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Program Coordinator

Tales of the Cocktail

Posted 11/07/25

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3500 N Causeway Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70002

Full-Time
Entry level
Hospitality and Tourism
Hybrid

Job Description

HIGH PRIORITY HIRE for Tales of the Cocktail Foundation!

Under the direction of the Program Director, the Program Coordinator provides operational and administrative assistance to the suite of foundation programs, performing a variety of administrative, committee and presenter communication, and logistical services. The Program Coordinator takes full responsibility for certain areas of communication with supervision, as needed.

Essential Core Position Functions & Responsibilities 

I. General 

    1. Provide support in the research, development, and implementation of program functions. 
    2. Hire and onboard interns as needed.
    3. On-site management of presenters at Tales of the Cocktail Conference.
    4. Local community outreach and relationship building with nonprofit organizations in New Orleans and nationally.
    5. Serve as a central point of contact between Committees, Programming Director, Leadership and other departments on day-to-day programmatic, operational, and administrative matters; assists with meetings, special projects, and/or general problem resolution. 
    6. Coordinate activities of support staff, consultants, interns and/or volunteers engaged in implementation and administration of program objectives. 
    7. Work closely with the Events & Programming Assistant to hire and place festival staff and volunteers and oversees orientation pre-Tales and onsite.
    8. Monitor and administer program/project revenues and expenses; may develop or participate in the development of funding proposals for the program. 
    9. Maintain program/project records, research information and gather and compute various data; prepare special and/or one-time reports, summaries, or replies to inquiries, selecting relevant data from a variety of sources.
    10. Monitors and manages projects using Asana. 
    11. May assist with grant and/or proposal writing as appropriate to the objectives and funding nature of the program; may participate in other fundraising activities. 
    12. May perform specialized activities of a programmatic nature in direct support of the accomplishment of program objectives and protocol. 
    13. May supervise student employees, volunteers and/or interns; may coordinate assistants.. 
    14. Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned. 
    15. Assist in DEAI initiatives as it relates to committee and internal TOTCF staff. 

II. Education 

A. Committee 

1. Relationship Management: Maintain contact sheet for the Education Committee to ensure Programming Director and Leadership Team regularly connect with Committee members 

2. Support asset collection, travel arrangements and in-person meeting planning as applicable 

B. Seminars 

1. Application Submission: Responsible for review of Seminar Submission Application and updates on OpenWater platform. 

2. Support Whova platform build-out ensuring files are uploaded correctly and all seminar information is accurate and accessible by appropriate parties 

3. Seminar Moderator POC: IT direction of seminar submission applications.

4. Judging and Recordings: Support Department with all rounds of judging, scoring, and recordings. 

5. Support Moderators: Approvals/Decline process, asset collection, onboarding/communications 

6. Logistics and Event Execution: 

      1. On-site for Education Committee meetings (January and July). 
      2. Assists Programming Director, Leadership and Co-chairs in meeting execution. 
      3. On-site contact for Education Committee during TOTC and/or TOTC
      4.  Assist Education Committee with all travel coordination as applicable 

III. Scholarships, Philanthropy, and Policy 

A. Committee 

      1. Manage aspects of the scholar program, with minimal supervision from the Program Director.
      2. Build out agendas and lead meetings with Philanthropy & Development Committee.
      3. Build out agendas and lead meetings with Policy Committee.
      4. Relationship Management: Maintain contact sheet for the Education Committee to ensure Programming Director and Leadership Team regularly connect w/ Committee members 
      5. Support asset collection, travel arrangements and in-person meeting planning as applicable 

B. Scholarship Process 

      1. Review, edit, and maintain grant application software and process.
      2. Judging and Interviews: Support Department with all rounds of judging, scoring, and interviews. 
      3. Assist in OpenWater grant application build-out and updates Program Approvals/Decline process, asset collection, onboarding/communications 

       C. Day of Service 

      1. Assist in the research, development and implementation of the TOTC Day of Service and other  Day of Service activities 


