Senior Director of Events

State Policy Network

3d•$120,000 - $155,000•Remote

About The Position

At State Policy Network (SPN), we are dedicated to building a society where personal freedom, innovation, and opportunity enable everyone to thrive. As a national nonprofit, we serve as a connector and champion for a growing network of state-based think tanks and partners committed to a freer society. This role is integral to our mission, working alongside bold leaders to foster durable, state-level freedom movements and help high-performing, independent think tanks make a significant impact across the nation. SPN is seeking a Senior Director of Events who excels at the intersection of strategic planning, content development, and hands-on execution. This individual will view events as a critical tool for advancing SPN's mission and expanding its network-wide impact. The ideal candidate possesses experience in managing complex events, transforming vision into detailed, well-executed productions. They should also be adept at content collaboration, assisting leadership in shaping event agendas, and curating speakers and formats. A natural systems thinker, this person will leverage technology and optimize processes to minimize manual tasks, shorten timelines, and enable scalable event production, all while maintaining the distinctive warmth and hospitality characteristic of SPN gatherings.

Requirements

7+ years of experience in event strategy, event management, or a related field, including experience leading large-scale, high-profile events (500+ attendees).
Demonstrated experience designing event content – agendas, session formats, and speaker lineups – for a substantive, policy- or issue-driven audience.
A track record of using technology and process design to make events more efficient and scalable—not just running events, but improving how they get run.
Proven people-management experience, with the ability to build, mentor, and grow a high-performing events team.
Strong budget management and vendor negotiation skills.
Exceptional project management skills and comfort holding multiple complex timelines at once.
A genuine passion for hospitality and creating memorable, personal experiences. This role is equal parts operator and host.
Willingness to travel regularly for site visits and on-site event execution (roughly 20% travel).

Nice To Haves

Experience designing and executing successful donor cultivation events is ideal.
Familiarity with the state-based think tank movement or nonprofit/association event work is a plus.

Responsibilities

Oversee overall strategy, planning, and execution for SPN's events, including our 1,500+ person Annual Meeting.
Serve as a thought partner to staff, ensuring each event advances SPN's mission and strategic objectives.
Drive content planning and programming for SPN’s events, collaborating with members of SPN’s leadership team and other key stakeholders to build agendas and curate speakers and session formats.
Partner closely with the communications, programs, and development teams to build content that reflects SPN’s strategic priorities.
Design systems and processes that allow SPN to scale our event portfolio without sacrificing the warm, personal experience attendees expect from SPN.
Evaluate, implement, and champion solutions that streamline logistics, reduce manual work, and allow the team to scale events.
Build and maintain strong, ongoing relationships with vendors, sponsors, and partners to unlock new opportunities and improve execution.
Hire, mentor, and coach members of the events team, setting individual expectations and providing ongoing feedback.
Oversee event sponsorship strategy and execution, in partnership with SPN's sponsorship contractor and development team, to meet ambitious revenue goals.
Ensure brand consistency across speakers, content, and event logistics, coordinating with SPN's communications team to prepare presenters and maintain a polished attendee experience.
Build feedback loops after each event to capture lessons learned on both content and logistics, and continuously refine SPN's event playbook.
Develop and track event budgets, identifying opportunities to continue executing high-quality events in a cost-effective manner within a constantly changing hospitality environment.