Event Ops Manager

On Board Experiential•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

The Event Operations Manager is an integral member of the Account Team, delivering exceptional service and executing programs for clients. The role cultivates and grows client accounts and relationships by developing a comprehensive understanding of clients’ business needs and industries. It provides end-to-end project management for assigned programs and shares accountability for their financial and operational performance, including budget tracking and resource coordination. The manager ensures programs and marketing strategies promote client brands, products, and services in line with client objectives and initiatives. The position partners with client and brand teams to identify business opportunities and develop solutions tied to measurable program KPIs. It coordinates experiential plans for in-person and/or virtual execution with cross-functional departments, manages day-to-day project and event activities, leads status meetings, and oversees communications between clients and account teams. The role also supports statements of work, tracks budgets, resources, timelines, and deliverables, monitors and reconciles expenses, tracks creative approvals, and maintains organized program documentation. The position requires keeping current with industry trends and technologies.

Requirements

At least 3 years of experience in project management, marketing, promotions, and events within an advertising, media, marketing, or experiential agency.
At least 2 years of experience as a day-to-day client contact or Account Lead to hospitality or enterprise clients.
Experience managing in-person experiential activations.
Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business administration, communications, or a related field.
Strong project management, organizational, and attention-to-detail skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects in a demanding, collaborative environment.
Strong communication skills, including the ability to connect authentically and respect diverse perspectives.
Ability to build trust and respect through coaching, communication, and listening.
Creative thinking, willingness to innovate, and ability to present and sell ideas and bring them to life through storytelling.
Ability to identify issues and obstacles proactively and create timely, effective solutions.
Ability to manage multiple clients with differing priorities, commitments, and deadlines.
Ability to work independently and in teams, collaboratively with internal colleagues and clients.
Experience managing program financials and reporting.
Ability to learn and use office management platforms, including Office 365, Keynote, Google Drive, Smartsheet, Slack, and Zoom.
Comfort with public speaking to internal and external partners.
Flexibility to work non-traditional hours as needed, including some nights and weekends.
Ability to lift up to 25 pounds and remain on one's feet for extended periods.
Willingness to travel up to 50% nationally and internationally.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with technology clients is strongly desired.
Experience working with international teams and across multiple time zones.

Responsibilities

Partner with client and brand teams to understand business needs, identify opportunities, and develop solutions and plans that deliver measurable results against program KPIs.
Guide and coordinate the development of experiential tactical plans for in-person and/or virtual execution with Strategy/Creative, Production, Tech, Digital, Social, and other appropriate departments.
Manage day-to-day project and event activities, ensuring programs are planned, staffed, and executed on time and on budget across internal and external teams.
Lead weekly internal and external status meetings and deep dives, and manage communications between the client and account team throughout each engagement.
Support the development of program statements of work and track resources, budgets, timelines, and deliverables against contract terms and client commitments.
Monitor expenses and actual costs against approved program budgets, update clients, and obtain client approvals as needed.
Reconcile project and event expenses in partnership with the program Production lead.
Track creative deliverables through client review and approval in partnership with other departments.
Maintain organized internal and client-facing program documentation, including folder structures, shared resources, and key files.
Remain current with industry trends and technologies.