Director, Events & Experiences Operations

Autodesk•AMER - United States - Colorado - Offsite/Home, NV

3d•$138,000 - $248,050

About The Position

Autodesk is seeking a Director, Event Operations to lead the operational strategy, governance, and delivery model that powers Autodesk’s most visible customer, partner, employee, and executive experiences. This role is responsible for establishing the operational foundation that enables Autodesk’s strategic events portfolio to scale efficiently, execute consistently, and deliver exceptional experiences. From flagship customer conferences and executive programs to employee events, incentive experiences, and future strategic initiatives, this leader ensures operational excellence across the entire event ecosystem. The Director, Event Operations serves as the operational backbone of the Events & Experiences organization, partnering closely with Event Technology, Experience Design, Content, Marketing, Security, Procurement, Finance, Legal, and executive stakeholders to drive alignment, reduce risk, optimize investments, and elevate execution quality across all programs. This role requires a highly strategic operator who can balance long-term planning with real-time decision making, create structure in complex environments, and build scalable systems that enable teams to perform at their best. Success in this role requires exceptional judgment, operational rigor, financial acumen, stakeholder management skills, and the ability to bring clarity and calm to highly dynamic environments.

Requirements

10–15+ years leading large-scale event operations, experiential marketing operations, or enterprise program delivery
Experience overseeing complex event portfolios including customer conferences, executive programs, sales meetings, incentive experiences, and employee events
Proven experience managing multimillion-dollar budgets and driving financial accountability
Deep expertise in venue strategy, operational planning, supplier management, and large-scale event execution
Experience leading cross-functional teams and influencing executive stakeholders
Demonstrated success managing complex vendor ecosystems and negotiating commercial agreements
Strong understanding of operational governance, risk management, and organizational effectiveness
Experience supporting high-profile events with significant executive visibility and business impact
Thrive in complexity and instinctively bring order, structure, and clarity to ambiguous situations.
Know how to zoom out and think strategically while still being willing to dive into the details when needed.
Build trust quickly and understand that strong relationships are often just as important as strong processes.
Know how to influence without creating unnecessary friction and can navigate competing priorities with diplomacy and confidence.
Proactive, resourceful, and solutions oriented.
When you identify a problem, your instinct is to come with options and recommendations, not just escalation.
High standards and care deeply about operational excellence, but also know how to be practical, flexible, and adaptable.
Leave your ego at the door, assume positive intent, and genuinely enjoy helping teams succeed.
The person others look to during high-pressure moments because you bring calm, perspective, and a sense of partnership to the work.
Care about building great experiences, developing great teams, and having fun along the way.

Responsibilities

Define and evolve Autodesk’s event operations strategy, operating model, standards, and governance framework across the strategic events portfolio
Establish scalable operational processes, playbooks, and delivery models that create consistency across flagship events, executive programs, and future experiences
Partner with program leads to translate business objectives into executable operational plans
Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce duplication, and drive operational excellence across programs
Serve as a strategic advisor to Events & Experiences leadership on operational priorities, risks, resource allocation, and organizational effectiveness
Oversee operational planning and execution across Autodesk’s strategic event portfolio
Establish program governance models, readiness reviews, decision frameworks, escalation paths, and operating rhythms
Lead portfolio-level planning efforts including master timelines, critical path management, dependency tracking, and milestone governance
Ensure operational consistency across venue strategy, registration operations, housing, transportation, food and beverage, staffing, production operations, executive experiences, and attendee services
Drive continuous improvement through post-event reviews, lessons learned, benchmarking, and operational maturity assessments
Own Autodesk’s event operations vendor ecosystem, including agency partners, production vendors, housing providers, transportation partners, staffing agencies, destination management companies, and operational suppliers
Lead vendor selection strategies, RFP processes, contract negotiations, and supplier evaluations
Identify opportunities for consolidation, standardization, preferred partnerships, and cost savings
Establish performance standards, service-level expectations, and accountability frameworks for vendor partners
Partner with Procurement and Legal to negotiate favorable commercial terms, concessions, rebates, and risk protections
Oversee operational budget planning and financial management across Autodesk’s strategic events portfolio
Establish forecasting models, budget governance processes, and financial reporting standards
Identify efficiencies, cost optimization opportunities, and investment recommendations
Ensure responsible stewardship of company resources while maintaining exceptional attendee experiences
Partner with Finance and leadership teams on funding strategies, business cases, and investment decisions
Monitor portfolio financial performance and provide executive-level reporting and recommendations
Establish operational risk management frameworks across all strategic events
Partner closely with Security, Legal, Risk Management, Travel, and executive stakeholders to ensure appropriate planning and mitigation strategies
Lead contingency planning, crisis management preparation, and business continuity efforts
Ensure operational readiness across all programs through structured reviews, testing, and validation processes
Create scalable frameworks for health, safety, accessibility, compliance, and duty-of-care requirements
Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of event operations professionals
Establish clear roles, responsibilities, operating rhythms, and development plans across the organization
Create a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement
Drive workforce planning, contractor strategy, resource allocation, and organizational scalability
Foster an environment where teams can move quickly, solve problems effectively, and deliver exceptional work without unnecessary complexity
Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on operational strategy, event investments, risks, and execution planning
Lead executive briefings, operational reviews, and decision-making forums
Present recommendations, trade-offs, risks, and opportunities with clarity and confidence
Build strong cross-functional relationships across Marketing, Sales, Customer Success, Finance, IT, Security, Procurement, and executive offices
Represent Event Operations in executive planning forums, steering committees, and organizational initiatives