Senior Manager, Special Events

AbbVie • North Chicago, IL

1d

About The Position

The Senior Manager, Special Events supports the planning and delivery of safe, secure, and well-coordinated events for a pharmaceutical manufacturing company. The role partners with internal stakeholders, event organizers, site leadership, and external service providers to identify risks and implement appropriate protective-services plans. Events may take place at manufacturing sites, corporate offices, off-site venues, or other locations. The manager helps ensure event plans align with company policies, site access and safety requirements, applicable regulations, and the needs of employees, visitors, executives, and other attendees.

The role develops and coordinates event security plans, assesses threats and vulnerabilities, monitors emerging risks, recommends mitigations, and coordinates security measures with event owners and relevant internal teams. It also oversees contracted security and event-service providers, prepares operational documents, monitors event conditions, documents incidents and lessons learned, and tracks event-related resources and expenses. The position may involve working at manufacturing sites, offices, and off-site venues, with travel based on event needs. Schedules may occasionally include early mornings, evenings, weekends, or holidays.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in security management, emergency management, criminal justice, business, hospitality, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Experience coordinating security, protective services, emergency management, or operational planning for events or complex facilities.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams and external service providers.
• Strong written and verbal communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and respond calmly to changing conditions.
• Proficiency with standard business software and tools used for planning, communication, and documentation.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in pharmaceutical, life-sciences, healthcare, manufacturing, law enforcement, or another regulated operating environment.
• Experience with program development, policy and protocol development, and scenario-based planning for operational readiness.
• Experience planning events at facilities with controlled access, restricted areas, or sensitive operations.
• Relevant professional training or certifications in security, emergency management, event safety, or project management.
• Experience supporting executive events, VIP visits, or events involving external stakeholders.
• Familiarity with incident command, business continuity, emergency response, and risk-assessment practices.

Responsibilities

• Develop and coordinate protective-services plans for company meetings, conferences, executive engagements, employee events, and external-stakeholder visits.
• Conduct or coordinate event-specific threat and vulnerability assessments using available intelligence, threat indicators, historical incidents, attendee profiles, venue vulnerabilities, and operational considerations.
• Develop risk-based mitigation strategies and actionable security recommendations for leadership and protective-services planning.
• Monitor relevant security threats and emerging risks that could affect events, personnel, facilities, or operations; communicate changes and adjust plans as necessary.
• Assess event-related risks, locations, attendance, schedules, and operating conditions, and recommend proportionate security measures.
• Coordinate with event owners and business partners to incorporate security considerations early in event planning.
• Work with Protective Services, facilities, environmental health and safety, emergency management, communications, legal, human resources, and other relevant teams.
• Coordinate event access controls, credentialing, visitor screening, staffing, traffic and parking plans, venue security, and incident-response procedures as appropriate.
• Support protective-services planning for executive and other high-profile attendees with appropriate internal teams.
• Prepare event security briefs, staffing plans, contact lists, post orders, contingency plans, and other operational documents.
• Oversee contracted security and event-service providers, communicate expectations, and monitor performance.
• Ensure event teams understand applicable site procedures, including visitor management, restricted-area controls, emergency procedures, and manufacturing-site requirements.
• Monitor event conditions and adjust plans in response to changing risks, schedules, attendance, or operational needs.
• Document incidents, observations, and after-action findings, and recommend improvements for future events.
• Maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive event, personnel, operational, or security information.
• Track event-related resources and expenses and contribute to planning, reporting, and continuous improvement.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Paid time off, including vacation, holidays, and sick time.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for eligible employees.
• 401(k) for eligible employees.
• Eligibility to participate in long-term incentive programs.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager