Event Planner at Bridgewater Associates

About Bridgewater

Bridgewater Associates is a premier asset management firm, focused on delivering unique insight and partnership for the most sophisticated global institutional investors.

Our investment process is driven by a tireless pursuit to understand how the world’s markets and economies work — using cutting edge technology to validate and execute on timeless and universal investment principles.

Founded in 1975, we are a community of independent thinkers who share a commitment for excellence. By fostering a culture of openness, transparency, and inclusion, we strive to unlock the most complex questions in investment strategy, management, and corporate culture.

Explore more information about Bridgewater on our website here.

Our Culture

Bridgewater’s unique success is the direct result of our unique way of being. We want an idea meritocracy in which meaningful work and meaningful relationships are pursued through radical truth and radical transparency. We require people to be extremely open, air disagreements, test each other’s logic, and view discovering mistakes and weaknesses as a good thing that leads to improvement and innovation. It is by continually striving together for the highest levels of truth and excellence that we create meaningful work and meaningful relationships. Within this culture, Diversity and Inclusion is a top priority because it is essential to finding the best talent in the world, enabling our idea meritocracy, and creating an environment where all types of people can thrive. We have a full-time team as well as affinity networks that work on these issues - If you would like to learn more, please let your Bridgewater recruiter know.

Explore more information about Bridgewater’s culture on our website here.

About the Culture & Talent Department

The Culture and Talent Department is responsible for driving and executing our company’s culture as well as shaping the experience for the company’s employees through Talent Development, Diversity Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), Internal Communications, and Community Building. The department partners closely with all other business units as we all help shape the employee experience and have a common goal of helping employees build great lives and careers.

Position Summary

The Event Planner is a creative, highly organized experienced professional with the ability to produce events from conception through to completion in close partnership with service providers and deliver against clients’ and management’s goals and vision. You will be responsible for conceptualizing ideas, creating and enforcing budgets, liaising with suppliers, communicating with clients, and ultimately ensuring that each event is flawlessly executed.

In this role, you will work on a team to coordinate up to 150 events per year. You must be able to proactively anticipate project needs, prioritize work, meet deadlines with little supervision, and execute events from start to finish independently. To be successful, you should have outstanding client service, an extraordinary ability to foresee risks, be very detail oriented, portray a professional attitude, have the ability to think “outside the box”, and be able to build relationships with internal/external clients and vendors. This role requires the flexibility to work evenings and travel domestically as dictated by events.

Key Responsibilities Include:

Event Planning & Production

• Handle events from inception through completion including generation of event ideas, preparation of budget, identification of venues, contract negotiation, communications/RSVP management, and onsite execution.
• Execute and negotiate for space contracts and book event spaces, select food and beverage, order supplies and audiovisual equipment, make travel arrangements, and ensure appropriate décor (florals, linens, color schemes, etc.).
• Collaborate and coordinate with internal and external teams on planning and execution of on-site and off-site events, primarily community and social.
• Use project planning tools and software to manage communications, RSVPs, and facilitate event planning processes.
• Aggressively gather information on each project to achieve quality event productions.
• Conduct research, make site visits, and find resources to help staff make decisions about event possibilities.
• Create and revise room layouts for each event and manage assigned seating charts.
• Propose new ideas to improve the event planning and implementation process.
• Serve as liaison with vendors on event-related matters.
• Assist with managing on-site production and clean up for events as necessary.
• Prepare nametags, materials, notebooks, packages, gift bags, registration lists, seating cards, etc.
  

Event Administration

• Assist with preparing budgets and provide periodic progress reports to clients for each project.
• Keep track of event finances, including invoicing and monthly management reporting
• Prepare and modify event contracts by identifying business terms from legal ones and negotiating as needed with venues.
• Production of event timelines, communication plans, checklists, and project plans
• Close out all event budgets, invoices, and event feedback, as required.

Qualifications

• BS/BA Degree preferred
• Passion for community building
• CMP or equivalent corporate meeting planner credentials a plus
• Minimum of 5+ years Event Planning Experience, preferably small, medium and large-scale events (15-2000 attendees); experience planning volunteer events a plus
• Strong food & beverage knowledge and catering logistics; CT/NY expertise preferred
• Excellent communication skills; including written, verbal, and proofreading skills
• Proficient experience managing RSVPs and event feedback; experience with event management software preferred
• Proficient PC skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint, Canva & Internet Research)
• Excellent client services skills
• Highly creative and ability to think outside the box
• Ability to make decisions and operate within a fast-paced, high pressure environment
• Ability to multi-task; managing multiple projects and work assignments, all with great attention to detail
• Strong interpersonal skills both in person and over the phone with the highest level of professionalism
• Ability to work across business lines, influence decision makers and collaborate with support partners
• Team player but also able to work independently with little supervision
• Energetic, positive attitude and ability to present themselves with professional body language
• Quick thinker, strong problem-solving ability, able to be resourceful and adaptable under pressure
• Flexible, open-minded, and comfortable giving and receiving criticism

Physical Requirements

For most of our roles, Bridgewater offers remote work flexibility, with most employees required to work on campus as their principal work location, a minimum of two days (and in some cases three days) per week with the option to work offsite on other days. This role also requires the flexibility to work evenings and travel domestically as dictated by events.

Compensation:

The wage range for this role is $110,000 - $175,000 inclusive of base salary and discretionary bonus. The expected base salary for this role is between 80-90% of this wage range.

Why Choose Bridgewater?

It takes all types to make Bridgewater great. We seek a diverse group of innovative thinkers and push them to engage in rigorous and thoughtful inquiry. We develop people through an honest examination of their abilities and performance, enabling personal growth and professional development. We strive to provide you opportunities that will challenge you and unlock your potential.

One of our core priorities at Bridgewater is to enable our employees to build a great life and career, and we believe our benefits are an important extension of that philosophy. As such, currently Bridgewater offers a competitive suite of benefits including:

• Health insurance with 100% premium covered and access to additional concierge medical services
• 401(k) plan with generous employer match
• Paid time off, including fully paid parental leave and a competitive PTO package
• Workplace flexibility and access to back up childcare
• Financial assistance for family building support, including adoption and egg freezing
• Workplace wellness, including on-site gyms, free meals and healthy snacks , and meditation rooms
• An engaged and active community that includes many company events, affinity networks, and extracurricular interest groups
• For a full list of Bridgewater benefits, click here.

Bridgewater reserves the right to change its current benefits program at any time, in a manner that is consistent with applicable federal and state regulations

This job description is not a contract and confers no contractual rights, privileges, or benefits on any applicant or potential applicant. Bridgewater has the right to change any and all terms of this job description, including, but not limited to, job responsibilities, qualifications and benefits. Nothing in this job description constitutes an offer or guarantee of employment. Please note that we do not provide immigration sponsorship for this position.

Bridgewater Associates, LP is an Equal Opportunity Employer