communication & Collaboration

This role requires collaboration across departments and with external partners. How do you maintain clear communication and accountability among multiple stakeholders working on the same event or project?

6. Mission & Engagement

Why are you interested in working with Safe and Sound Schools, and what motivates you about supporting mission-driven events that impact schools and communities nationwide?

Key Responsibilities

Event Planning & Execution

• Manage events from concept through completion
• Develop event timelines, workplans, and logistics schedules
• Coordinate venue selection, catering, AV, registration flow, and travel logistics
• Lead on-site event execution and troubleshoot real-time issues
• Conduct post-event evaluations and process improvements

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Serve as the primary point of contact for event operations
• Coordinate with internal teams, speakers, vendors, sponsors, and partners
• Maintain alignment across schedules, expectations, and deliverables
• Manage shifting priorities with professionalism and adaptability

Communications & Marketing Support

• Coordinate event-related communications and materials in collaboration with internal teams.
• Collaborate with marketing on promotional campaigns and event visibility
• Support content development for event-related materials and communications

Budget & Logistics Management

• Track event expenses and support budget management
• Coordinate contracts, invoices, reimbursements, and vendor payments
• Identify efficiencies and cost-saving opportunities while maintaining quality

On-Site Event Leadership

• Coordinate staff and volunteers during events
• Manage event schedules and operational flow
• Ensure a professional, mission-aligned attendee experience

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Event Management, Communications, Nonprofit Management, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 3–5+ years of event planning, program coordination, or conference management experience
• Experience managing logistics for multi-day events or conferences
• Strong organizational and written communication skills
• Ability to travel as needed

Preferred

• Experience working within nonprofit or mission-driven organizations
• Experience coordinating national or multi-state events
• Familiarity with event registration platforms, CRM systems, and project management tools
• Experience collaborating with marketing and communications teams

What We’re Looking For

The ideal candidate is:

• Highly organized and detail-oriented
• Adaptable and solutions-focused
• Comfortable managing multiple projects simultaneously
• Skilled in relationship-building and collaboration
• Passionate about creating meaningful event experiences
• Mission-driven and aligned with supporting safer schools nationwide

Why Join Safe and Sound Schools?

This role plays a vital part in helping Safe and Sound Schools expand its impact, strengthen partnerships, and deliver high-quality experiences that support educators, schools, and communities across the country.

Together, we can make schools Safe and Sound.

To apply, please submit your resume along with responses to the required application questions above.