Career Opportunities at Ride for Sight

Job Title:	Event & Field Coordinator - Alberta
Organization:	Ride for Sight Canada / Foundation Fighting Blindness
Reports to:	Director, Marketing & Events, Ride for Sight Canada
Job Type:	Full-Time, Contract - Immediate - July 31, 2012
Location:	Calgary, Alberta
Salary Range:	$2,800 - $3,200 per month

The Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB)

The Foundation Fighting Blindness is Canada’s largest registered charity for sight saving research; contributing over $19M to cutting edge eye research at universities and hospitals across Canada. The Foundation has funded dozens of research discoveries, now leading to breakthroughs in restoring vision. Equally important is our commitment to the individuals, their families and friends. We offer educational forums and regular newsletters to fulfill our mission objectives of education and awareness. The Foundation is known by its signature events such as Ride for Sight, Comic Vision and Cycle for Sight.

Ride for Sight (RFS)

RFS is the Foundation’s signature fundraising initiative, having raised more than $19 million since it began in 1979 in Central Ontario. The event is held in provinces across Canada and is driven largely by volunteer committees and is both the longest running motorcycle charity fundraiser in Canada, and the largest fundraiser for vision research in the world. Alberta Ride for Sight will be celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and requires an event & field coordinator that will ensure the swift promotion and execution of the weekend event.

Position Summary

Role and Responsibilities
The Field and Event Coordinator will be responsible for planning, managing, and executing all logistics of Alberta Ride for Sight’s annual outdoor weekend festival. The ideal candidate will have proven success managing special events in a non-profit fundraising environment and will enjoy cultivating relationships through interaction with retailers, participants and individual donors. The Event & Field Coordinator will have a proven track record in planning and organizing large-scale events that have hosted a minimum of 1,000 attendees and have generated in excess of $200,000 in fundraising. The individual must be a resourceful and strategic thinker, highly organized and energetic with a great sense of attention to detail. In addition, the individual will be a fantastic communicator and a confident self-starter.

Reporting/Working Relationships
The Event & Field Coordinator will report to the Director, Ride for Sight Canada and will regularly meet with the Executive Planning Team to further support the logistical requirements in preparation for Ride for Sight weekend (June 22 & 23, 2012).

Key Responsibilities/Duties

Plan and coordinate all logistical requirements of Ride for Sight weekend.
Manage all aspects of on-site activities including set-up, volunteer registration and placement, vendors and suppliers.
Generate new leads and provide ongoing stewardship to existing event supporters.
Manage existing volunteer planning committee including, coordinating staff and volunteer assignments related to event weekend responsibilities.
Assist in the development of proposals and presentations to new potential partners and manage associated documentation.
Solicit donations from businesses to help offset supply costs.
Regularly project, monitor, and report departmental costs to ensure balanced budget
Negotiate with clients, partners, contractors, and suppliers to ensure best price possible.
Ability to work with event volunteers to develop and implement procedures and workflow.
Design event action plan; Leads department’s collective efforts to implement all event logistics and coordinates internal and external resources for proper execution of event.
Ability to recruit, manage and develop volunteers.
Actively seeks out and facilitates fundraising and/or marketing opportunities.
Schedule client and committee meetings as needed, record minutes of meetings.
Report progress to Director as requested.
Must be flexible to work evenings and weekends when required.
Travel within the province will be required. Must have own vehicle.
Attend all industry specific shows and events for the purpose of raising event awareness and soliciting new participants.
Compile post event reports.
Answer all enquiries by phone and email in a prompt fashion.
Inventory supplies and gear as required.
Other duties as required.

Candidate Specifications

Minimum 3 years successful experience in event planning and fundraising for a comparative large-scale event is a prerequisite.
Minimum 3 years of supervisory experience.
Proven record in successful implementation of events that generates in excess of $200,000.
Ability to develop and effectively manage expense budgets.
Ability to multitask, work collaboratively, and maintain focus in a fast paced environment.
Exceptional communicator with and strong leadership skills.
Excellent understanding and knowledge of function and operation of event registration processes preferred.
Able to lead and motivate event volunteers, personnel and assigned staff.
Demonstrated abilities in strategic planning and project management with emphasis on strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
Goal-oriented and results-driven are excellent personality traits.
Ability to adapt to changing situations with excellent problem solving skills.
Solid communication, interpersonal and customer service skills applied to a diverse audience.
Ability to work independently, collaboratively and under pressure.
Excellent oral, written (with an emphasis on report writing) and presentation skills.
Enthusiasm and drive with a commitment to excellence in personal and team performance.
Excellent computing skills including proficiency in – Microsoft Office including Word, Excel and Power Point.
A self-starter, with strong motivation to take initiative and to adjust to changing priorities and meet deadlines.

Please send email to Ms. Debbie Dixon at ddixon@ffb.ca with the subject heading: Alberta Ride for Sight Event & Field Coordinator.

For more information on Ride for Sight and The Foundation Fighting Blindness, visit www.rideforsight.com