Part-time contract

Location: Toronto, with a combination of in-person and remote work The Prospect The Art Canada Institute is seeking an experienced, highly organized and exceptionally detail-oriented Senior Events Manager to take ownership of a busy and varied events portfolio.

This is a hands-on management role for an experienced events professional who is comfortable working at a fast pace, managing multiple events simultaneously, and taking full responsibility for ensuring that every detail is anticipated, coordinated and executed. The successful candidate will be accustomed to managing as many as 10 events at different stages of planning at once, while maintaining a clear view of priorities, deadlines, dependencies and outstanding decisions.

The Senior Events Manager will work closely with ACI’s Executive Director, Chief of Staff & Director of Advancement Services, staff, authors, artists, scholars, donors, sponsors, museums, universities, venues and other external partners.

The ability to manage up effectively is essential: the successful candidate will know how to keep senior leadership informed, identify what requires a decision, anticipate needs before they are raised, flag issues early, and ensure that commitments do not fall through the cracks.

This role requires someone who is highly effective under pressure. Events often involve competing priorities, last-minute changes and multiple stakeholders. The Senior Events Manager must be able to quickly assess what needs attention, solve problems independently, communicate clearly and keep an event moving forward.

Key Responsibilities of the Role

Event Management & Project Management

- Manage multiple events concurrently, potentially with up to 10 events at various stages of planning and execution.
- Develop and maintain detailed event plans, production schedules, budgets, timelines, task lists and critical-path items.
- Establish clear deadlines, owners and next steps and follow up proactively to ensure work is completed on time.
- Anticipate logistical and operational issues well in advance and develop solutions before they become problems.
- Maintain a clear overview of all upcoming events, their status, outstanding decisions, risks and immediate priorities.
- Prepare detailed run-of-show documents, event briefs, briefing notes, seating plans, contact sheets, staff assignments and other production materials.

Invitations, Guest Lists & RSVP Management

- Own the event invitation process from start to finish, ensuring invitations are planned, approved, distributed and followed up on according to established timelines.
- Develop and maintain detailed invitation and guest lists in consultation with ACI leadership and relevant internal teams.
- Develop invitation timelines and ensure all approvals, assets and mailing lists are ready in advance of launch.
- Coordinate invitation design, copy, approvals and distribution with ACI’s communications team and external vendors, as required.

Senior Stakeholder & Team Management

- Work closely with ACI’s Executive Director to ensure they have the information, decisions and materials required for each event.
- Manage up effectively, providing concise updates, identifying decisions required,



flagging risks early and ensuring agreed actions are followed through.
- Serve as the central point of coordination for internal staff and external partners involved in events.
- Keep all stakeholders aligned on responsibilities, deadlines, expectations and changes.
- Know when to resolve an issue independently and when to escalate it.

Event Logistics & Production

- Liaise with venues, speakers, artists, authors, institutional partners, sponsors, suppliers, caterers and technical teams.
- Coordinate venue bookings, catering, audiovisual requirements, accessibility arrangements, décor, signage, transportation and other logistics.
- Coordinate speaker communications, briefing materials, presentations, event briefs and production requirements.
- Coordinate technical requirements, rehearsals, recordings and presentations.
- Coordinate event materials, signage, name badges, programs, gifts, promotional materials and other required assets.
- Oversee on-site event execution, including registration, speaker support, vendor coordination, timing and troubleshooting.

Communications & Audience Management

- Work with ACI’s communications, editorial, education and development teams to ensure events are appropriately promoted and supported.
- Ensure sponsors, donors and institutional partners receive appropriate recognition.
- Monitor registration and attendance and identify issues requiring follow-up.

Budget & Administration

- Review and coordinate invoices and supplier payments.
- Maintain organized event records, templates, supplier information, contracts and planning documents.
- Gather attendance information and feedback and prepare concise post-event reports.
- Maintain and update ACI’s annual events calendar, ensuring that it accurately reflects upcoming commitments and deadlines.
- Contribute to the development of efficient event systems, processes, templates and procedures that enable ACI to manage a high volume of events effectively.

Qualifications & Experience

- 7+ years of professional experience in event management, event production, conference management or a closely related field.
- Demonstrated experience independently managing multiple events simultaneously, ideally 5–10 events at different stages of planning.
- Proven project management skills, with an exceptional ability to manage timelines, dependencies, details and competing priorities.
- Exceptional attention to detail.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively under significant pressure and manage last-minute changes calmly and professionally.
- Excellent upward management skills, including the ability to anticipate what senior leadership needs, provide concise updates, secure decisions and follow through on outstanding items.
- Demonstrated ability to anticipate problems, identify solutions and take initiative without waiting for direction.
- Experience managing external vendors, venues, suppliers, speakers and institutional partners.




- Ability to work independently and take full ownership of a portfolio while collaborating effectively with a small team.
- Experience working with Asana.
- Availability for occasional evening and weekend events.
- Experience working with donors, sponsors, artists, scholars, cultural institutions or senior volunteers is an asset.
- Experience in the arts, culture, education, publishing, museum, university or not-for-profit sectors is an asset.
- Knowledge of Canadian art and culture is an asset.
- French-language proficiency is an asset.

What we are looking for:

The successful candidate will be someone who:

- Owns their work from start to finish.
- Is exceptionally organized and has outstanding attention to detail.
- Can manage multiple events and dozens of moving pieces simultaneously without losing track of details.
- Is highly proactive and naturally anticipates what needs to happen next.
- Is comfortable managing up and working directly with senior leadership.
- Is calm, resourceful and decisive under pressure.
- Can juggle multiple competing deadlines without losing track of details.
- Communicates early when something is at risk rather than waiting for a problem to become urgent.
- Has excellent judgment about priorities and knows what requires immediate attention.
- Is comfortable telling senior colleagues what is needed, by when, and why.
- Is diplomatic, personable and confident with a wide range of stakeholders.
- Takes pride in producing highly polished events and guest experiences.
- Has strong instincts for guest management and understands that the invitation and RSVP process is an important part of the event experience.
- Enjoys working in a fast-moving environment where priorities can shift quickly.

Compensation, Schedule & Conditions

- This is a part-time position with hours varying according to ACI’s events calendar and seasonal demands.
- $700–$1,400 per week, depending on experience and agreed weekly hours
- $720–$770 per week during peak months (15- 20 hours/week: March–May and September–November) and $360–$385 per week during lighter months (6-10 hours/week: December–February and June–August)
- The role will require greater availability during periods with a high concentration of events; Spring (March-June) and Fall (September-November), including occasional evenings and weekends.
- The successful candidate will be expected to actively participate in weekly team meetings and maintain a reliable remote work environment, including appropriate equipment and high-speed internet access.
- Candidates must be legally entitled to work in Canada.
- ACI does not use artificial intelligence (AI) in the hiring process.

Application Submission

Please submit your CV and cover letter in a single PDF document to [email protected] with the position title “Senior Events Manager” in the subject line. Please also paste your cover letter into the body of your email. Applications that do not follow this format will be considered incomplete.

Review of applications will begin after October 13, 2026, and will continue until the position is filled.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

📌 Senior Events Manager (Toronto)
🏢 Art Canada Institute
📍 Toronto