Events Specialist

About the Role

Erlanger Health System is deeply woven into the community it serves, not only as a healthcare provider but as a convener, partner, and public presence across a wide range of causes and celebrations. As part of the Community Relations team within the Marketing & Communications division, the Event Specialist plays a hands-on, highly visible role in executing a broad portfolio of events that elevate Erlanger's brand, deepen community engagement, and support strategic priorities across the health system. This role reports to the Community Relations Director and is central to the execution of Erlanger's most important public-facing activities, including major fundraising events, internal recognition ceremonies, civic collaborations, awareness campaigns, and grassroots community activations.

Responsibilities

• Event Planning & Execution
  • Develop event strategy aligned with organizational goals.
  • Plan and manage logistics for signature events, including the annual Foundation event, employee recognition ceremonies, community health fairs, sponsorship activations, and other public-facing experiences.
  • Coordinate event timelines, budgets, run-of-show documents, and planning checklists in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Ensure events are well-organized, appropriately staffed, and executed to a high standard of professionalism and guest experience.
• Cross-Departmental Collaboration
  • Collaborate with the Development team to execute philanthropic events and donor engagement opportunities.
  • Partner with the Marketing, Creative, and Communications teams to ensure brand consistency, promotional support, signage, and media coverage as appropriate.
  • Work with hospital departments across the system to support internal events and community presence opportunities.
• Vendor & Partner Coordination
  • Serve as the point of contact for event vendors, including caterers, AV providers, venues, and rental companies.
  • Coordinate with the Foundation's external Events Partner for large-scale or co-managed events requiring additional expertise or resources.
  • Negotiate contracts and terms and ensure vendor agreements, deliveries, and on-site execution align with event specifications and timelines.
• On-Site Leadership & Execution
  • Serve as the on-site lead for event setup, execution, and breakdown, ensuring all elements run smoothly and according to plan.
  • Troubleshoot logistics issues and act as the point of contact for staff, volunteers, and vendor partners during events.
  • Represent Erlanger professionally in high-visibility community settings.
• Evaluation & Documentation
  • Track attendance, participant feedback, and event outcomes; support post-event reports and impact summaries.
  • Maintain organized records of past event plans, vendor contacts, and planning templates for repeatable success.
  • Support continuous improvement of event workflows, planning tools, and internal best practices.

Requirements

• Education
  • Required: Bachelor's degree in Event Management, Public Relations, Hospitality, or a related field.
• Experience
  • Required: 3-5 years of experience coordinating events in a nonprofit, healthcare, corporate, or agency setting.
  • Strong project management and organizational skills.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to work evenings or weekends as needed for events.
  • Preferred: Experience supporting fundraising, employee engagement, or community events in a healthcare setting.
  • Preferred: Familiarity with vendor negotiation, contract management, and event permitting.
  • Preferred: Proficiency in Microsoft Office, event planning platforms, or project management tools.

Skills

• Event Planning & Logistics: Coordinates all aspects of event execution with precision and professionalism.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Works across development, marketing, and operations to meet event goals.
• Vendor & Partner Management: Manages external vendors and event partners with clarity and accountability.
• On-Site Leadership: Provides a calm, capable presence at events and handles real-time challenges.
• Project Management: Maintains checklists, timelines, and documents to ensure nothing is missed.
• Guest Experience: Ensures every event reflects Erlanger's mission, brand, and care for its community.
• Adaptability: Flexes across event types, sizes, and purposes with professionalism and poise.

Location: Erlanger Baroness Hospital, Chattanooga, TN. Standard hours with occasional evenings or weekends required.