Events Lead

Laude Research Institute PBC•San Francisco, CA

4h•Hybrid

About The Position

Laude's events are central to its mission, serving as a primary expression of its goals. The organization aims to convene leaders in AI and computer science, fostering an environment where the atmosphere and engineered moments have a lasting impact on the community's self-perception and collaborative efforts. This role is responsible for end-to-end event production for both Laude Institute and Laude Ventures. Key responsibilities include producing flagship events like the Ship Your Research (SYR) Summit and Open Frontier, managing VIP activations at major conferences such as NeurIPS, and overseeing programming at the Laude Lab venue. The role also involves organizing salon-style conversations, VIP dinners, and the Annual General Meeting, while developing and maintaining the aesthetic and experiential identity of all events. The approach is inspired by the music industry, emphasizing energy, intention, and soul over conventional corporate marketing. The position requires extensive event production experience, strong hospitality skills, and sufficient technical and scientific understanding to engage with the community. The ideal candidate will be adept at budget management, venue negotiation, speaker briefings, and setting the right tone for various events, acting as both a builder and a host. This is primarily an on-site role in San Francisco, with international travel required for event production.

Requirements

A seasoned event producer with a full-stack skill set: you can lead the strategy and run the production sheet
Equally skilled at strategic thinking and detailed execution. You have a clear point of view on how Laude should show up in the world and the operational precision to execute on it down to the granular details
A natural host with genuine hospitality instincts. You read a room, adjust in real time, and care about how people feel in a space
Deeply organized without being rigid. You keep complex logistics clean and stay composed when they shift
Experienced working with technical or scientific communities: you know how to earn credibility and create environments where that culture thrives
Financially fluent: you own your budgets, protect them, and know where to spend and where to hold
Attuned to aesthetics and atmosphere. You have strong opinions about what makes an event feel right and the taste to execute on them
Low ego and high ownership. You're motivated by the work landing well, not by being seen doing it
A clear communicator who can manage up, across, and with external partners simultaneously
5 to 10 years of event production experience, with at least some of that in deep tech or research
Based in San Francisco and able to travel internationally as needed

Nice To Haves

Experience producing events for or within the AI or tech research ecosystem
Background in conference programming, speaker curation, or editorial-style event design
Exposure to the music industry, live events, or cultural programming: festival production, venue operations, talent booking, or tour logistics
Visual sensibility and comfort working with design teams on brand-consistent assets and environments
Experience managing satellite activations or branded presence at third-party conferences

Responsibilities

Produce major Laude events from concept through close: the Ship Your Research (SYR) Summit; Open Frontier; Laude Lounge activations at NeurIPS, ICML, and peer gatherings; and other flagship convenings as the calendar grows
Produce our Annual General Meeting for Laude Ventures investors and the broader community
Own Laude Lab programming: book speakers, curate experiences, manage the venue calendar, and maintain the space as homebase for the leading edge of the computer science research community
Produce salon-style conversations, VIP dinners, and intimate researcher gatherings that reflect the depth and culture of our community
Own budgets across the full events portfolio: forecasting, tracking, vendor negotiation, and post-event reconciliation
Lead vendor relationships, venue sourcing, contract negotiation, and logistics management
Develop and execute event run-of-show, staffing plans, speaker logistics, and on-site operations
Shape the experiential identity of Laude events: environment, music, food and beverage, pacing, and the arc of the room
Collaborate on event promotion, pre- and post-event content, and coverage strategy
Build and manage RSVP and registration flows, guest list curation, and attendee communications
Coordinate with the research community, external partners, and co-hosts to align on programming, guest list, VIP considerations, and logistics
Maintain systems that support a high-volume events calendar: templates, timelines, post-mortems, and vendor rosters
Travel, at times internationally, to produce activations on the ground