JOB TITLE:  Events and Partnerships Manager

REPORTS TO: Director of Operations

POSITION SUMMARY: The Events and Partnerships Manager is responsible for booking and managing all onsite and offsite events and event programming, donation requests, pop-ups & vendors, and partnerships for Happy Raptor Distilling.

WHAT SHOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT HAPPY RAPTOR?
Happy Raptor Distilling’s mission is to create premium rum inspired by New Orleans’ culture, community, and the moments that bring us joy. While hospitality is central to our connection with our community, we are not a hospitality company. As a multifaceted distillery, we handcraft and distribute a premium line of spirits and beverage products. On any given day, we operate simultaneously as a production and manufacturing facility, an events venue, a tour attraction, a community hub, a tasting room, a corporate office, and a brand. We are a startup in rapid growth with high standards and a minimal budget. We work hard (sometimes really hard in the summer heat), and things can change quickly.

WHAT IS OUR COMPANY CULTURE?

Happy Raptor is successful because of our support for one another and our community. We prioritize our mental health and work/life balance. We each understand our importance to our team, and we constantly check in to ensure we have the tools to meet the expectations. Our core team values are Adaptability, Accountability, Growth, Connection, Trust, and Pride. We chose these values as a team, and we take them seriously. We take ownership of this fast-paced environment, and we are psyched by every little win because we know we worked for it, and we’re proud of how we far we’ve come. Communication and mutual respect are non-negotiables, and we practice the giving and receiving of hard feedback at all levels of the company every day. We are a safe space for our team and guests – and that means everybody. Most of all, we know well that creativity, laughter, belonging, bad jokes, and great company make the best rum.

WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES WE NEED IN AN EVENTS & PARTNERSHIPS MANAGER?

• Understanding of and dedication to the company’s mission and vision.
• A consistent tendency to over-communicate with leadership and colleagues when it comes to balancing priorities and deadlines.
• Self-sufficiency and excellent time management and organizational skills, understanding the careful balance between planning in advance and the urgent execution of last-minute needs or changes.
• A deep-rooted love for efficiency and sense of pride in a completed project with minimal hiccups.
• The patience, flexibility, and positivity necessary to keep up with countless minutiae in an ever-changing, busy, startup environment.
• A strong sense of professionalism and punctuality when responding to internal and external inquiries and deadlines.
• An authentic love for New Orleans and our community.
• Whole-hearted dedication to the team, while still respecting your own boundaries and those of your colleagues.
• Curiosity, resilience, ability to quick-pivot, and a “let me look it up” attitude.
• A deep appreciation for a well-functioning spreadsheet.
   

WHAT ARE THE JOB RESPONSIBILITIES?

Keeper of Data

• Organize, create, implement, edit, and maintain all documentation related to events, pop-up experiences, partnerships, and off-site tastings, including checklists, contracts, and partnership information.
• Manage, track, and disperse all nonprofit donations, under the supervision of the Director of Operations.
• Maintain complete knowledge and strictly abide by state liquor regulations, especially those involving on and off premise consumption and distribution. 
• Be prepared to have an in depth understanding of all services/products sold by the organization to respond to client and partner inquiries accurately and in a timely manner.
• Implement and/or oversee the development and distribution of all required information, promotional materials, media kits, agreements, contracts, detail worksheets, or paperwork to the Happy Raptor team, clients, and partners in a swift and thorough manner.
• Maintain that all event and partnerships related information is updated, thorough, and complete on the shared company calendar, Asana, and Slack channels on a daily basis. 

On-Site & Off-Site Events

• Develop and implement all on-site and off-site programming, with the goal of sustaining and increasing sales and revenue in the tasting room. On-site programming can include private events, nonprofit events, regular weekend programming, seasonal events, special events, food and craft pop-ups, and monthly art markets. Off-site programming can include nonprofit event appearances and tastings, team-building events, fairs, festivals, and special events where Happy Raptor has been given the opportunity to interact with the community.
• Maintain a regularly recurring, predictable, year-long calendar of pop-up vendors, monthly art markets, live music, and general programming to draw local traffic to the tasting room.
• Identify, book, and nurture long-term relationships with local vendors, artists, and musicians, with priority given to local, BIPOC vendors.
• Attend and/or oversee events, including some evenings and weekends.
• Oversee event support staff, including the Operations Assistant, tasting room team, and sales reps, as appropriate and directed by company leadership.
• Act as the essential driver in bringing the crazy, fun ideas of our team and partners to life, and have fun doing it.
• Respond to and facilitate all inquiries from potential event clients and vendors across all platforms, including social media, email, and website inquiries.
• Serve as the essential “glue” across all management when executing events and partnerships by clearly and reliably outlining and dictating expectations to teammates and the client, with the goal of ensuring a smooth execution from start to finish.
• Assume responsibility for standards of cleanliness as dictated by the Louisiana Department of Health and oversee the enforcement of these standards (in collaboration with the Guest Experience Manager when on-site).
• Identify and pursue opportunities to grow private events through networking opportunities, event tabling, and professional relationships (ex: meeting with wedding planners, booking a table at an event planning expo, attending professional networking events, reaching out to leads for potential private event clients). For these efforts, a commission program is available.

Partnerships

• Act as primary point of content to all external partners and event clients at every step of the event or partnership process, from start to finish.
• Determine and oversee all key requirements of external partnerships, ensuring that both the partner and Happy Raptor fulfill all obligations, and assuming responsibility for the swift and thorough completion of Happy Raptor’s duties from start to finish.
• Respond to and facilitate inquiries from potential partners across all platforms, including social media, email, and website inquiries.
• Identify, recruit, and nurture long-term relationships with external partners.
• Respond to, track, facilitate, and ensure the successful delivery of silent auction and cocktail donations to nonprofit partners, in coordination with the Guest Experience Manager and Assistant Distiller.

WHAT ARE THE PRE-REQUISITES?

• Must be able to communicate in English (reading, writing and speaking) and other languages are advantages.
• Must be available for event attendance and oversight some evenings and weekends.
• Bachelor’s degree and/or certificate in events, hospitality, marketing or other related field preferred but not required.
• Computer knowledge (including scheduling and time-tracking software, Excel, and Google Workspace) is required.
• Experience in the Square point of sale system is a plus.
• Previous experience in similar job role or 1-2 years of experience in hospitality and/or a similar position is preferred.

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE COMPENSATION PACKAGE?
This is an hourly non-exempt position and requires a 90-day trial period. Our Events & Partnerships Manager will begin part-time, with the potential to upgrade to full-time in the coming months. Pay for this position begins at $15/hour, depending on experience, beginning at 20 hours/week. Commissions are provided for eligible new business and events development. Other benefits include PTO and sick leave, ample flexibility for remote work (some on-site is required), flexible schedule, paid volunteer hours, paid bereavement leave, and lots of opportunity for growth within the company. Options for health insurance are available, although the company does not subsidize them (yet…#goals). 

WHO SHOULD APPLY?:
Happy Raptor is an equal opportunity employer, and we strongly encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. Historically, distilling can be an exclusionary industry – Happy Raptor is not about that. We love to teach and we love learners.

HOW TO APPLY?
We encourage all applicants to send a message to our Director of Operations, April Lawton, at april@happyraptor.com. Please include the following:

Subject Line: Raptors Throw the Best Parties

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