Director, Event Programming
About The Position
The Director of Event Programming is a senior creative and operational leader responsible for shaping, executing, and elevating the programming and talent strategy across Condé Nast’s flagship tentpole events, industry moments, and select client-facing experiences. This role partners closely with Editorial, Events, Marketing, and Revenue to ensure that every program is editorially strong, culturally relevant, operationally sound, and strategically aligned—from early concept through live execution and post-event wrap. While this role does not own event production, it requires a high degree of production fluency and shared accountability for designing programs that can be executed efficiently with lean production teams, including taking on additional planning and coordination where needed to support execution. Core franchises include The New Yorker Festival and WIRED’s The Big Interview, with additional support across portfolio tentpoles such as Teen Vogue Summit, and Allure Best of Beauty Live.
Requirements
- 5–8 years experience in event programming, editorial events, live content, or talent-driven experiences
- Proven experience owning speaker/talent strategy and execution for high-profile events
- Strong editorial instincts with the ability to balance creativity and operational rigor
- Strong production fluency, with the ability to anticipate executional implications of programming decisions and collaborate effectively with lean production teams
- Comfortable working cross-functionally in complex org structures
- Highly organized, calm under pressure, and detail-driven
- Familiarity with tools such as Airtable, Google Workspace, and event platforms
Responsibilities
- Programming Strategy & Content Development
- Own end-to-end programming strategy for assigned tentpoles and industry moments, in close partnership with Editorial leadership and Event Production
- Develop themes, session formats, run-of-show architecture, and talent shortlists that align editorial integrity with business and audience goals
- Translate brand voice and cultural moments into compelling, executable live content
- Develop programming frameworks that support monetization while protecting editorial integrity and audience trust
- Talent Booking & Relationship Management
- Lead talent strategy and outreach for thought leaders, journalists, creators, authors, performers, and industry voices
- Manage talent onboarding end-to-end: outreach, negotiations (with Legal/Business Affairs support), contracting, prep, logistics, and on-site experience
- Build and maintain a deep, trusted network of agents, publicists, and direct talent relationships
- Execution, Prep & On-Site Leadership
- Lead speaker and moderator prep, including briefing docs, scripts, talking points, and prep calls
- Partner with Production to finalize run of show, timing, on-stage media, and talent flow
- Oversee all programming deliverables: call sheets, scripts, speaker assets, on-stage materials
- Serve as the primary on-site programming lead for talent and moderators, ensuring a seamless experience
- Design programming with a clear understanding of production constraints, timelines, and resources; proactively flag risks and tradeoffs to support efficient execution, and take on additional planning and coordination where needed to support lean production teams
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Act as the central programming liaison across Editorial, Events, Marketing, Audience Development, Legal, PR, Social, and external partners
- Support Marketing and Revenue on branded conversations and industry appearances where programming expertise is required
- Ensure programming workflows are documented, scalable, and aligned with team best practices
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
Education Level
No Education Listed
