Events Coordinator

About Land Trust Of Santa Cruz County

Founded in 1978, the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County brings diverse communities and organizations together to protect and connect people to the lands that define this special place. We protect and steward farmland, watersheds, wildlife habitat, and land for public access in and around Santa Cruz County to support the environment, economy, and quality of life for future generations of people and wildlife.

We understand the critical role land plays in addressing climate change and calibrate our preservation efforts through this lens. At the same time, we know that land is cherished when people connect to it directly. From that perspective, we partner with groups and individuals to preserve and steward land that people can access, enjoy, and fall in love with.

We engage the entire county in our efforts to get bikers, hikers, birders, farmers, ranchers, and everyone who cares about the local environment and our uniquely beautiful vistas to become active stewards of the land.

The Land Trust aspires to be an organization that is representative of the communities we serve. We are looking for people with a passion for nature, land protection, and teamwork. We encourage everyone to apply for our available positions even if they don't meet all the hiring criteria listed in the job description.

The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, a nonprofit organization that has made substantial headway in environmental conservation by helping to protect more than 19,000 acres of important habitat and farmland over the last 45 years, is seeking an organized, creative, collaborative, events coordinator who excels at designing meaningful experiences, building strong relationships, staying calm under pressure, and guiding staff and volunteers to deliver impactful events.

The Events Coordinator is an integral member of the Land Trust Engagement team and leads the development, planning, and execution of impactful, high-quality experiences for Land Trust members, donors, partners, and the broader Santa Cruz County community—strengthening support for land conservation, stewardship, and climate resilience. The Events Coordinator oversees all aspects of event creation and production, from concept to follow-up, ensuring that events are mission-aligned, inclusive, well-organized, and reflective of the Land Trust's values. This position may supervise others in the future. The ideal candidate is a highly organized, creative, and collaborative professional who enjoys building relationships, innovating event experiences, and working across teams to inspire community investment in conservation.

The Events Coordinator role is a full-time position with excellent benefits and a great work environment. The Land Trust offers excellent health, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off and holidays to support work-life balance, a green commute stipend to encourage sustainable transportation, ongoing professional development opportunities, fun and inclusive staff events (with fantastic food), and a dog-friendly office environment. Work hours total 40 hours per week. While most positions work between 8 am and 6 pm, Monday through Friday, this position frequently works a modified schedule to accommodate events held early, late, or on weekends. This position is an office and field-based role with off-site events at Land Trust properties and elsewhere throughout the community. Events may require physical activity such as transporting supplies, outdoor setup, and hiking in uneven terrain. The starting salary range: $62,400 - $84,000/year, dependent on candidate qualifications and experience.

• Develop and execute an annual events plan aligned with organizational priorities, member engagement goals, and fundraising objectives.
• Serve as the lead project coordinator for all public-facing events, including member appreciation gatherings, donor cultivation events, public community events, educational outings, fundraising events, and special partnership programs.
• Build event concepts in collaboration with the Engagement Team that highlight the Land Trust's mission, programs, and impact while creating memorable, inspiring experiences.

• Plan and implement an annual calendar of member, donor appreciation, public outreach, and staff events.
• Manage all event logistics: venue selection, permits, vendor coordination, catering, equipment transportation, safety plans, event setup and breakdown, and ADA accessibility considerations.
• Oversee event communications: invitations, RSVPs, collateral, signage, scripts, run-of-show, and post-event follow-up.
• Coordinate with the Engagement team to ensure strategic donor engagement opportunities and to ensure brand-aligned promotion and storytelling.
• Ensure all aspects of events are delivered on time, in quality fashion, and within budget.
• Communicate and coordinate with Stewardship Department staff to prepare properties for events.

• Develop and manage event budgets, track expenses and revenue.
• Coordinate with and oversee