Special Events Manager
Employer: Make-A-Wish
Location: Reading, Hybrid (at least twice a month to Reading Office)
Temporary: 12 month FTC
Working hours: Full time
Salary: £40,000 per annum
Closing date: 18th February 2026
-
At Make A Wish UK, we create life changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. Our Special Events programme plays a vital role in making those wishes possible by raising essential income, inspiring supporters and bringing our community together.
We are looking for a talented and driven Special Events Manager to lead, shape and grow our portfolio of high profile events. From elegant gala dinners and supporter receptions to new and innovative fundraising opportunities, you will be at the heart of creating experiences that make a meaningful difference.Job requirements
Core Purpose
To lead the delivery and growth of Make A Wish’s programme of Special Events, maximising net income, strengthening donor and supporter stewardship, and identifying new opportunities across the organisation and beyond to enhance and expand our events portfolio. This role also supports wider departmental events, including those connected to Art of Wishes, while inspiring and managing supporters, committee members, suppliers and volunteers. In addition, the role oversees the stewardship events programme delivered by the Events Officer, ensuring exceptional experiences for all involved.
To be successful in this role you will need:
Essential CriteriaAbility to prepare materials to support a range of audiences and requirements, from presentations through to toolkits, meeting notes etc .
Excellent communication skills, including:
Ability to work effectively at different levels in the organisation
Ability to articulate core concepts in different formats and approaches
Ability to negotiate and influence across different organisational levels
Work as part of a cross functional team
Understanding of regulatory frameworks, best practice and ethical issues related to
Marketing and engagement with children and young people
Content capture and use
Knowledge of regulatory frameworks around fundraising
Understanding of advertising and influencer regulatory frameworks
Managing and working with user permissions and compliance around:
User permissions
Safeguarding
Data protection
Experience of working with others:
Being part of a team delivering different objectives
Inspiring and encouraging self-development in team members/colleagues
Setting objective and KPIs and managing performance towards these
Integrating volunteers and networks into teams
Volunteer management
Evidence and Experience of:
Using and updating CRM tools – Salesforce
Managing data accuracy
Producing reports and analytics
Reading and interpreting data
Experience of managing finance and budget:
Developing budgets
Recording financial information
Reading and understanding financial information
Calculating basic information, particularly to show return on investment
Managing expenses and invoicing processes
Experience of managing and planning work:
Working on cross team plans
Using technology to support planning and prioritisation
Able to use MS Office tools, in particular Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel to support delivery of work
Evidence of ongoing professional development in a related field or areas (formal or self-directed)
Significant experience in planning large scale special events, dinners, balls, receptions or similar:
Evidence of managing £200,000+ event budgets
Experience planning and executing events for 200+ attendees
Experience working with event agencies
Job responsibilities
Key Responsibilities:
Event supportOwn and develop relationships with key Make-A-Wish event supporters including committee members, suppliers, speakers and donors.
Project manage and/or provide event support to key Make-A-Wish flagship and high-value supporter events.
Generate income and gift in kind for Make-A-Wish owned and high value third-party events.
Oversee the stewardship of high value third-party events by the Events Officer.
Be the day-to-day contact for Special Events agencies and third-party suppliers, attending and leading meetings to ensure each event is executed as smoothly and successfully as possible.
Manage internal and external event stakeholders including Make-A-Wish BCE and volunteering teams, committee members and event suppliers in relation to their role at the event.
Attend all the Special Events and represent Make-A-Wish in a professional manner.
Support on the development of the special events strategy with Art of Wishes & Special Events Lead and Philanthropy Director.
Create and manage event budgets with a focus on reducing costs and maximising net income / budget relieving GIK.
Complete event performance evaluations including wrap-up analysis, measure against KPIs and review if goals were achieved.
Oversee the post-event financial administration and processes with Supporter Care Team and Philanthropy Team to ensure a positive guest experience.
Support internal teams in event planning to maximise opportunities and ensure consistent delivery.
Identify additional opportunities for the programme both internally and externally.
Work to identify and secure sponsorship partners for events.
Line managementProvide engaging and motivating leadership, coaching, management and development of one direct report (Special Events Officer) which includes quarterly coaching conversations, career development conversations and more.
Supporter ManagementSupport and manage organising Committees to ensure each event is executed as smoothly and successfully as possible.
Lead committee meetings.
Develop relationships with event supporters to increase support and GIK donations.
Oversee the supporter journey of prize donors, prize winners and wish sponsors, including but not limited to thanking and providing feedback post-event, prize fulfilment, building long-term and sustainable relationships through correspondence.
Work with the Volunteering team and Special Events Officer to manage volunteers including recruitment, pre-event briefings, communications, on the day and post-event thanking.
Communications and Internal CollaborationTake responsibility for maintaining and updating the supporter database with any event and guest details ensuring it is GDPR compliant.
Leading and supporting on events and projects across the organisation as required.
Job benefits
26 days annual leave with the option to buy/sell annual leave (pro rata for part time)
Paid Birthday leave
Flexible & Hybrid working arrangements
Salary exchange pension scheme
Paid volunteering days
Pirkx subscription - Access to wellbeing support, GP appointments, training and events, retail discount platform, and much more!
Cycle to work initiative
The Work From Home Hub is dedicated to finding and sharing remote and hybrid job opportunities across the UK. The content available on theworkfromhomehub.co.uk is intended for general informational purposes only. While we strive to ensure the information provided is accurate and reliable, we make no guarantees or warranties, expressed or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability, or completeness of the information presented on our site.
Feeling stuck in your job search?
Shift self-doubt into career confidence with solution focused support.
Book a free breakthrough session and receive a relaxation audio plus a Work from Home Hub discount.
Take your next step with clarity and courage.
This page may contain adverts for products and services tailored to those seeking homebased roles or already working remotely. These adverts help The Work From Home Hub source and share more job opportunities to our community. Support our mission - become a partner today.