SKILLS + EXPERIENCE

  • Minimum 2–4 years of professional experience coordinating or managing programs, events or outreach in a nonprofit or hospitality industry context (ideally with a focus on education, community building, or industry-development).
  • Experience planning, implementing and evaluating programs or initiatives that involve multiple stakeholders, events/seminars, and measurable outcomes.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to craft program materials, support outreach, liaise with staff, partners, sponsors, volunteers and community members.
  • Strong organizational, scheduling and time-management skills, with ability to  prioritize multiple tasks; able to balance program planning, volunteer or partner coordination, logistics, and follow-through.
  • Experience or willingness to engage in industry networking, community building, and partner engagement typical of the spirits/hospitality sector.
  • Excellent attention to detail combined with ability to see the big picture.
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment.
  • Proficiency in Google Workspace, Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and other project management tools (e.g., Asana, Airtable, etc.)

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

  • Committed to, and enthusiastic about, the mission and vision of TOTCF;
  • A strategic thinker who is adept at multitasking in a fast-paced environment, able to plan, prioritize, and organize individual and group activities and processes;
  • Outgoing, straightforward, and creative;
  • Able to work independently and take initiative;
  • Results-oriented;
  • An adaptable, flexible problem-solver;
  • Team-focused, enjoy working as part of an active group of highly engaged individuals, sharing information readily with co-workers, and listening to and respecting others; able and willing to assist co-workers in the development of their own professional skills in order to ensure the team’s success; and
  • A person who presents a high degree of maturity, honesty, trust, sophistication, and integrity and cultivates these qualities in others.

WORK AUTHORIZATION

  • Must be currently authorized to work in the United States for any employee (without requiring employment visa sponsorship) and provide documentation supporting this authorization. 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. 

  • While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to sit, stand, walk; use hands and fingers, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms.
  • Maintain visual attention and mental concentration for significant periods of time
  • Extended periods of sitting while using a computer or other devices are common.
  • Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus.
  • Must occasionally lift or move office products, marketing materials, and supplies, up to 20 pounds.

Tales of the Cocktail Foundation (TOTCF) has reviewed this job description to ensure that essential functions and basic duties have been included. It is intended to provide guidelines for job expectations and the employee's ability to perform the position described. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills and abilities. 

Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate. This document does not represent a contract of employment, and TOTCF reserves the right to change this position description and/or assign tasks for the employee to perform, as TOTCF may deem appropriate.

Skills

  • Program Management
  • Google Workspace
  • Microsoft Office
  • Time Management
  • Professional Communication
  • Event Management
  • Asana
  • Prioritization
  • Detail Oriented

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About Tales of the Cocktail

ABOUT TALES OF THE COCKTAIL FOUNDATION

Tales of the Cocktail Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Organization, which is the global leader in spirits education as well as a platform to address issues facing the industry. Tales of the Cocktail Foundation aims to be the global voice of the drinks industry. As a local, national and international non-profit organization, the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation platform seeks to act as a catalyst to Educate, Advance and Support the communities we touch.

TOTCF hosts annual events, Tales of the Cocktail® and Tales on Tour, which engage our Foundation initiatives while gathering the global drinks industry. Founded in 2002, Tales of the Cocktail® has grown from an annual walking tour of historic New Orleans cocktail bars to the world’s premier cocktail festival. Each year, the international drinks industry is welcomed to New Orleans for a week of seminars, tastings, networking, and special events. With hundreds of opportunities developed specifically for bartenders, distillers and other bar and spirits professionals, Tales of the Cocktail® is the industry’s annual meeting place for the exchange of new ideas, products and techniques.

Tales of the Cocktail Foundation produces a traveling event called Tales on Tour which brings our namesake event to different cities. Additionally, the Foundation supports the Cocktail Apprentice Program--an exclusive mentorship program for up-and-coming bartenders; distributes industry-focused grants; curates Beyond the Bar programming; and produces the Spirited Awards Dame® and Hall of Fame®. Please visit our website to learn more, talesofthecocktail.org.