Development & Events Officer

The Cultural Services of the French Embassy (l’Institut Français des Etats-Unis – Villa Albertine) is seeking a highly skilled writer and organized fundraising professional to serve as Development & Events Officer. The officer will manage speechwriting, executive correspondence and donor communications, contact management, non-profit administration, and tracking a donor pipeline. The officer will also plan and execute private and public programming at the headquarters of Villa Albertine.

This is a full-time, permanent, in-person position in New York.

Projected start date: November 1st, 2023.

To apply, please send resume, cover letter, and a brief writing sample (in English) in a single PDF document to bertrand.chaminaud@frenchculture.org, HR officer, copy anne.bourgois@villa-albertine.org, Director of Development. Please include “Development & Events Officer” in the subject line.

Deadline for application: Friday, October 20, 2023

Candidates must have American citizenship, a Green Card, or a work permit (pending a Green Card). Only applicants meeting these conditions will be considered.

Job Description

The Development and Events Officer plays an essential role in supporting the Director of Development in all aspects of the Development team’s activities, handling a range of responsibilities that include drafting donor communications on behalf of the organization and its leadership, grant writing and reporting, donor crediting and prospect research.

The Officer serves as a key English language translator, editor and writer for a broad range of both internal and external facing communications including speeches, statements, personal correspondence, and sponsorship decks.

The Officer is also involved in all aspects of managing events, including liaising with partner cultural institutions and major donors, relevant internal artistic and education departments, and internal logistics teams.

A full breakdown follows:

Fundraising and Donor Relations

  • Draft grant reports and proposals, manage reporting calendar, and liaise with relevant artistic and educational departments.
  • Draft executive level briefings and written communications maintaining relationships with key partners.
  • Maintain the department’s donor pipeline, including donor stewardship timelines and contact management
  • Support the department in researching prospective partners, drafting background notes and categorization of prospects.
  • Ensure accurate donor crediting and benefit fulfillment, including event invitations.
  • Liaison officer with the Albertine Books Foundation, partner 501c3 of the Embassy, including contributing board administration, bookkeeping, and financial records.

Events

  • Support the Awards & Events Coordinator in the organization of a portfolio of 80+ events per year at Villa Albertine headquarters, including internal and donor events
  • Speechwriting for high-ranking French diplomats, including the Cultural Counselor and the Ambassador of France in the US
  • Support Operations and Logistics team in the lead up to and night of the event for interdisciplinary arts, education and literary programming such as author talks, performances, and major interdisciplinary programs such as Night of Ideas
  • Serve as a liaison with internal departments and assist with the preparation and coordination of budgets, menus,sound, lighting, rentals and programming for a portfolio of internal events

General/ Editorial

  • Edit copy written by Villa Albertine and Cultural Services staff to improve meaning, style, accuracy, grammatical correctness, and adherence to branding, messaging, and mission

Salary, Hours & Location

Salary: Level 5 – $69.048 USD ($5,754/month), plus a monthly transportation stipend ($120)
Hours: 40 hours/week (25 days of vacation annually
Other conditions: 401 k, Embasssy Medical Insurance Plan

This position does not confer any diplomatic or consular status or privileges.

Location:
Cultural Services of the French Embassy
972 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10075

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree and two-plus years relevant experience in a development office or equivalent
  • Excellent writing and communications skills
  • Excellent organizational skills
  • Very strict attention to detail
  • Previous development or fundraising experience
  • Skilled in problem solving and project management
  • Experience with written correspondence in a diplomatic or executive level context preferred
  • Keen interest in French arts, culture, language, and education landscape
  • Familiarity with New York philanthropic landscape and Development or fundraising experience preferred

Language

  • French (reading, speaking, writing): Advanced or Bilingual
  • English (reading, speaking, writing): Bilingual or Native speaker

Technical

  • Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (365 and Sharepoint), InDesign, Adobe Creative Suite, and Salesforce software preferred.

Department Structure

The Development and Partnerships Department is composed of three members: Director of Partnerships and Development; Awards & Events Coordinator; and Development and Events Officer. The two latter team members report to the Director of Partnerships and Development. Interns also frequently collaborate.

Professional Qualities

  • A genuine passion for writing
  • Organized and a self-starter with proven experience in project management and attention to detail
  • Excellent interpersonal skills and discretion in response to internal and external inquiries required
  • Outstanding ability to work well under pressure, on a broad variety of projects in a fast-paced environment
  • Demonstrated interest in the arts, foreign languages, and French culture

Extended Hours and Workweek Requirements
Working on evenings and weekends will occasionally be required, in accordance with the department’s needs. Overtime recuperation days are allotted to compensate for this.