Director, Experiential Programming

New York Road Runners•New York, NY

15h•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Experiential Programming is responsible for NYRR’s year-round experiential programming strategy and audience engagement initiatives across NYRR’s physical and digital environments. This role oversees the planning, development, and execution of programming and experiences that support NYRR’s broader content, marketing, community engagement, and organizational objectives. This position works cross-functionally with internal departments, external partners, sponsors, vendors, talent, and city stakeholders to develop and execute high-quality live experiences that extend NYRR’s storytelling and audience engagement strategy beyond race day. Events under the purview of this role include all non-race programming at the NYRR RunCenter, activations and stage programming at the TCS New York City Marathon Expo, United Airlines NYC Half Experience, RBC Brooklyn Half Pre-Party, and other community and partner-facing events.

Requirements

5+ years of relevant experience in event planning, A/V, livestreaming, or related field required
Ability to work in high-paced environment
Self-motivated with strong organizational skills and attention to detail
Ability to meet and perform under tight deadlines, think clearly under pressure, and exercise good judgment
Ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and projects
Excellent organization and communication skills
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook)
Demonstrated decision making and problem-solving skills
Strong attention to detail
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Knowledge of the New York City running community and run clubs
Familiar with NYC communities across all five boroughs
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.
Work evening/weekend event as required

Nice To Haves

Experience in fan engagement or digital content/UX a plus
Adobe Creative Suite (Premiere, After Effects, Illustrator) experience a plus
Ability to speak another language strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Develop and lead NYRR’s year-round experiential programming strategy aligned with organizational goals, audience engagement priorities, and content initiatives.
Oversee the planning and execution of all non-race programming at the NYRR RunCenter and experiential activations tied to marquee events including the TCS New York City Marathon, United Airlines NYC Half, and RBC Brooklyn Half.
Drive audience engagement and community participation through innovative live, hybrid, and experiential programming.
Serve as the central programming lead across departments, managing scheduling, event prioritization, and stakeholder alignment.
Collaborate cross-functionally with Content, Marketing, Sponsorship, Hospitality, Community Impact, and Development teams to support organizational initiatives and partner objectives.
Work closely with Content Production and Content Operations teams on event execution, livestream integration, digital experiences, and technical workflows.
Identify, secure, and manage relationships with featured guests, athletes, panelists, moderators, vendors, and external partners.
Oversee event planning workflows including run-of-show development, floorplans, staffing coordination, vendor management, timelines, and operational execution.
Partner with Digital Marketing and Content Operations teams to support digital fan engagement initiatives, digital signage content, mobile app integrations, and hybrid audience experiences.
Manage experiential programming budgets, monitor financial performance, and identify operational efficiencies and opportunities for growth.
Establish and maintain quality control standards to ensure consistency and excellence across all audience-facing experiences and activations.
Manage and develop staff, freelancers, seasonal personnel, and vendors while fostering a collaborative team culture aligned with NYRR’s mission and values.
Other responsibilities as needed