Senior Manager, Event Design

McDermott Will & Emery•Boston, DC

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Event Design is a strategic creative leader responsible for envisioning and delivering bold, world‑class event experiences across McDermott’s portfolio - from intimate, high‑touch gatherings to large‑scale, multi‑day signature events with 2,000+ attendees. Reporting into the Creative Director, this role owns the creative vision end‑to‑end, ensuring every touchpoint - from first invitation through on‑site immersion and post‑event moments - feels cohesive, elevated, and unmistakably McDermott. Positioned at the intersection of brand, experience design, and production, the Senior Manager brings a strong point of view and big‑picture perspective, seeing the full arc of an event and understanding how each creative decision shapes audience perception and impact. This role calls for a confident creative lead who can articulate and defend strategic ideas with clarity, and balances conceptual ambition with operational rigor to turn complex, abstract ideas into bold, memorable experiences across digital, environmental, and physical channels.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
At least ten ( 10 ) years of experience in event design, experiential marketing, brand environments, or integrated creative roles, with leadership responsibility
Hands on expertise in design tools (Adobe Creative Suite; Figma or similar preferred) with the judgment to know when to design personally vs. delegate
Ability to design large scale, high profile events as well as intimate, detail driven experiences
Strong portfolio demonstrating conceptual thinking, spatial/environmental design, and integrated digital and physical executions
Deep understanding of how creative strategy supports business objectives and audience engagement
Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to articulate ideas clearly and persuasively to senior stakeholders
Ability to manage vendors, production partners, and print processes with confidence and precision
Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word)

Responsibilities

Partner closely with the Creative Director to push creative boundaries while ensuring consistency, clarity, and sophistication across all event executions
Help drive the creative vision for McDermott events, developing overarching concepts and narratives that unify digital, environmental, and experiential elements into a seamless attendee journey
Design immersive, ownable experiences that transform venues into branded environments aligned with McDermott’s brand standards, business priorities, and audience expectations
Translate high ‑ level themes and messaging into scalable creative systems that work across event sizes, formats, and geographies
Oversee the design of digital event assets, including email campaigns, event registration websites, and social graphics, ensuring cohesion across all pre ‑ event marketing channels
Lead the design and execution of on ‑ site creative applications, including environmental branding, signage, stage graphics, wayfinding, experiential moments, and printed collateral
Own the creative workstream for assigned events, leading creative status calls, managing timelines and workflows, and serving as the primary creative point of contact for stakeholders
Brief, guide, and review work from internal designers and external vendors, providing clear direction and managing partners to ensure design intent is executed at the highest level, on time and on budget