Developer Events Lead

Buildkite • San Francisco, CA

12d • Remote

About The Position

As the Developer Events Lead, you will shape where and how Buildkite engages with the developer community through various channels including conferences, meetups, workshops, and sponsorships, as well as events organized by Buildkite itself. Initially focused on the Bay Area, you will guide investment decisions, define objectives, and establish success metrics, with the potential to expand the program globally. This is a comprehensive, end-to-end role where you will manage the strategy, budget, partnerships, and systems for the events program. You will collaborate closely with Go-To-Market (GTM), Sales, and Brand teams to transform key moments into strong relationships and achieve business impact. The role offers the autonomy to experiment, learn, and develop effective strategies. We are seeking an individual who can identify strategic opportunities, advocate for Buildkite's presence, and rigorously analyze results to inform future actions.

Requirements

• Developed and led an events, community, or field marketing strategy.
• Experience in building scalable programs and repeatable systems, not just executing individual events.
• Comfort working autonomously, making decisions, and bringing clarity to ambiguous situations.
• Ability to translate business goals into practical execution plans and gain buy-in from others.
• Proficiency in measuring event success beyond attendance, connecting it to business and community outcomes.
• Skill in building trusted relationships with senior stakeholders, technical audiences, and community partners.
• Interest in developer communities and understanding of what drives authentic engagement.
• Experience in creating memorable experiences, whether through flagship events, conference activations, or community programs.

Nice To Haves

• Experience building events or community programs from the ground up.
• Existing relationships within Bay Area (or other) developer communities and technology event networks.
• Experience working in or alongside Developer Relations.
• Experience using ABM, intent data, or attribution frameworks to connect events with pipeline and revenue outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Shape our events strategy, defining Buildkite's presence in field marketing, the rationale behind it, and how success will be measured (e.g., ROI).
• Develop a clear framework for measuring event impact to support informed investment decisions and link events to pipeline, brand, and community outcomes.
• Collaborate closely with Marketing, Sales, and GTM teams to prioritize opportunities, manage trade-offs, and maximize impact.
• Experiment with new event formats, partnerships, and community programs to continuously enhance developer engagement.
• Build a scalable program by creating budgets, establishing vendor relationships, and developing operational playbooks for a high-quality, repeatable events program.
• Document processes and implement systems to facilitate program growth without increasing complexity.
• Continuously improve event planning, execution, and evaluation processes.
• Deliver exceptional experiences by owning flagship events end-to-end, from strategy and planning to execution and post-event analysis.
• Represent Buildkite to customers, community leaders, partners, sponsors, and industry stakeholders.
• Ensure all events reflect the quality of the Buildkite brand and provide meaningful value to attendees.
• Lead through influence by openly sharing insights and learnings, using data to refine strategy and improve future programs.
• Partner effectively across teams and support contractors or external partners to achieve successful outcomes.

Benefits

• Work from anywhere in the world for up to 6 weeks a year, in addition to a fully remote setup.
• 20 days paid annual leave plus 10 days sick & carer's leave.
• 16 weeks paid parental leave for primary carers (6 for secondary).
• A remote-work allowance for home-office kit, co-working, or working elsewhere.
• Confidential EAP & mental health support.
• Support for learning and growth, including time and budget for conferences, courses, and coaching.
• Retirement and health coverage (based on region).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed