Employment Opportunities

Special Events Assistant

PART-TIME   •   20-25 HRS / WEEK   •   NON-EXEMPT (W-2)    

REPORTS TO: SPECIAL EVENTS & PRODUCTION MANAGER

About Us

The Arboretum is a 127-acre botanical garden and historical site in the heart of the historic Rancho Santa Anita in the San Gabriel Valley. More than 500,000 guests visit annually from around the world. Our mission is to cultivate our natural, horticultural, and historic resources for learning, enjoyment, and inspiration.

Position Summary

The Special Events Assistant is the operational backbone of the Special Events Department, ensuring no inquiry, event, or detail falls through the cracks. This role owns inbound intake logistics, document production, scheduling, and staff and volunteer coordination — the behind-the-scenes infrastructure that keeps the Sales Coordinator focused on selling and the Special Events & Production Manager focused on strategy and execution. It directly protects revenue by ensuring every lead receives a fast, complete response and every booked event is fully coordinated.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide same-day first response to all inbound event inquiries across platforms (The Knot, WeddingWire), direct email, and the Peacock Café pipeline; qualify at intake, schedule tours, and route qualified sales leads to the Sales Coordinator.
• Log every lead and maintain CRM data hygiene, event calendars, vendor contact lists, and booking records across platforms.
• Build and maintain the department’s document suite — wedding and corporate packets, proposals, contracts, BEOs, run-of-show, load-in schedules, and staff assignment sheets — under direction of the Special Events & Production Manager.
• Manage tour and event scheduling in Microsoft Bookings, including holds, buffers, and confirmations.
• Own event staffing and volunteer coordination: assign and confirm monitors, staff, and volunteers; distribute call times and day-of contact sheets via email, phone, and scheduling platform.
• Conduct venue tours as backup when the Sales Coordinator is unavailable, so no qualified client waits on a response.
• Coordinate event logistics and compliance: collect COIs and permits, track deadlines, manage rental orders and equipment checklists, and flag alcohol, fire, and safety items ahead of events.
• Prepare a weekly inquiry-and-conversion snapshot and support internal reports, meeting agendas, and presentation materials for department and leadership meetings.
• Provide on-site operational support at indoor and outdoor events and handle post-event follow-up, surveys, and invoicing hand-off to Finance.

Qualifications

• 1+ years in event coordination, administrative support, hospitality, or a related field; events experience a plus.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail; able to juggle multiple competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Clear, professional written and verbal communication with a warm, responsive, customer-service orientation.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 (Outlook, Word, Excel, Bookings, Teams) and Google Workspace; comfort with CRM / database tools (Blackbaud Altru, Airtable, or similar) a plus.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule including occasional evenings and weekends for events.
• Aptitude for technology and office systems; ability to learn new platforms quickly.
• Passion for gardens, nature, arts, or cultural institutions preferred; nonprofit experience a plus.

Compensation

• $22.00 per hour, commensurate with experience. Part-time (20 – 25 hrs/week), non-benefits-eligible. Classified as a W-2, non-exempt employee.

How to Apply

• Please submit your cover letter and resume to christine.oliva@arboretum.org

The Los Angeles Arboretum Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 and over), sexual orientation, or any other status protected by California or federal law.

Los Angeles Arboretum Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 and over), sexual orientation, or any other status protected by California or federal law.