Community Events Lead

New York Road Runners•New York, NY

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Community Events Lead is responsible for leading the planning, development, and execution of NYRR's most complex Community Events, community engagement activations, and strategic initiatives. This role serves as the primary operational lead for high-impact events, overseeing project planning, cross-functional coordination, vendor management, and event delivery from concept through post-event evaluation. Working closely with the Director of Community Events, the Lead supports the growth of NYRR's Community Events portfolio by establishing operational best practices, mentoring team members, strengthening partnerships, and ensuring events are executed safely, efficiently, and at the highest standard.

Requirements

3+ years of event management or related experience, preferably in sports, community events, experiential marketing, or live event operations.
Demonstrated experience independently managing complex events from concept through execution.
Experience managing multiple concurrent projects with competing priorities and deadlines.
Strong experience coordinating vendors, city agencies, community organizations, and cross-functional teams.
Experience developing operational plans, production schedules, budgets, and logistics documentation.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Outlook).
Ability to work occasional weekends or evenings.
Strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Operate on a hybrid schedule, with two days per week in the NYRR office in NYC.
All staff are required to work the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon, RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon, and the TCS NYC Marathon.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s Degree preferred but not required
USATF Youth Coaching Certification preferred or willingness to obtain
Technical knowledge of road racing and track and field events preferred
CPR/AED and First Aid Certification preferred or willingness to obtain
Experience mentoring project teams, interns, seasonal staff, or junior team members preferred

Responsibilities

Lead the planning and execution of NYRR's portfolio of Community Events, community activations, and strategic initiatives.
Partner with the Director to develop new Community Event concepts and strategic initiatives while identifying opportunities to enhance existing events, improve operational efficiency, and elevate the participant experience.
Serve as the primary project manager for assigned events, overseeing all phases of planning and execution, including project plans, workback schedules, operational timelines, staffing plans, site layouts, logistics plans, and production documentation.
Lead cross-functional planning efforts with internal departments including Operations, Marketing, Creative Services, Volunteer Services, Procurement, Finance, Medical, Safety & Security, and Community Impact.
Serve as the primary operational lead during assigned events, making real-time operational decisions to ensure safe, efficient, and successful event delivery.
Manage relationships with vendors, venues, city agencies, community organizations, sponsors, and external partners throughout the planning and execution process.
Manage assigned event budgets, including expense tracking, invoice reconciliation, and financial reporting.
Monitor project timelines, proactively identify operational risks, and implement solutions to maintain project schedules.
Develop operational standards, planning tools, and documentation that improve consistency, efficiency, and execution across Community Events.
Provide day-to-day guidance and mentorship to Community Events Coordinators, interns, seasonal staff, and Event Supervisors while fostering collaboration across project teams.
Support onboarding and training of new team members and contribute to the professional development of the Community Events team.