Dreamforce Senior Manager

Salesforce•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

Salesforce’s Strategic Events team is seeking an experienced Strategic Events Senior Manager for the Dreamforce team. Reporting to the Strategic Events Director, Dreamforce, this dual-mode role shifts from strategic planning and program setup earlier in the event lifecycle to leadership of workstreams and direct ownership of selected areas as planning moves into execution. The role requires a structured, high-judgment operator who can move between whole-event strategy and hands-on workstream delivery, build trust with internal and external partners, and bring clarity to a fast-moving, matrixed environment. On-site travel is required. Dreamforce is the primary focus, but the position may also support other Paid Events programs, including Connections, TDX, Tableau Conference, and IW, as well as parties and other event experiences, depending on business priorities. The role works across strategic experiences, creative, demand generation, event technology, social, and sponsorships, and manages agencies, vendors, budgets, timelines, event metrics, and reporting. Responsibilities extend from annual planning through on-site execution and post-event wrap-up, with an emphasis on Salesforce brand and product positioning, financial discipline, risk management, and repeatable processes.

Requirements

8–10+ years of progressive Event Operations and/or Marketing experience.
Bachelor’s degree.
Ability to travel domestically and internationally.
Experience operating across the full event lifecycle, from strategic planning through hands-on execution.
Experience with staffing strategy, enablement planning, or team structure for large-scale programs.
Track record of cross-functional leadership in a complex, matrixed organization.
Experience leading, coaching, or developing leaders or workstream owners.
Experience managing agency and vendor partners, including partnering with experiential or creative agencies from concept through on-site delivery.
Experience negotiating favorable vendor terms and managing budgets with strong financial discipline.
Strong narrative and executive communication skills.
Working knowledge of AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Slackbot.
Proactive, self-directed approach to critical assignments with limited guidance.
Ability to thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments with competing priorities and last-minute changes.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a corporate events environment.
Master’s degree (MBA or equivalent).
Experience with Amazon-style narrative writing or similar structured executive communication.
Familiarity with Salesforce, Slack, Google Suite, and RainFocus.
Direct experience using AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, or Slackbot for event operations, automation, or reporting.

Responsibilities

Partner with the Strategic Events Director to shape Dreamforce strategy and launch annual planning.
Enable workstream leads, agencies, and partners; develop staffing strategy and team design; help shape the executive narrative; and quality-check data and reporting before it reaches leadership.
Lead and coach workstream leads as planning moves into execution, helping resolve issues and coordinating across areas to surface risks and dependencies early.
Directly own one or more event areas from pre-event planning through on-site logistics and post-event wrap-up.
Ensure messaging, brand representation, and space allocation align with Salesforce’s brand and product positioning.
Coordinate across strategic experiences, creative, demand generation, event technology, social, and sponsorships.
Manage agency and vendor relationships, secure leadership approvals, and escalate blockers, budget variances, and risks early.
Manage area budgets and multiple timelines, support Director-level budget oversight, and identify cost-saving and efficiency opportunities.
Maintain the integrity of event-wide metrics and reporting cadence, including post-event surveys, ROI analysis, and wrap-up reporting.
Maintain Area Debriefs and Event Playbooks each cycle to develop repeatable, scalable processes.
Travel on-site as needed to ensure event delivery.
Flex support to other Paid Events programs and experiences as business priorities shift.