Event Planner

Palo Alto, CA | Part-Time, Hourly (Non-Exempt)

Two 4-hour onsite shifts a week, plus events; busy weeks can reach 25+ | Evenings and weekends required

Pay: $38–43 per hour, depending on experience

About The Foster Museum

The Foster Museum is a 14,000-square-foot museum in Palo Alto dedicated to the watercolor wilderness Journeys of British artist Tony Foster. Funded by the Foster Art & Wilderness Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we unite, understand, and share Foster’s work to inspire connection to art, nature, and the protection of place. Through our collection, archive, exhibitions, and programs, we invite visitors to experience art as a pathway to deeper connection with the natural world.

The Opportunity

The Foster hosts events throughout the year, from talks and founder-hosted gatherings to private rentals and receptions for up to 120 guests. In spring 2027, we’ll also take part in the Further Triennial with an exhibition of Tony Foster’s John Muir and High Sierra work, along with related programs and events.

We’re looking for an Event Planner to own this work from first request to final debrief. You’ll be the main point of contact for event requests, both from within the museum and from outside organizations and individuals. You’ll build budgets, manage vendors, coordinate with the right people on our team, and lead each event on the day, working independently and reporting to our Guest Experience and Operations Manager. You’ll also help shape the processes and templates that support our events for the long term.

Job Duties

Requests & Outside Partners

• Serve as the main point of contact for event requests, whether they come from the founder or outside organizations and individuals. Confirm details, check the calendar, and bring each request to the Executive Director with a recommendation.

• Be the day-to-day contact for outside hosts and partners: respond promptly, set clear expectations, and keep them informed from first inquiry through the event.

• Prepare quotes for private rentals in line with the museum’s pricing, and route rental agreements and other contracts to the Chief Operating Officer.

• Make sure outside hosts and vendors understand and follow museum guidelines.

Plan & Produce

• Plan and produce events from start to finish, including founder-hosted meetings and gatherings, private rentals, public events, and Further programming.

• Build the timeline, floor plan, and run-of-show for each event, working with the Art Director and other staff on Further programming.

• Coordinate early with the right people for each event on staffing, setup, and logistics.

Budgets & Vendors

• Develop each event’s budget and get approval from the Chief Operating Officer before committing funds; track actual costs and flag changes early.

• Source, book, and manage vendors (catering, rentals, AV, florals, photography), and confirm details with each ahead of the event.

Lead on Event Day

• Schedule, brief, and lead our event hosts, the part-time staff who help run each event, and work with the Guest Experience and Operations Manager when you need more coverage.

• Serve as the onsite lead: oversee setup, guest arrival, and breakdown, keep the galleries and artwork safe, and solve problems calmly as they come up.

Document & Improve

• Build and maintain the event calendar, vendor list, templates, and run-of-show library, so what we learn stays with the museum.

• Close out each event with a short written debrief, final costs, and recommended improvements.

What Success Looks Like

• Events are planned well ahead, delivered on budget, and leave guests and outside hosts with a strong impression of The Foster.

• Every request gets a prompt response and a clear next step, and nothing falls through the cracks.

• Event hosts feel prepared and well led.

• Within the first year, we have a clear events playbook that anyone on the team can pick up.

What You Bring

You’re organized, steady, and good with people. You can keep several events moving at once, stay on top of outside hosts and vendors, and still notice the small details that make an evening feel cared for.

Experience & Skills

• A track record of planning and producing events independently, often several at once, from concept through wrap-up, in a museum, nonprofit, venue, hospitality, or similar setting.

• Experience working directly with clients or outside partners, including responding quickly, setting expectations, and handling changes gracefully.

• Experience building event budgets, securing approvals, and managing vendors and costs.

• Experience leading event staff or volunteers.

• Clear, warm communication and everyday fluency with Google Workspace.

• A schedule that can flex up for busy weeks, including evenings and weekends.

Preferred: Museum or cultural events; donor, collector, or VIP events; private rentals; and/or a Bay Area vendor network.

How You Work 

• Ownership and initiative: You see what needs doing, act without waiting to be asked, and close every loop.

• Responsive and clear: You get back to people quickly, inside and outside the museum, and keep everyone on the same page.

• Sound judgment: You weigh cost against impact and bring the right decisions to the right people.

• Calm under pressure: When something goes wrong on event day, you stay steady and solve it.

• Organized and hospitable: You keep a lot of moving parts on track, write things down, and care how every guest experiences the museum.

 

If you don’t check every box but recognize yourself in the shape of this role, we’d still like to hear from you.

 

Position Details

• Reporting: This role reports to the Guest Experience and Operations Manager. The Executive Director sets event priorities.

• Anticipated Start: Ideally December 2026 to allow time for onboarding; no later than early January 2027.

• Schedule: The role includes two set onsite shifts each week (four hours each, Tuesday–Friday), plus all events. Total hours ebb and flow with the event calendar: quieter weeks stay close to the 8-hour base, and busy weeks can run 25 hours or more, especially March–June during the Further Triennial. We’re looking for someone comfortable with hours that shift week to week.

• Work Arrangement: Some planning can be done remotely, with hours logged. Must be local to the Bay Area.

• Equipment: An onsite computer, plus a museum email and Google Workspace account.

• 90-day Introductory Period: This role includes a standard 90-day introductory period.

Physical Demands

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the role.

• Standing and walking for extended periods during events, including evenings and weekends.

• Regular movement throughout the museum, including galleries, stairs, storage areas, and back-of-house spaces.

• Lifting and moving items such as chairs and tables up to approximately 25 pounds, with occasional bending, reaching, or use of a step stool during setup and breakdown.

Background & Health Requirements

Employment offers are conditional upon successful completion of background screening. Employees are expected to comply with applicable public-health requirements and The Foster Museum’s health and safety policies.

To Apply

Please submit a resume and short cover letter to [email protected] with “Event Planner” in the subject line. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority consideration given to applications received by November 16, 2026.

The Foster Museum is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable law.