Director of Events and Strategic Growth – World Forestry Center – Portland, OR

Key Responsibilities

• Grow event-related earned revenue through stronger venue marketing, rental strategy, inquiry conversion, client relationship development, and mission-aligned market visibility.
• Expand WFC’s reach across corporate, nonprofit, civic, cultural, arts, family, festival, and community event markets, including opportunities such as weddings, quinceañeras, cultural celebrations, and arts festivals.
• Own the events P&L, model financial scenarios, monitor revenue forecasts and KPIs, and apply business analysis to pricing, utilization, staffing, vendor partnerships, and growth opportunities.
• Position WFC’s evolving campus, including the new mass timber entrance, future café, facility improvements, and planned mass timber outdoor event pavilion, as a distinctive venue for purpose-driven gatherings.
• Lead venue operations, logistics, rentals, and on-site delivery for weddings, corporate events, nonprofit gatherings, cultural celebrations, arts and music events, family milestones, educational programs, community festivals, and public-facing venue rentals.
• Ensure excellent client, guest, vendor, and partner experiences from inquiry through post-event follow-up.
• Cook up scalable systems, service standards, staffing models, and operational processes that support growth without sacrificing quality.

Leadership, Partnership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a team focused primarily on events, hospitality, venue operations, and revenue growth, while staying connected to visitor services and museum operations as WFC evaluates the most sustainable long-term structure.
• Partner with the existing visitor services and museum management lead to support a retail and visitor-facing hourly team with clear expectations, practical systems, training, and escalation support.
• Collaborate across marketing, facilities, finance, programs, philanthropy, and executive leadership to align event growth with mission, operations, and organizational priorities.
• Serve as an ambassador for WFC with corporate partners, nonprofits, cultural organizations, arts groups, community associations, and family celebration markets.